Earlier this week prominent evangelical Christian Louie Giglio (of the Passion Conference) withdrew or was uninvited to give the benediction at the inauguration of President Obama. Why? Because it came to light that 15 years ago that he preached a sermon that stated clearly and unambiguously that homosexuality was a sin and that this was less than God’s best for us as human beings. In his statement, Giglio said the following:

I am honored to be invited by the President to give the benediction at the upcoming inaugural on January 21. Though the President and I do not agree on every issue, we have fashioned a friendship around common goals and ideals, most notably, ending slavery in all its forms.

Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15-20 years ago, it is likely that my participation, and the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration. Clearly, speaking on this issue has not been in the range of my priorities in the past fifteen years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.

Neither I, nor our team, feel it best serves the core message and goals we are seeking to accomplish to be in a fight on an issue not of our choosing, thus I respectfully withdraw my acceptance of the President’s invitation. I will continue to pray regularly for the President, and urge the nation to do so. I will most certainly pray for him on Inauguration Day.

Our nation is deeply divided and hurting, and more than ever need God’s grace and mercy in our time of need.

There are several revealing parts of this controversy. First the nature of tolerance (or intolerance) on display. But also, what as Christians should we expect when it comes to voicing our convictions in the public square? Should the events of this past week surprise us? Several Christian leaders have weighed in making some interesting observations:

Dr. Albert Mohler discusses the new Moral McCarthyism.

Dr. Russell Moore wonders if we are seeing the emergence of a new state church.

Dr. Darrell Bock raises important observations about what our expectations ought to be in a culture increasingly hostile to the Christian Worldview.

I have written in great detail how Christians should thoughtfully engage by seizing the opportunities we have every day to speak the life Jesus offers into our culture. What is clear is that the times they are a changin’ and Christians need to prepare to engage with courage and compassion.

Did you miss our latest Podcast with a leading NT scholar on Bible Contradictions? You can listen here.