Loyd Ford “2026 And Our Fragile Times”
The NRB recently put out an email that essentially outlines one of the biggest challenges for Christian communicators. The NRB questions “whether we (the broadcasters) possess the conviction to speak truthfully.” You might think that is a no brainer, but I think we would all be wise to consider carefully the challenges based on the secular climate in the United States today.
So much is said about our country being based on Christianity, but what if our country was founded more on principles (virtues) set forth by Aristotle (pursuit of happiness) driven by the idea of human freedom or rights associated with rejecting sovereignty established by European monarchs? What if the conservative ideas evangelicals advance are more about the civics and economics that make for a prosperous society derived from history than God’s ideas for His world?
If we are in an era that has been largely marked by “cultural Christianity,” the stakes are higher than ever for Christian communicators.
The challenge IS that Christian communicators must have the conviction to speak into a culture where biblical truth is labeled “extremism” and clarity is punished as “intolerance.” These are the words of the NRB and they do have merit.
The NRB states that “Our rights come from God, not government; that truth is fixed, not fluid; and liberty depends on moral restraint. Communicators have a responsibility to defend and advance these biblical truths in the public square, not retreat from them.
Maybe narratives from Christian communicators should be asking could be:
- What does Jesus say about our rights in this world?
- Why does the world feel truth is relative and not absolute?
- What is the Biblical view of liberty?
- Where in Scripture is religious freedom advanced?
Standing in the darkness of our day as we enter 2026, maybe we have the responsibility to be Christians, to show the light of Christianity, to exhibit grace and to glorify God.
It seems like this is the legacy left to us by communicators like Charlie Kirk. Charlie attempted to be both an evangelist and political advocate. The world as well as the church found it difficult and troubling to really get what he was doing. He embodied the challenge communicators have of creating an open way to engage. He challenged ideas, but he didn’t talk down to people. He delineated between public policy and our identity in Christ.
There are many ways to do things, but the truth is only the truth. Still, we must work on ways of engaging audiences that “fit” the balance of advancing the truth of Christ without being evaluated on our political advocacy.
A Little Truth
Let’s start here. Humans are flawed; yes, you and me. We need to show our vulnerabilities, our faith and the truths that distinguish how unity with Jesus is not the same as the “cultural Christianity” present in the U.S. today.
Effective communication creates space for listeners to be more thoughtful about how God’s call on Christianity is different from fixing public policy as we think.
No one should be resting easy based on what we are seeing in our American society today. You have an opportunity every day to advance not just communicating Christianity but showing Christianity.
Loyd Ford is chief strategic officer at Rainmaker Pathway Consulting Works (RPC). Today smaller teams must create more opportunity so local radio can thrive. Many are stuck in the wash of what’s happening to local media. RPC helps you develop unique and powerful local strategy along with encouraging and motivating your smaller team to punch above their weight class. Mr. Ford is the host of The Encouragers™ The Radio Rally™ podcast (Apple, Audible, Spotify). They help local radio find their momentum™.
