Most are aware of the docu-series phenomenon Shiny Happy People, which is streaming on Amazon Prime and stands as one of the top documentaries of the present day.

While Shiny Happy People is subtitled as “Duggar Family Secrets”, it is really about two groups of people. First off, we have the Duggars. Many know of the family through their TLC “reality” tv show 19 and Counting, referring to the whopping 19 kids the parents have. I put reality in quotes because, whenever cameras are on the scene, it’s no longer real. It all has a measure of acting. Many are also aware of the sexual assault and child pornography scandal by the Duggar’s oldest son, Josh.

Secondly, the series is also about Bill Gothard and his Institute of Basic Life Principles (IBLP). If you go to Gothard’s website, it seems it is down, perhaps due to so much traffic related to the Shiny Happy People documentary. Begun in 1961 by Gothard, IBLP is an extremely conservative (fundamentalist) Christian, para-church training program. They have many curricular sets and events, but it is underlined by their 7 Basic Life Principles. They also provide in-depth homeschool curriculum. The Duggars are essentially the poster-children for IBLP.

In all, the Shiny Happy People documentary exposes some of the egregious problems of super-conservative Christianity. Those problems? Abuse of all types – physical, emotional, sexual, brain-washing, and more.

All to say, that is a lot of material out there about the failings of evangelicalism. I could keep going, but I think you can get the full picture just from the materials above.

In defense, an evangelical Christian might offer that the secular world is simply finding their enjoyment in ripping the evangelical church. What can one expect?! We will be persecuted! Perhaps so. But persecution is not something experienced due to wrong-doing. Such happens in light of right-doing, which is not the case in these instances. Not to mention that Jon Ward is still a Christian.

Still, I have another view. It is this.

The American church is currently facing a reckoning unlike anything we’ve known before. As an evangelical Christian myself, I would offer the perspective that our own sh*t, excuse my French, is irrefutable and undeniable. And now it has hit the proverbial fan. The above materials only look at things from the past few decades. This doesn’t cover the centuries of racist, misogynistic, oppressive, abusive, homophobic, and politically idolatrous ways of the American church. How we have treated Blacks, women, Natives, the weak, the LGBTQ community, and more has looked nothing like Jesus. It’s been quite the opposite.

No, I’m not really talking about you – you as an individual. Though, perhaps the shoe fits.

I am speaking of the church as a whole. It’s just that our immensely individualistic perspective doesn’t allow us to think of the wider cause and effect of the church’s actions. I believe such is to our detriment.

Let me give you two other examples.

If you look at the history of Western Europe, of which I lived there 8.5 years total, you will see a similar storyline – that of deep, deep oppression, abuse, and political idolatry. Europe’s history is replete with such, whether under the Constantinian Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire begun under Charlemagne, or the Protestant rise following the Reformation. The wars across Germany, France, Holland, Spain, and more were atrocious, all under the pretense of Christianity.

The same storyline played out for Old Testament Israel and Judah through their oppression of the poor, idolatrous worship, and political maneuvering. This is what the prophets of old addressed in their messages to the leaders and people.

God’s old covenant people didn’t listen. They faced a major reckoning and were exiled.

European Christianity didn’t listen. They faced a major reckoning and were exiled.

Now, here we are in America, following in their exact footsteps.

Shiny Happy People, The Secrets of Hillsong, God Forbid, and Jon Ward’s Testimony are just a few examples of the implosion of American Christianity. We are being exiled – not into another land, but right within our own land. Our temple is being wrecked and ravaged just as Jerusalem’s was so long ago.

Unfortunately, this means our exile will last longer.

The problem is, while we should, I believe, read and embrace something like the book of Lamentations as we experience this exilic collapse, many instead are white-knuckle fighting it. We are doubling down in our corrupt ways. We’ve put all our chips into the basket of our disgusting displays of narcissistic idolatry.

Israel’s exile was initially 70 years according to Jeremiah, to which it was stretched ultimately to 490 years (70 x 7) according to the latter prophet Daniel.

Now we have Western Europe still within their exilic collapse, even after a century or two.

America’s has only just begun in the past few decades. We have a long path ahead of us. Even more because of our consistent doubling-down. Trust me, the 2024 election cycle will again highlight where we are.

Our story is that of these documentaries – and so much more. Our path has been one of racist, misogynistic, oppressive, abusive, homophobic, and politically idolatrous ways. Whether we care to admit it, and many don’t, that has become our heritage.

When we will recognize this and take up the words of the poetic lamenter:

How deserted lies the city,
    once so full of people!
How like a widow is she,
    who once was great among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
    has now become a slave.

Bitterly she weeps at night,
    tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers
    there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed her;
    they have become her enemies.

After affliction and harsh labor,
    Judah has gone into exile.
She dwells among the nations;
    she finds no resting place.
All who pursue her have overtaken her
    in the midst of her distress. (Lamentations 1:1-3)

These are the words that should be on our lips.

I truly believe the call is this: May we genuinely lament of our ways, lest our exile continue into the days of our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.