Was thinking again today of the tragedy of confusing the trappings of Christian nationalism & middle-class lifestyle w/ following Jesus.

It occurred to me that a lot of parents may have worked really, really hard discipling their kids in what they thought was Christianity. They sacrificed money, time, energy.

Obviously, kids make their own choices, but I know a ton of my peers who grew up in Christian subculture who no longer claim Christian faith. I can't help but wonder what they're actually rejecting.

The confusion & grief is so real. I hear it from both parents & grown children. Parents wondering what happened. Children wondering why their parents made choices they did. No one has good enough answers for either Q.

Please understand. I'm not critiquing parenting choices & heaven alone knows what challenges our family will face as we grow older. This is not about assigning guilt or blame. It's a lament.

It's a lament for generations who were told that their family would be kept whole thru positions & propaganda only to discover that they splintered because of them.

It's a lament for all who chased something other than Jesus & caught what they were chasing only to discover that it wasn't Him.

It's a lament & warning for those of us tempted to chase anything else.