The Culture Changes, Not the Mission

We live in a time of manufactured crises where institutions utilize the current fears and angst to turn sparks into flames and flames into infernos. We all know that “bad news sells,” and it’s clear that politicians and their media counterparts push these negative narratives to an emotional population that’s easily triggered. It’s like a satanic “renewing of the mind,” because the objective of the kingdom of darkness is for humanity to “keep on” the old man (Eph. 4:22).

Christians, on the other hand, are supposed to be the proclaimers and publishers of good news, but our good news is not such an easy sell, although that may be changing as the difference between light and darkness is becoming more clear to more people, and no doubt these lines of demarcation will only grow more distinct as this year pushes on.

Media is Changing

As is often the case, politics is at the center of the problem, but the state is steadily losing its grip on the psyche of the nation as it becomes more clear that the sole purpose of the state is its own power and survival. The will of the people matters little as we see that politicians will not leave the outcomes to the people’s choices, but the ability of the state to effectively utilize propaganda is diminishing as mainstream media’s viewership is shrinking under the shadow of digital media. 

Consider the fact that most of the campaigning by GOP candidates until now was done more on podcasts than debates or interviews on cable news networks. This represents a significant shift in the way information is shared and consumed. In addition, every conceivable view of individuals, groups, or organizations is now freely distributed via social media channels, and since Elon Musk purchased Twitter (now X), the floodgates have opened, and smart phones are replacing news cameras as information “on the streets” is now shared in real time.

The False Gods are Failing

The society built over the last century is showing its cracks, and what’s now being revealed is more than political corruption. In reality, a false god is dying, and society is now confronted with questions about how to structure life outside of the state—especially if the country further declines economically, socially, or worse. Forseeing our time, Rushdoony wrote:  

The state as god is a failure; it is a sovereign whose idiocies are daily ridiculed even in the most oppressive dictatorship. Men have a particularly strong contempt for false gods. They do not last. The false gods are dying all around us. The sovereignty of the state is a dead end for man and the state. It gives us both law and life without meaning.1

It’s a rude awakening for most people to realize that the abundance of bureaucratic laws served no greater purpose than to justify the existence of the administrative state. The welfare state, and the warfare state, were never about the citizens. Statism serves the state and conceals its will to be as god with the fig leaves of welfare and national defense.

 Once again, man is faced with the question, “How then shall we live?” Even if a new president can right a few wrongs, how does a nation avoid more subversion by insiders, and how do they protect themselves from economic fallout or moral decline?

As you can see, the times are ripe for a return to the gospel and God’s law-word as the standard for life. It will take time for most to realize the full scope of what they’ve been living under, but this is the place where we want to meet them as a ministry. It’s the place at which you should meet them as a friend, co-worker, or family member.

Long-Term Commitment

By God’s providence we are all positioned to meet people where they are with the answers they don’t know they’re looking for. We tend to look to institutions or leaders for help, but the answer lies in Christian Reconstruction. We must rebuild along Biblical lines and sacrificially invest in this long-term mission.

This is something we’ve always kept in mind at Chalcedon, since from the outset Rushdoony was clear to his supporters about the long-term investment they were committing to by underwriting his work. Therefore, nothing is more important than ensuring that we have our vast resources available for people looking for solutions.

We labor to provide current scholarship, but ultimately we are expanding on the work done by Rushdoony and others, so what’s vital is that the last several decades of materials are archived and featured in both print and digital formats. Whether one wants to research online, watch a video, listen to a sermon, or read a book on their phone, our content is available to anyone around the world.

Although Chalcedon began in 1965, a great deal of what Rushdoony wrote about is more obvious now than at any other time, which is why publishing, promoting, and distributing the central idea of Christian Reconstruction is so needed right now. We must share this message faithfully to those with ears to hear.

Lastly, it has been faithful supporters like you who have worked tirelessly with us to not only support this ministry, but to also share the message of Christian Recontruction with those within your sphere of influence. For this, we are thankful, and we pray for your labors as we hope you pray for ours.

1. R. J. Rushdoony, Sovereignty (Vallecito, CA: Chalcedon/Ross House Books, 2007), p. 28.