No Stage for Moses

More important than any preacher on a platform are the traditions that form us as followers of Christ. They shape us as a distinctive community, and make the institutional church more trustworthy.

Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

What do they have in common?

At first glance, you might think: Nothing. He’s a Republican and she’s a Democrat, on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Recently, the two of them had a Twitter spat about science.

So yes, they have their differences. But consider this: Both are performers.

Cruz hosts a podcast called “Verdict,” which looks at the important news stories of the day. Ocasio-Cortez — known as AOC — appears frequently in magazine and television interviews. Both have identifiable brands, and they use their elected positions as platforms from which to comment on culture and politics. Cruz and AOC are performers on the stage called Congress.

Is this bad? Not necessarily. It’s important for our leaders to have high profiles. If you support them, you certainly want them to have influence.

But problems arise when a person takes the stage.

NPR recently interviewed Yuval Levin,...