Thinking About Writing on America, Texas, and the Christian Legacy That Shaped Them

Reflections on heritage, faith, and whether this is a series I should pursue

Lately, I’ve been thinking about writing something about the West.

I’m not fully decided yet. But the idea keeps coming back to me.

My family has lived in the United States since before the American Revolution. Our history in Texas goes back to the early settlers who came with Stephen F. Austin. They weren’t famous. They weren’t people whose names are in textbooks. But they were here. They survived. They worked. They endured.

Some were pastors. Some were sharecroppers. Some probably lived very ordinary lives. Some didn’t do great things, and some made impacts in people’s lives we’ll never hear about. But they were part of building something.

My aunt once traced our ancestry further back and discovered connections to Roland Taylor and William Tyndale — men connected to the history of Scripture and Christian conviction. That reminded me that heritage is not only about land. It is also about belief.

And maybe that is part of why this idea won’t leave me alone.

It feels like America has been going through an identity crisis. Over the last decade, I’ve watched conversations shift in a way that often reduces this country to its failures. And to be clear, no nation is perfect. Ours isn’t either.

But I find myself wondering: is that the full story?

As a Christian, my identity in Christ comes first. Before Texas. Before America. Before anything else. But I also live here. My family lived here. Some served in the military. Others prayed, worked, and raised families here. Because of that, I feel a growing sense that maybe I should say something.

Other people have had to speak and bring truth in the past, and maybe now that time is for me?

I don’t believe America is flawless. I don’t believe Christians have always represented Christ well. But I also don’t believe this nation is simply evil, or that Christianity has been primarily harmful to society.

When I look at history, I see complexity. I see failure. But I also see movements shaped by Christian conviction — movements that pushed toward freedom, human dignity, and reform. I see people who believed in biblical ideals and tried, however imperfectly, to live them out.

Christians and Christianity made an impact in the world that has truly changed the world in a positive way, and many people have tried to erase that history.

And I keep asking myself:

Would it be helpful to explore that?

Would it be helpful to write about:

• The impact of Christianity on the West and the world

• How biblical convictions shaped Western civilization

• Whether tearing down foundational ideals leaves us with anything stable

I’m not sure yet.

Part of me hesitates because I know how charged these conversations can become. There are people who strongly dislike Christianity. There are people who strongly dislike this country. There are also people who may only know one version of the story — and have never heard another side presented calmly and thoughtfully.

Writing for the person who is open to learning and seeing a different perspective could be the right audience to aim for with this series.

I could just keep everything to myself, but I also don’t want to stay silent if there is something worth saying.

So I’m considering a series.

Nothing finalized yet. Just thinking. Praying. Weighing whether this is something I should step into.

Some of the topics I’m considering:

• The Golden Rule

  • Applied universally, grounded in God’s character

• Human equality under God

  • All people are made in the image of God

• Ending slavery movements

  • Driven by biblical moral conviction

• Hospitals and organized medical care

  • Caring for the sick as Christian duty

• Universities and literacy

  • Bible reading required widespread education

• Forgiveness over revenge

  • “Love your enemies” reshaped justice

• Marriage as covenant

  • Lifelong union rooted in creation

• Sanctity of children

  • Rejected infanticide common in Rome

• Separation of church and state

  • “Render unto Caesar…” distinction

• Limits on government power

  • Kings accountable to God

• Dignity of work

  • All labor done “as unto the Lord”

• Care for the poor

  • Charity institutionalized

• Conscience and moral responsibility

  • Internal moral law before God

• Truth sets people free

  • Truth objective, personal, liberating

• Inner transformation → outward change

  • Heart renewal before social reform

• Protection of women

  • Elevated dignity within marriage and society

• Objective moral law

  • Rooted in divine revelation

• Linear history and progress

  • Creation → redemption → restoration

• Sanctity of the body

  • Body created, redeemable, resurrected

If you think a series like this would be meaningful, I’d genuinely love to hear from you. And if you think it’s unwise, I’d be open to hearing that too.

Sometimes the first step isn’t publishing a full argument.

Sometimes it’s simply saying:
“I’m thinking about this.”

And seeing who else has been thinking about it too.

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