Why do we sing about "Amazing Grace" on Sunday but demand our neighbours "earn their keep" on Monday? In this episode of The Faithful Citizen, we continue our "Redeeming..." series by tackling the uncomfortable disconnect between the Vertical Grace we receive from God and the Horizontal Mercy we often refuse to extend to the poor.

We explore the "Myth of Meritocracy," the idolatry of the "Bootstrap Gospel," and why the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant might be the most political text in the New Testament. It is time to drop the ledger and redeem Mercy.

In This Episode, We Cover:

The Sunday/Monday Paradox: The jarring theological shapeshift between our worship of Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) and our political demand for ruthless meritocracy.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant: Retelling Matthew 18 as a commentary on the modern American voter.

Smashing the Idols: Identifying the "Idol of Merit" (poverty as a moral failing) and the "Idol of the System" (outsourcing compassion to the State).

The Theology of the Beggar: Why the Gospel demands we identify with the poor, not just serve them.

Dropping the Ledger: Practical steps to move from transactional relationships to covenantal generosity.

Scripture Referenced:

Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith..."

Matthew 18: The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.

Isaiah 58:6-7: The fast that God chooses (bringing the poor into your house).

Luke 16: The Rich Man and Lazarus.

Memorable Quotes:

"We’re the people of Sola Gratia. We fiercely defend the doctrine that we’re spiritual beggars who’ve been given a seat at the King's table... yet we champion a ruthless meritocracy."

"When you know you’ve been forgiven a debt of 10,000 talents, you don't choke your neighbour over a few dollars. You tip extravagantly."

"The Gospel calls us to drop the Ledger."

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As 2025 draws to a close, many in the Church are celebrating a perceived political restoration. But have we confused the throne of Caesar with the Cross of Christ? In this final episode of the year, we put aside the usual recaps and resolutions to read a necessary and urgent open letter to the Church in North America.

This is a call to a profound reckoning. We explore the spiritual costs of the "Constantinian Temptation," the heresy of Christian Nationalism, and the "vanishing empathy" that has hardened our hearts toward the neighbour and the stranger. It is a plea to disarm, to repent of the idolatry of power, and to return to the Cruciform path before the new year begins.

In This Episode, We Cover:

The Constantinian Temptation: How seeking political leverage has traded the Church's prophetic voice for a seat at the table.

The Idolatry of Nationalism: Why conflating the Kingdom of God with a nation-state is a modern "golden calf."

The Crisis of Truth: The danger of "post-truth" politics and conspiracy theories within the Body of Christ.

Vanishing Empathy: The spiritual rot visible in our treatment of immigrants, refugees, and those across the political aisle.

A Call to Metanoia: Moving from a "warrior Jesus" rhetoric back to the radical humility of the Cross.

Scripture Referenced:

John 18:36: "My kingdom is not of this world."

Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek..."

Leviticus 19:34: "You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you..."

Ephesians 6:12: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood..."

Coming Next Week: The Hoarded Table We continue our "Redeeming..." series with an episode titled "The Hoarded Table: Redeeming Mercy from the Myth of Meritocracy."

We will explore the defining paradox of the modern church: why we sing about "free grace" on Sunday but demand our neighbours "earn their keep" on Monday.

We’ll deconstruct the "Idol of Merit" (the Bootstrap Gospel) and the "Idol of the System" (Checklist Charity).

We will discuss why the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant is the most terrifying political text in the New Testament.

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In December, a predictable skirmish breaks out across the Western world—not fought with treaties, but with coffee cups and store greetings. We are told that the "War on Christmas" is about saving the holiday from secular erasure. But what if the Church is fighting the wrong war?

In this special holiday episode, we explore how the season is actually being contested by two ancient, rival kingdoms: the Empire of Power (represented by Herod) and the Empire of Mammon (represented by the Mall). We discuss how to strip away the "magic" of consumerism and the anger of the culture wars to return to the terrifying, glorious "Scandal of the Manger".

In This Episode, We Cover:

The Wrong War: Why the fight over "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays" is often a distraction from the true scandal of the Incarnation.

The Idol of Herod (Power): How we use the Nativity as a weapon for cultural dominance rather than a call to spiritual surrender. We look at how Herod’s fear of a rival King mirrors our own fear of losing cultural influence.

The Idol of Consumption (Mammon): How the "Mystery" of God becoming man has been replaced by the "Magic" of the marketplace. We discuss how the commercialized Christmas functions as an engine of exclusion, shaming the poor whom God came to identify with.

The Scandal of the Manger: Re-examining the gritty reality of the birth of Christ—marked by illegitimacy, poverty, and vulnerability—and why it disarms our modern political and economic empires.

Practicing a "Disarmed" Christmas: Practical ways to move from "Fortress Christmas" to Radical Hospitality.

Subversive Generosity: Rejecting the logic of the Mall to "waste" our resources on those who cannot repay us, breaking the spell of Mammon.

Memorable Quotes:

"We’ve spent decades fighting for the right to name-drop a poor, Middle Eastern refugee King, while simultaneously building a celebration that often represents everything He came to dismantle."

"These two empires don’t mind if we say 'Merry Christmas,' provided we keep the baby in the manger—silent, decorative, and safe."

"The 'Magic' of the secular Christmas demands toxic positivity... But the Mystery of the Incarnation validates grief."

"A mascot is safe... But a Monarch belongs to no one."

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We have one more episode before the new year as we continue this journey of seeking to live faithfully in a fractured world.