The NFL Super Bowl was yesterday with the Seattle Seahawks recognized as the 2025 champions. Congratulations, and now let’s play some baseball!

Yet, perhaps what gained equal or more attention was the infamous Halftime Show. Celebrities are known for these performances and the prized platform with over 135-million viewers in 2026. This year the celebrity was Grammy award artist “Bad Bunny.”

Additionally, another organization TPUSA created an alternative show and themed as “All American.” Some deemed this alternative show to be more “family-friendly,” and it was even aired on ultra-conservative Christian network: TBN. The target audience was for those “who love America, love football, and love Jesus.”

You can read reviews AND the lyrics of the songs performed (LINK of my compilations / note explicit warning!). Indeed, there were differences of the counter-programming. Differences like: ethnic culture, language, musical style/genre, and more. Bad Bunny did have messages about “God bless America” – and intending to include South America countries with North America nations. Additionally, he concluded his performance with an emphasized sign, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” Likewise, Kid Rock and fellow artists emphasized performing in Charlie Kirk’s vision “in the name of God,” and being rooted in “faith, freedom, and love of our country.” Further, a few of the songs mentioned the Bible, Jesus, and God.

However, what stands out to me about the programming was not the differences but their similarities. Both programs featured artists known for immorality that appears to promote drunkenness, licentious living with fornication and adultery. Seriously. Read the song lyric excerpts, or the full song lyrics. Admittedly, Bad Bunny’s lyrics are extremely graphic and vulgar, and with far greater frequency and depth than the contrasting artists. But for those with eyes to see and ears to hear the Holy Spirit, one can notice the sad similarity between the two, though with a double-edged sword.

The double-edged sword is that one side appears to be platformed with Christianity than the other. As a Christian, I am thankful there was an introduction of the gospel in Kid Rock’s last played song. The last verse reads:

There’s a book that’s sitting in your house somewhere
That could use some dusting off
There’s a man who died for all our sins hanging from the cross
You can give your life to Jesus and he’ll give you a second chance
Til you can’t

– Robert James Ritchie, AKA: Kid Rock

This message is biblical and powerful. Ritchie encourages his audience to read the Bible. He points to Jesus Christ sacrificially dying for the sins of others to be forgiven, and provided a fresh start with a second chance. And the last line reminds everyone the limits to God’s grace and forgiving love is our uncertain time on earth – “Til you can’t.” It’s an exhortation of urgency to prepare for eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ. So, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice (cf Philippians 1:18).

Yet, the proclamation of Christ mixed with political branding and celebrity baggage is the air of syncretism. Those familiar with Scripture know that God’s people struggled with the temptation toward syncretism. False gods became Israelite fancy. Families and marriages compromised with idolatry and adultery. The Israelites abandoned Yahweh and forsook the first and second commandments of having no other gods, or worshiping and serving idols; for God is a jealous God (cf Exodus 20:3-5)! And later the Old Testament prophets warned of pending judgment upon God’s people for their errant doctrine and immoral practices. Further, what marked the early Christians as set apart is that they would not agree to add Jesus to the litany of other Roman gods, and proclaiming “Caesar is lord.” Instead, the early church’s anthem was “Jesus is Lord – the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Christ” (cf. John 14:6).

Sadly, syncretism continues to be a double-edged sword. Yes, Christians can rejoice that the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is going forth and spread to larger audiences. However, the church should not baptize secular standards with worldly methods. When pagan practices become attached to gospel promotion, the purity of faith is weakened. One pastor has pointedly expressed: “Whenever the church gets in bed with politics, the church gets pregnant. And our offspring does not look like our Father in Heaven.” Faithfulness to Jesus’ Great Commission isn’t less than boldness in the culture war, it’s much more! Please read the pastor’s linked essay for understanding the point. Overall, Christians must be careful they’re not repeating the same sin of Israel of not tearing down the high places (cf 2 Kings 14:4).

Avoiding syncretism should be the sword we’re willing to die. But the temptation to wield the sword can be too powerful and alluring. Personally, I’m deeply concerned about the direction of evangelical churches aligning with political parties. Yet, I’m not fearful. My hope is not in government or even a church’s earthly goal, but in the God who has already fallen on the sword with His sacrificial death. And the sword of the Spirit – the word of God – is our weapon that we humbly but boldly wield in confidence that the gates of Hell will not prevail and God’s kingdom is unshakeable. For now, we live in the world’s halftime. The fourth quarter is approaching, and Christians must do all we can to be unified on gospel essentials and urgent for eternity, til we can’t.