In politics, just as with everything else, it’s about perspective.
While he still takes his political views seriously, conservative radio host Erick Erickson mused from his porch in Macon, Georgia, Thursday night that his Christian faith has helped him find a better balance in recent years.
His comments, which he posted to Instagram, were sparked by a former listener who said he no longer tunes into Erickson’s radio show because he doesn’t take politics as seriously anymore.
“For this guy who says I’m not fighting or I don’t act like I think that any of this matters, you know what, what matters is eternity,” he explained. “I’m not willing to lose my soul by behaving like godless people to try to build a heaven on earth.”
Ultimately, Erickson conceded, he thinks the U.S. “is toast” as a country “long term” because “every nation rises and falls” and “eternity is what matters.”
“I think a whole lot of people are willing to sell out there faith and be a bad witness for Christ to preserve something that you ultimately can’t preserve,” he continued. “[C]ulture is upstream from politics, and you’re not gonna change culture. I’ve read the end of the book — I know what happens.”
The job of the Christian isn’t to sacrifice everything to slow the inevitable demise of culture, he argued. Rather, the Bible tells believers “to hold on to eternity” and to “draw other people to Christ” — not to the Republican or Democratic Parties.
Erickson, who has spent a great deal of time studying Scripture in seminary, didn’t pull any punches, calling out many of his political allies for failing to take faith seriously.
“It’s not just the Democrats who are decadent,” he opined. “Look at some of you listening right now, nodding along with me. You don’t even step foot in a church on a Sunday; you’re in a bass boat. But oh, you love Jesus and babies, you just hate the Democrats so much you actually believe the Democrats are evil. Hey, guess what: you’re a sinner, too. We’re all sinners.”
“And some of us have decided the sins of other people are so bad that they’ve got to be ruined, destroyed, annihilated just like they think,” he continued. “Well, you know what, you’re supposed to have Jesus in your heart. And if you’ve got Jesus in your heart, it’s not for you to condemn people. It’s for you to try to get them to Jesus.”
Erickson admitted he used to be obsessive about politics, too. To those struggling to find a good balance and still “love your neighbor” amid political strife, the commentator suggested taking a step back from it all.
Those who trust in Jesus “are already on the winning team,” he said, adding, “I don’t understand why you’re so angry.”
Watch the entire video below: