I've been asked multiple times this week for my thoughts on NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon—how he claims to be a Christian yet was seen bowing at another religious event.

Apparently it has caused a bit of an outrage, particularly in the NZ church—so here are a few of my thoughts.

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I want to start with a quote from Charles Finney, a renowned minister and leader of the second great awakening during the 1800's:

"If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible.

If the press lacks moral discernment, the pulpit is responsible.

If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible.

If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible.

If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible.

If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible."

We, as the Body, especially in the West, are far more responsible for the happenings in our nation than we like to admit.

But instead of seeing Who and what we carry, and the effect that can have, we seem to complain, blame, and even speak doom into our future.

Instead of coming into agreement with the destroyer and accuser, and speaking destruction into our future, I believe there is a better way.

When I see things like this with Christopher Luxon, I don’t respond with anger or outrage toward him. If anything, I feel deep compassion for him and a strong call to pray for him—through the lens of mercy and reconciliation.

This is the model I see in Jesus and many other mature sons.

• It’s what Stephen displayed as he was being stoned.

• It’s what Paul embodied after encountering Christ, praying, “For I wish that I myself were cut off from Christ, if it meant the Jews were saved"

• It's Abraham, pleading on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah

• It's Moses on behalf of Israel saying, “Lord, Please forgive their sin; but if you won't, then remove my name from the book."

• And then on the night that Jesus was betrayed, He still washed feet, broke bread, and then headed to the cross saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing."

Each of them prayed for mercy on behalf of those who opposed them, and were willing to lay down their own lives, for the sake of the opposer.

Jesus said that when we love our enemies and bless those who curse us, we are being true “sons of our Father” who sends rain on both the just and the unjust, light to both the good and the evil (Matt 5:45).

By choosing this response, I am walking as a true son of my Father, just as Jesus modeled and exhorted.

Some may argue that we must take a stronger stance—that Luxon’s actions were wrong and need to be called out boldly. And while correction has its place, the way we do it matters.

Jesus corrected people, but always with the goal of reconciliation, not condemnation. And if you are in relationship with Christopher Luxon and have influence in his life, please do.

Paul tells us in Galatians 6:1 to restore those who fall into sin gently. A response driven by anger or judgment hardens hearts; one rooted in mercy leads to transformation.

Sadly, I see many Christians reacting more like the "sons of thunder"—wanting to call down fire and judgment on Christopher Luxon, and then prophesying doom over our nation because of his actions.

I believe this response is immature and misaligned with who we are in Christ.

If judgment could transform hearts, the Pharisees would have changed the world.

We can either be sons of thunder, calling down fire, or sons of the Father, calling down mercy.

Some will say that because Luxon professes to follow Christ, we should judge him more strictly (1 Pet 4:17).

Yes, believers are called to accountability—but judgment must come from a place of agape, not anger or self-righteousness.

Real authority doesn’t come from pointing fingers, but from bending knees.

2 Timothy 2:24-25 says, “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance.”

Correction should never become a tool of destruction. It should always reflect the heart of the Father—who desires reconciliation, not condemnation.

To some, this might seem like a passive approach—that we need to be bold, like the prophets or John the Baptist.

But true boldness looks like Jesus, and His boldness was always rooted in love, not destruction.

Boldness isn’t about being harsh. It’s about standing firm in truth while embodying the Father’s heart.

He flipped tables in the temple when religious leaders corrupted worship. But when He encountered sinners, His response was mercy—like when He refused to condemn the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11).

Some might say that if we don’t take a stand, we’re allowing moral decay in our nation. But real change starts with transformed hearts, not political outrage.

You don’t change a nation by electing the right leader—you change it by embodying the right Kingdom.

Scripture never tells us to put our hope in government—it tells us to be the salt and light of the world (Matt 5:13-16).

The most powerful way to influence a nation is by embodying Christ ourselves.

The condition of a nation is ultimately determined by the spiritual condition of its people—that’s you and me. It starts with us.

It seems many have given too much power to the man sitting in the Prime Minister’s seat—forgetting the power of the man sitting in us, Christ, the true hope of the world.

Romans 8 tells us that all creation is waiting for the REVEALING of mature sons.

Not REVIVAL Not the RAPTURE Not the RIGHT Prime Minister But the REVEALING of mature sons

And maturity is not measured by ministry size, influence, or following—it’s measured by how much we look like our Father.

And 2 Corinthians 5:19 says that our Father “was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting men’s sins against them.”

If we want to change the world, we must first let God change us.

Some may say that praying is fine, but we need to do something about leaders who misrepresent Christianity.

But prayer isn’t passive—it is the most powerful action we can take because it invites God into our actions.

If prayer isn’t enough for you, maybe you haven’t seen what real prayer does.

Acting out of frustration often leads to division and strife. Spirit-led action brings true transformation.

This is a perfect moment to step into that maturity—not as the sons of thunder, complaining and calling for fire—but as true sons of the Father, who extend mercy and reconciliation, just like our Father.

As we embrace the love of God (agape) and respond like our Father, we might be surprised by the transformation we see—not just in the Prime Minster, but more importantly, in our own hearts, our families, our communities, and even in our nation.

Agape is not weak. It is not ignorant of what’s happening. It is not passive. Instead, it engages at the deepest level.

Jesus did not come to change systems—He came to change hearts through His indwelling Spirit.

And unless we allow that transformation within ourselves first, we will resort to human wisdom and power to do a divine work, and it will fail.

Why? Because only He can do the divine work.

And sadly, that's what we saw in the recent election.

Many of those who are now complaining about Christopher Luxon are the same ones who voted for him in the previous election.

And they voted for Christopher Luxon, not because he was a righteous choice, but because they saw it as "better" than the alternative.

And even when there was a righteous choice in the minor parties, they saw it as a waste.

And that is the problem.

We are doing things according to our wisdom and what we think is right, instead of His wisdom and what He has deemed righteous.

We fail to see that a stand for righteousness, no matter how big or small, is never a waste.

When Jesus died on the cross, it looked like a waste to His observers. But they failed to realise that He came to win a victory, not of this world's standard, but of a different (higher) world's standard.

May we stop doing things that are right in our own eyes and start fully embracing His example.

May we rise as the mature sons that all creation is waiting for.

And when people see us, may they see the Father.

Father, help us to understand who we are in you and the very real influence and impact you have given us in this world.

Help us to understand our identity in You so that we can become more like You.

Mature the areas of our hearts that are still based on our own wisdom or power instead of Yours. Remove the scales, even the scales of Christianity, that have hindered us from seeing You as You truly are.

All creation is waiting for the revealing of mature sons. Help us to grow in that maturity.

I bless Christopher Luxon with a deeper encounter with You, so that his eyes and heart would open to You as the one and only true God. A God who deeply loves him and is pursuing him, even right now.

I bless the seed of righteousness that has already been sown into his heart over the years. I pray that it would blossom into righteousness that would shape his entire life, and even affect his appointed position in government.

Help us, as the Body, to know what action to take, and how to respond in a way that You desire.

Help us to watch our words, to refrain from agreement with the destroyer and accuser, and speaking doom over our furture.

I bless this nation of New Zealand and your plans for us. You love and defend New Zealand, and your goodness will prevail in our land. No amount of evil or corruption can stop your glory from clothing us.

I thank you for the privilege of being alive in this time, and to be part of seeing your redemptive and good works take place.

I love you, Father. Thank you for loving us.

Amen.

Related reading: The Truth About Protests & Activism No One Is Talking About

Recommended book: Valuable by Geoff Woodcock: a simple yet powerful read that also gives a true account of how this "other worldly" position of agape can change a nation, as seen with Czechoslovakia in the 1980's.