INTERCESSION: As Christians, we should be the first to pray for both the royal family and political leaders in good times and bad, writes Karl Inge Tangen. Here, Prime Minister Støre and Crown Prince Haakon attend the men’s cross-country relay at the recent Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.

Right now, it feels as though Norway is an airplane caught in severe turbulence. Even though experience tells us that such turbulence usually passes, it is still deeply uncomfortable.

Much of what is happening challenges our Norwegian self-image. Are we not the nation of goodness, with an exemplary and down-to-earth royal family and honest politicians governing a well-functioning democratic state under the rule of law? Yet perhaps it is healthy for us to realize that we may have been seduced by the idea that Norway is some kind of humanistic and democratic millennium—where everything becomes so good that Christ’s return seems almost unnecessary.

Dark Intolerance

The turbulence we feel is not eased by the fact that our international safety net also seems to be fraying. This is partly because many American Christians support a president who appears driven by sinful desire when speaking about the territories of his allies.

It is easy for us in Norway to judge these Christians. Yet many of them have experienced deeply unreasonable exclusion, including within the university sector. The dark intolerance of the woke project shows how secular humanism itself can go off the rails.

So what should we do now? We must rediscover the Bible as our most important guide. At the same time, we must seek truth and listen to prophetic voices—even when they come from unexpected quarters. We should have listened more carefully to Terje Tvedt. He has not only exposed how elites exchange influence and favors among themselves; he has also pointed out our tendency to pursue ineffective development strategies in the name of charity.

But do we really want to hear critics who challenge our flattering self-image?

A Unique Source

The Bible is a unique source of visionary thinking and discernment. It teaches us that we must not silence the prophet—the one who does not merely affirm but also challenges. At the same time, it helps us see weakness as something that can become a strength.

When the Crown Prince says he supports Marius in the situation he is in, it is both shocking and beautiful. It is shocking because we are reminded that the symbolic family is also a real family. It is beautiful because someone chooses care over prestige.

If there is one thing Jesus has taught us, it is that refusing to reject someone is not the same as approving of what that person has done.

Grace and Truth

Let us therefore pray that the next chapter of our history may combine grace and truth. In the attention economy, we often witness what might be called media conversions. These involve admitting just enough to preserve one’s reputation—and then, if possible, escaping the merciless secular corner of shame.

The Bible’s message of truth and forgiveness is far richer. On an individual level, it means taking responsibility—and then being set free to live for the good, for the sake of the good itself. Where God-given forgiveness is received, truth becomes something that liberates. It creates an inner recognition that concerns character, not image.

On a societal level, the Christian idea of charity can inspire a wholehearted reckoning with lies and destructive structures. We must confront corrupt practices that destroy community and allow the weak and vulnerable to be abused.

The question is whether we can do so without permanently rejecting those who are guilty. In many cases, the answer is no. Forgiveness does not automatically mean that political positions can be restored. But where repentance and accountability are genuine, the outcome may be different. Determining what can be restored and what cannot requires wisdom.

Renew Democracy

As Christians, we should therefore be the first to pray for both the royal family and our political leaders in good times and bad. But we should also pray that the church will rediscover the biblical vision of itself as a city set on a hill. We face our own challenges in this time, yet we can still be shaped by the One who is the light of the world.

For that reason, we must not stop dreaming of a church that can guide individuals, give direction to the quiet revival many are speaking about, and perhaps even renew democracy by pointing the way to truth and credibility.