John Rich says culture 'overrun by wickedness' because Church's inaction, warns of coming 'wrath' (part 1)
In an era when many mainstream artists steer clear of controversy, Grammy Award-winning country star John Rich is unapologetically wading into the deep waters of faith, morality and cultural decay, fueled by a concern for what he sees as a crisis of conviction within the American Church.
“We are just overrun by all this wickedness everywhere you turn,” the 50-year-old one-half of the duo Big & Rich told The Christian Post.
“I think it's because we, as Christians, have just stood around and let this stuff go, and, to a certain extent, have been involved in a lot of it. By not pushing back on it, not calling it out, me included, all of us, you become complicit with what's going on. I don't think there's any more time to do that. I really don't. I think we're at a breaking point now. You better stand up, and you better be heard, because it feels like we're on the edge of going over the edge.”
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For Rich, a self-proclaimed “definition of a prodigal son” and pastor’s kid who once prioritized fame and fortune over faith, this new direction is as much a personal awakening as it is a public mission.
Over the past few years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, the multiplatinum country artist told CP he found himself increasingly disillusioned with both the immorality promoted by the secular world and the Church’s failure to counter it.
“I saw the extent of the lies that were being perpetrated on people, the threats that were coming down on people: ‘If you don't do this, then we're going to do this to you,’ I mean, real tyranny breaking out in the United States of America, land of the free and home of the brave,” he said. “Here we are looking right at it, and I realized we're a lot closer to the bad stuff happening than I realized.”
Rich stressed that the truth, even when uncomfortable, must be spoken. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways, I’ll come and heal their land,” he said, paraphrasing 2 Chronicles 7:14. “That means that Christians can also have wicked ways. We’re still just people, you know.”
“I think when you see the unchecked wickedness that's going on out there in the world, for instance, Super Bowl halftime shows with just blatant satanism on the stage, or you see some of the biggest pop acts in the world, and they're out in front of these football stadiums of 80,000 people at a time, holding seances, showing up dressed like demons — it’s Sodom and Gomorrah right in your face. And we're all just horrified by it, as we should be. But who's gonna actually do something to counter that?” he asked.
“Christians are not supposed to be pushovers or weak-kneed,” Rich said. “They’re supposed to be the most bold, fierce people in the world.”
Last month, Rich released “Revelation,” a fiery anthem that takes direct aim at the cultural and spiritual malaise he sees in America today. The song draws heavily from biblical themes, notably Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Rich sings in the chorus, in part, "Oh, Revelation, I can feel it coming, like a dark train running/ Oh, get ready 'cause the king is coming/ the king is coming back again."
The video for the song also dramatizes the battle between the Archangel Michael and Satan, as described in Revelation 12.
Rich told CP he initially wanted to release the song by the end of February after feeling called by God to write it. But when he approached networks about performing the song, he encountered unexpected resistance.
“It was the first time in my career that they wouldn’t have me on to sing a new song,” he revealed, adding that the networks were uncomfortable with the song’s blunt lyrics, which included references to millstones and divine wrath — imagery pulled directly from the Bible.
“It is a brutal lyric, but it’s calling it out for what it is,” he said.
Determined not to let the song be silenced, Rich reached out to Tucker Carlson, known for never shying away from controversial topics, and debuted the song on his show in July — just days before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
The country star said the nation’s collective anxiety following the incident, combined with the escalating cultural tensions, made the song's prophetic message resonate more deeply.
“The timing was absolutely perfect,” he said. “Could I have ever timed that out? Of course not.”
However, Rich’s willingness to speak out on hot-button issues has drawn both admiration and criticism — especially, he said, from within the Church. Following the Tucker Carlson interview, the artist said a number of pastors accused him of being divisive or overly harsh, a reaction he “didn’t expect” but reflects a broader trend of church leaders failing to stand up for the truth.
“I spoke the truth to millions and millions of people; I would have thought I'd have got a little pat on the back, but a lot of them were really upset about what I had to say,” Rich said. “But it’s time to choose right now. It really is. There is no more fence riding. I think we all see how our country's going, how culture is. How do you ride in the middle of anything right now? Is it even possible?”
“If your preacher never says anything from the pulpit that makes you uncomfortable, convicts your heart, sends you home, going, ‘Wow, I need to think long and hard about what I just heard in that room.’ If they never do that, you need to get out of there and go somewhere else,” he added.
“[The truth is] uncomfortable, I don't like thinking about it either, but you don't get to cherry pick the parts [of the Bible] you like and leave out the parts you don't.”
Rich said he’s aware he’ll continue to face pushback, both from secular critics and within the Church itself as he continues to take a stand for the truth, but he doesn’t care. The time for polite, restrained faith has passed, he stressed.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” Rich said. “And right now, there’s not a lot of fear of God in America. That’s why you see so much foolishness … the lack of fear of the Lord is the beginning of stupidity. It is idiocy, foolishness, destruction, all those things.”
Rich, a father of two, warned that “wrath, mega punishment” is at stake if the Church continues to remain lukewarm. He emphasized that the idea that America’s Christian heritage could shield it from judgment is a dangerous misconception.
“People think that, well, America’s a Christian nation. We were founded on biblical principles — that is true, but that is not a shield for us,” he said, noting that even God’s chosen people were not immune to judgment when they strayed from their faith.
He recalled the story of Moses returning from Mount Sinai to find the Israelites worshiping a golden calf — a betrayal that led to their prolonged suffering in the wilderness. “So what America’s got coming if Christians don’t turn around — and I mean right now — is a lot of hurt in our future, a lot of things coming,” Rich warned.
The artist referenced the often-quoted verse from 2 Chronicles 7:14, where God promises to heal the land if His people humble themselves, pray, and turn from their wicked ways. But Rich was quick to highlight the flip side of that promise: “By default, that means if you don’t do those things, He will not come and heal your land.”
“I hope the Christians in this country stand back up and are heard and counted once again,” he said.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]
