For Christians watching from afar, you must understand how this state went from being known as Minnesota Nice to an object of ridicule. There are three important lessons Christians must learn from the parable of Minnesota’s decline.
First, whether you care about the culture war or not, it will eventually come for you. The invasion of Cities Church is a vivid reminder that leftism is an all-consuming and totalitarian ideology. It makes comprehensive demands on every aspect of life. It suffers no rivals, especially religious ones. Christians may hide behind a misunderstanding of the separation of church and state, but leftists have no such qualms. Christian flight from the political arena creates a vacuum quickly filled by the disastrous ideology of leftism.
Leftists believe that their worldview is true throughout life, and they are willing to enforce that orthodoxy everywhere. Christians who believe that claims to political neutrality will protect them do not understand their opponents. Christians cannot abandon the political sphere and hope to live quiet and peaceful lives (1 Tim. 2:2). The devouring ideology of leftism cannot be wholly countered with the totalizing truth of the Christian world-and-life view. For this reason, the chief enemy and target of the lies of the left is the church of Jesus Christ.
We must remember that we are blessed when others revile us and when they lie about us (Matthew 5:11-12).Second, leadership matters, especially political leadership. Minnesota did not become a haven of fraud, lawlessness, and evil overnight. Over the last couple of decades, this state has moved from having a Republican governor to becoming known for its radical leftism. The fruit of this shift is on display to a watching world. The Minnesota you see on your screens is not the one I grew up in. The failure of politicians like Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison to establish the rule of law invites the chaos that now marks the streets of Minneapolis. The primary role of the state is to punish evildoers (Rom. 13:1-7), but in Minnesota, this responsibility is shirked.
The result is unchecked spending, massive fraud, riots, the burning of a police precinct, more riots, assaults on federal agents, the flouting of immigration law, and now the invasion of a church. More could be said about a ballooning deficit, assaults on parental rights, and much more, but Minnesota is a parable of how leftism is anti-civilizational. It only has the power to destroy. Whenever magistrates fail to protect the rights of their citizens, it is the duty of other magistrates to step in and deliver those citizens from wicked and unjust rulers.
Third, Christians must not be intimidated by the vitriol of our opponents. These are dark and serious times for the church in America, but we must remember that we are blessed when others revile us and when they lie about us (Matt. 5:11-12). In this life, we will have enemies because Christ Himself has enemies. Such opposition is not a sign of failure, but an invitation to greater faithfulness. The enemy’s tactics are not new, and they cannot stop the advance of Christ’s church. The darkness cannot overcome the light.
Places like Minneapolis, where it appears darkness, chaos, and evil reign, are ripe for a bold gospel witness. What we saw in the words and actions of Pastor Jonathan Parnell last Sunday in the face of protestors in his church is an example to follow. Christians around the world would do well to learn these lessons from the parable of the decline of Minnesota.