April 15, 2026

It’s Time to Put the Genie Back in the Bottle

From the dark plots of the Brothers Grimm to the jovial endings of many Disney films, children’s fiction and folklore have often taught us both blessing and burden. These stories tend to be cautionary tales. But they can also distract some from the seemingly bitter taste of morality by mixing their messages with amusement.

The predatory greed we see in "Hansel and Gretel" is lost on us when we create institutions that promote overindulgence, such as forms of capitalism that foster monopolies and cycles of poverty. At the same time, some popular stories also have taught us lessons we should unlearn. The rags-to-riches stories of "Aladdin" and "Snow White," for example, can make children think our dignity in some ways comes from power and prestige.

Likewise, American Christianity has tinkered with genies that have left believers with a cartoonish version of the truth. Every day, we see the results of what it looks like to wish for political power and receive it. "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death," Proverbs says (16:25). My own remix of this verse would read, "Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it."

I don’t think God intended for the story of American Christianity—including evangelicalism—to turn out this way. Like a genie, Satan in the gospels offered Jesus a temptation to acquire more power. Jesus refused. He also resisted the religious critics who wished for him to perform miracles showing his power.

Today, however, many people often seek out genies who provide shallow solutions and construct fragile kingdoms. Our culture has become consumed with the news cycle and the culture war, fueled by politicians, pundits, and influencers who position themselves as if they can change our pumpkins into carriages. At the same time, many, if not most, American Christians have abdicated the responsibility of evangelistic work and a pure, undefiled religion (James 1:27).

My criticism of this type of behavior applies across the political spectrum. As Christians, we have to resist the social indoctrination we see all around us, and refrain from turning Jesus into a lobbyist for our political interest. Have we forgotten that Jesus and his followers did not need political power to usher in the gospel? Have we forgotten to fast and pray for repentance, salvation, and the work of God to spread through every facet of this country?

We have created a Christian culture that believes celebrity conversions will validate our faith and lead to societal renewal. But Jesus did not seek fame. We live as if having more things is a testament to God’s goodness, but our Lord preached a life of self-denial and sacrifice. We eschew discomfort and inconvenience even though service to God requires both. All these patterns lead to a misdirected life at best, and destruction at worst.

In storytelling, one popular plot device is peripeteia, a sudden reversal of fortunes. A character who was about to lose a race suddenly wins. Another gets the life in the palace she’s always desired only to find out it comes with burdens about which she did not know.

As I indicated earlier, the Lord may not give us what we want, but what might be even worse is when he does. In 1 Samuel, God laid out the consequences of Israel’s wishes for a king, and in true fashion those desires led to significant destruction. Similarly, those seeking power at all costs have put more faith in politics than the Spirit and have ushered in a Christian culture subject to a human king. We have wished for leaders who have not shown kindness but have brought about constant conflict—both in the US and abroad.

As John Calvin would say, our hearts are idol factories. They perform the destructive work of committing us to fleeting desires while making them appear as essential needs. For many, politics has been one of those idols. But Jesus and his disciples show us a different way. They display how to establish thriving spiritual communities in the midst of oppressive regimes. They also show us, in practice, that we don’t need sociopolitical power to truly love our neighbors.

How do we put the genie back in the bottle?

As with many fairy tales, I believe we must first confess that our treasure-hunting ways have led us here. We must repent, knowing we have not been satisfied with simply being a royal priesthood and a chosen race: We don’t want to live merely as faithful witnesses of an eternal kingdom. We also want to consume other kingdoms.

In the world of Christendom, to which the church and imperial influence have been tethered, politics can be an agent of enforcement. But real Christianity offers us an invitation. It tells us we shall be known by our love, sanctification, and distinctiveness (John 13:35; 17:17; 1 Pet. 2:9). It also tells us we should "value others" and keep our "minds on things above" (Phil. 2:3; Col. 3:2; Rom. 12).

We can do this because we are empowered by the greatest peripeteia in history: the Resurrection. God as man was treated like a criminal and hung on a cross. Despite what he suffered, he still offered grace to the mob that participated in his death. The one who was judged is now the judge. He is with us, and we reign with him in the heavens. Praise be to God that ultimately this is a good story, and for those of us who are in Christ, it has a good ending.

Sho Baraka

Editorial Director

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