Texas State Representative James Talarico stated a inarguable case that white nationalism is counter to the tenets of Christianity and a rejection Jesus teachings as he spoke to his church congregation. A worthwhile eighteen minutes – especially for a Christian needing to hear it. This is the second address to Christians that I’ve seen, redressing Christianity’s antithetical acceptance and embrace of white nationalism.

For true scholars and true believers, White Christian nationalism is a departure from, a rejection of, and a betrayal against Christ and Christianity. Possibly one of the reasons scholars have become the enemy of all things MAGA and Anti-Woke-Right. There are many within this large group of people who sincerely believe themselves to be Christians. Some whom on the better view of them, sincerely wish to be the very best Christians they can be. Still, this kind of thing does not happen organically. And it will not survive or thrive organically either. There are perpetrators. And like all insular communities that define themselves by a belief that excludes all others as “non-believers,” the push back and dismantling will have to come from within.

As much as the word “abomination” is misapplied by people most inclined to use such a word, such a word as “abomination” is exactly what white nationalism is, in its very relationship to Christianity. A word that has so much power within the communities by which it is most used – and most often as a weapon against non-believers. I do hope it is selected for use today in the place it can do the world some good for a change, by turning that weapon upon itself to clear its own real demons rather than those it manufactured as examples to the world. To add hope upon hope- I hope this word is wielded with equal fervor.

The timing for taking this campaign up however, if to reach and teach Christians about the incompatibility between Christianity and white nationalism “before it gets out of hand” is a bit like moving the safety briefing to airline passengers regarding exits, oxygen masks and floatation devices to be given following the later speech about returning seat backs to their upright position and turning electronic devices off “as we begin our descent.” Certainly the safety precautions may still be useful to some in extreme and rare conditions, but for most people who actually needed to know about seat cushions and oxygen masks, the information will have arrived too late or not at all for their emergency. It is certainly arriving very late for ours. And whether we see a Trump presidency as a train wreck or plane crash – there are a hell of a lot more passengers in this disaster. Talarico’s deep sincerity and formidable theological expertise notwithstanding, this may just be another “too little, too late” scenario.

Still, I hope many Christians who have been drawn into the racist hold of white nationalism will hear words like those from Representative Talarico and find the Christ they profess to so revere, in his truth, rather than the appropriation by their fiction.