John Kasich’s ‘Heaven Help Us’ Offers a Blueprint for Christians to Restore a Fractured Culture
When former Governor John Kasich set out to write a new book, he initially turned to theologians for inspiration. But along the way, he discovered that while theologians are remarkable, there's no substitute for learning from those in the field who do the work firsthand. Kasich was the 69th governor of Ohio and was a presidential candidate in the 2016 presidential primaries. Kasich is clear about his faith in his second book, Heaven Help Us. Kasich believes that the faith community can bring the hope that's needed in today's fractured world. In a sit-down interview with Crosswalk, Kasich lays out his thoughts on how the faith community can rise to the challenge in bringing hope and deliverance to a culture that needs them to.
Crosswalk Headlines: Where were you when you decided to write your new book?
Gov. John Kasich: I was trying to get a group of theologians to define what it meant to be a believer so that pastors didn't get pressured into doing political things they didn't want. I had these meetings with these theologians, which went nowhere. So, my friend said, why don't you write your own book? And then I thought, okay, I will. The idea or the title of it, Heaven Help Us just came out of the blue to me.
CWH: Why do you think the faith community needs your book?
GJK: I believed that it would be helpful to portray the faith community as one that's really positive and helpful, not all this judgmental stuff and anger and division and everything else, but that the community itself can bring about fantastic change in our country. And I think the book kind of illustrates, chapter by chapter, how that happens with people who are carrying that forward.
CWH: The book portrays the stories of people working to bring goodness to our culture. What did you learn from them?
GJK: It made me feel good to be able to tell these stories. I feel as though the wind is underneath my wings. The book is about the people profiled in the book, but it's more importantly about the people who read the book and what they decide to do from reading their stories.
CWH: As the author, what stories stood out to you?
GJK: The story of the shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh is etched in my memories. I remember exactly where I was when I heard about Pittsburgh, and, of course, the whole country knew about what happened. Charleston, South Carolina, at Mother Emmanuel Church, I just thought that they deserved to be put in this book on the issue of forgiveness, which we all need. There are so many great stories in the book, it's hard for me to mention just one. There are stories in the book, from people teaching adults to read, twenty-five percent of Americans are illiterate, to people helping people who are homeless.
CWH: Did the book enhance or change your faith?
GJK: It didn't change my faith. I knew all along that people of faith can bring about change. It's actually my second book on faith. The first one was called Every Other Monday. I feel very energized about being able to talk about the Lord. We have stories about Christians along with members of the Jewish community.
CWH: We're in a unique place and time in American History. Many are asking, "Are we going to get through this season?"
GJK: We're going to get through it because the institutions are strong enough to get us through this. We have to focus on the fact that change comes from the bottom up, not the top down. I know Dr. Martin Luther King has to be one of your heroes; change came from him pushing it up. I think what we can see is a revival of people taking it seriously to solve problems in their own community. I always like to say, "If the Secretary of State and your trash man went on vacation, who would you miss more?"
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/John Kasich
Originally published May 14, 2025.
