Dear Editor:
On May 17, thousands of conservative Christians gathered in Washington, D.C., to “Rededicate America.” Their intention was noble, and Christians of all political and theological stripes should eagerly join in personal efforts to rededicate themselves to God.
Unfortunately, the concert-style worship, preaching and political speeches fell far short of the biblical examples of rededication, which involve a solemn and sacred manner of confessing sins, promising to honor God and obeying God’s word.
The eighth and ninth chapters of the Old Testament book of Nehemiah provide a stunningly comprehensive list of what true societal rededication looks like. There, we experience the reading of God’s word, the celebration of sacred holidays, a multi-day communal experience, fasting, public worship, confession of sins, both personal and community, and a public promise to obey God’s law.
What might such a rededication look like in 21st-century America?
Well, it would include a commitment by Christians in America to spend more time reading Scripture, contemplating its teachings and seriously attempting to put its writings into practice.
We would corporately confess our private and communal sins of selfishness, jealousy, immorality, hatred, racism, sexism and a general attitude of thumbing our noses at God.
And finally, we would recognize that our ultimate salvation is found in Jesus Christ, not any particular political party, elected official or even a rededication ceremony.
In Nehemiah, the people find themselves changed precisely because they recognize their sin, repent of it and look to Scripture for how to live their lives. If they had instead followed the Christian nationalist playlist of 2026, it is highly unlikely that the book of Nehemiah would have ended with a redeemed people living in a reformed society.
Let us pray for the rededication of ourselves, our country and our world with the words Nehemiah closes with: “Remember me with favor, my God.” Any other effort is doomed to fail.
Matthew Kolb, student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas