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May 25, 2026 · 3:32 pm

What does the Spirit say? (Sermon)

Image: Shower of Rose Petals at the Pantheon in Rome, Liturgical Arts Journal

Readings for the Feast of Pentecost, Yr. A – Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; 5:6-11; John 20:19-23. This sermon was preached at Grace & Glory Lutheran Church in Palmyra, VA on May 24, 2026.

Some of you might recall a catchy, “so bad that it is good” song called What Does the Fox Say? from several years ago. The songwriters intentionally tried to make the most absurd song possible for a Norwegian talk show as a joke, and it turned out to be a hit. Last week, I happened to hear it as I was commuting to the church, and it struck me…The singers almost sound like they are speaking in tongues. Well, as a pastor’s brain can do, it was only a short “ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding” in the song later that a few important questions came to my mind…In all seriousness, it is a question not just for Pentecost but for each day of a Christian’s life, “What does the Spirit say?” And closely related to that, “How do we know and understand the Holy Spirit as it speaks and operates in our lives?”

The stories and letters that we hear on Pentecost reveal the supernatural, divine inbreaking of the Spirit into the world in a new way. The Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity always was, is, and always will be. At Creation, the Holy Spirit is encountered as a divine wind parting seas and breathing life into clay. Many ancients considered Holy Wisdom as a manifestation of God, personified in scripture as a woman I should point out. (So, the Holy Spirit can sometimes be called she, but God as a spiritual divine being is not truly of any sex.) We meet the Spirit in Psalms and in the lives of the Patriarchs, Matriarchs, and Prophets. (Both male and female prophets are in scripture). Even as Jesus is baptized by John, it is the Spirit that drives Jesus into the wilderness.

Yet until Jesus rose from the dead, there was a chasm between us and our Triune God…a brokenness since the Fall requiring more than just our efforts and repentance to fix. This suffering needed God’s activity to heal us – the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus in particular. With that, the Kingdom of God has been ushered into our world, but God’s not yet done with us or the world. There’s work left to do. The Kingdom is here but not in its fullness until Jesus comes again. As Jesus promised, he would not leave us orphaned in this in between time but would give us an advocate, the Holy Spirit, to help us and be with us forever (John 14:16). This was for the fulfillment of even more ancient promises to Abraham and the Jewish believers who followed pointing toward a new reality where God would someday ultimately dwell in our hearts instead of any temple.

As Paul clearly explains to the church in Corinth, faith is a gift of the Spirit, “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” This was Jesus’ teaching with Peter’s confession of faith as well. The Holy Spirit enters our life in a different way through our faith and baptism. It claims us as God’s own. It promises us abundant, eternal life. It has the power to free us from all that holds us back…our doubts, darkness, and sin…when we surrender to it and radically trust it. (It never forces itself upon us.) It is always at work for our welfare in order to sanctify us (make us holy), guide us, and it even prays for us. When our groaning can find no words (Romans 8:26), the Spirit lifts our concerns to the heart of the Trinity with groaning of its own. Even for those of us that have faith, it is always trying to draw us into new beginnings – “from one beginning to another” Br. Roger of Taizé used to say.

Yes, this is the Spirit that also guided Martin Luther as he was used to help reorient the Church more clearly toward the gift of grace. As much as with the Christians on the road to Emaus, the scriptures were opened to Martin Luther, and his heart was set afire. Or on this Aldersgate Day, an annual celebration of our Methodist siblings on May 24th, we might recall John Wesley’s heart being “strangely warmed” as he overheard Moravians reading Martin Luther’s preface to Paul’s letter to the Roman church. This finally gave John Wesley the assurance and peace that Christ had truly taken away his sins. Thus, the Spirit changed the direction of their lives, and in effect the Church’s direction, forever – setting one heart to another on fire.

Yet, we should remember with the growth of the Church that they and others touched by the Spirit that came before and after them often faced misunderstanding or hostility. Sometimes, they might face death because of this fire of faith burning in their hearts. And this reminds me, as Jesus shared, the Holy Spirit will teach us at every hour of challenge what we ought to say (Luke 12:12). And further as St. Francis urged his fellow friars, our actions and choices can proclaim Jesus, too. Our actions can prove a kind of sermon.

No, Pentecost with its ancient roots is not to be relegated to the past, for it is still unfolding in our presence. The very same Holy Spirit that touched the great saints and Apostles of the early Church is seeking similarly to heal and transform our lives in the present. It calls us to do miracles, not always supernatural mind you, but most often small things done in great love. Every effort and relationship becomes sanctified as we do so.

As we heard today, crowds had gathered for a great Jewish festival called Shavuot (or Pentecost by the Greek influenced, Hellenistic Jews) held fifty days after Passover. The Jewish celebration recalled the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, and it served to give thanks for the summer harvest. During the festival, people would offer their first fruits to God. Yet despite the excitement, hidden away in an upper room, waited the disciples of Jesus.

Just ten days previously at the Ascension, Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit would come to them. Much as with the crucifixion or Easter, the disciples were likely pensive and unsure of what was to happen next…what it all meant. They might have even feared the vast crowds…Crowds had called for the death of Jesus after all. Little did they suspect that on a day marking God’s provision of daily bread and the Law, God’s gift of grace would overflow. A new life in the Spirit would begin.

Rightly, we imagine this momentous event with powerful wind and earthquake. We are told the Spirit descended as if tongues of fire, hence all the red that we wear and that surrounds us. Yet, the Spirit can be like the still, small voice Elijah heard as well or a subtle urging. We can be led to new opportunities as doors open or as we are redirected through our losses. The Spirit is not limited by our expectations or previous experience but is filled with surprises.

And so, although Peter and some others expected the Spirit to learn toward the Jewish people and their religious practices, forcing Gentiles to submit to ritual laws, the Spirit had other ideas. Immediately after the Spirit came upon the disciples, Gentiles would join them as Church through the Spirit’s intervention – nothing they did. Yet, Peter’s bias and hesitation could only be corrected through a vision and a Centurion’s request to know the Lord, itself inspired by the Spirit. Through this circumstance in Acts 10, Peter says, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” So should Christian Nationalism be a thing in any country? No, that’s not the Spirit’s work. It must be rejected. We are called to be a catholic (meaning universal) Church rooted in faith instead of politics.

And in our own time when the Southern Baptist Convention and others are trying to keep women away from the pulpit, or anywhere near the altar, or from teaching about Jesus, or in some cases voting or working outside the home (this teaching is back in style among some extremes), scripture indicates the Apostles were continually gathered in prayer alongside the women followers of Jesus (Acts 1:14). Joel foretold, despite common cultural practices and expectations, that the Spirit was to be poured on all flesh. Among the 120 believers (Acts 1:15) gathered in that upper room praying with one accord, women were present.

And today, we find a Spirit still reaching out to us from that first Christian Pentecost long ago…Rooted in the past, the Spirit further manifests itself in our lives. The fruits of the Spirit are at our disposal: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We might struggle or fail at living them out at times, but they remain available to us. We have access to the Spirit’s guidance, diverse spiritual gifts, protection and power as much as those first disciples…earthquake, wind, fire or no. Each of us as individuals and all of us as Christ’s body, are being called by the Spirit to use our gifts as given us by God…to offer our spiritual first fruits…not just once a year but throughout our lives…each day.

Thus, we, too, might have visions, dreams and prophetic moments, but the majority of the Church understands that the time of the Apostles and Prophets as offices in the Church has ended. And as Paul argues, the greatest gift of all is love, not tongues or teaching. So, how might we modern folk listen to the Holy Spirit?

  1. Test what you think you hear. God doesn’t contradict scripture. Evaluate the fruits from what is being said and done.
  • Seek peace – God’s voice is not one of anxiety, unsettledness and exhaustion: Trust God at all times, for God cares for you. Repent of errors, try to make peace with others and amends. Seek a quiet place when possible, to listen for God’s voice.
  • Look and listen; watch and wait for God might be in the booming as well as the still small voices of your day. Even a little child might lead us. Yet know that God’s voice is not the voice of obscurity requiring decoder rings and mental and scriptural gymnastics. Yes, we might need prayer and scripture study or even to consult friends or spiritual leaders to better understand things, but God will – when the time is right – make himself known to us. Be suspicious of those who speak of secret messages or claim new revelations, as some are doing. Just because someone says they are Christian, they may not be. 
  • Live in hope – Even if we are in need of correction, God’s voice is not one of threat, condemnation or abandonment. One spiritual seeker explained it this way. “Condemnation is vague and abstract. It says: ‘You are not OK. Something is very wrong with you.’ Conviction is specific. It says: ‘What you said to your wife just now on the phone was insensitive.’ Condemnation discourages and breeds hopelessness. It gives you the feeling that nothing can ever fix your problem. But conviction encourages us. It gives us solutions to our problems. Condemnation pushes us away from God. Conviction draws us to God. The goal of condemnation is to make us give up. The goal of conviction is to help us reach our maximum potential, to be all we can be in Christ” (Charisma Magazine. Learn to discern the voice of God).

Now as the Spirit begins to work in our lives, some people might indeed suspect we are drunk. They might look at us as fools as they did of St. Francis of Assisi and his followers. My own parents, never knowingly having met Lutherans in Massachusetts, at first asked if I had joined a cult. For as a young adult, I had a synthesizing of my own faith and decided to try to live a more concretely scriptural life. And as the Spirit works within us, we might prove more brave, generous, or wiser than we ever thought possible. We might be called to live differently or risk everything.

Some people will notice these changes made by the Spirit…even when they (or we) may not understand them. Some will be inspired to follow Jesus because of this, and some will still deny him or oppose us because of it. Yet, never stop trying to cooperate with the grace offered. For through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are being grafted into God’s eternal story, not just some dusty history. With Augustine of Hippo, we might wish to pray each day:

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit;
That my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit;
That my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit;
That I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit;
To defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit;
That I always may be holy.

Amen.

Below, please find a video of our worship service. The sermon starts at about the 24:30 minute mark.(There was a medical emergency, so you will notice a break in the service. Also, someone accidentally picked up my manuscript during the emergency, hence the reference to my iPhone. It was quite the Sunday!

© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.

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May 19, 2026 · 2:45 pm

Sharing Christ’s Suffering (Sermon)

Image credit: iStock. “Way of the Cross or Stations of the Cross, Jesus falls,” by rudall30

Readings for the 7th Sunday of Easter, Yr. A – Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11; John 17:1-11. This sermon was preached at Grace & Glory Lutheran Church in Palmyra, VA on May 17, 2026.

On a beautiful day participating in worship with the birds singing and sun shining, it seems odd to be speaking about suffering. It appears out of place. Yet that’s life in a Fallen World – good and evil, beauty and ugliness, love and hate tend to be at odds. It is all part of our earthly existence. And so in the season of Easter, we hear for Christ glorified and are reminded of suffering through our assigned readings. Whether the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry or following Jesus today, it remains the same. This is not just “something strange happening to us” alone (echoing Peter’s words in 1 Peter 4:12). Until Jesus returns, we live in a time where the Kingdom is here, but it is not yet in its fullness. There will be suffering at times. We live within the tension of darkness and light waiting for Jesus to put an end to sin, suffering and death.

The Bible is filled with such real-world tensions, and they similarly stare us in the face today. Immediately before Jesus is betrayed and arrested in the Gospel of John…before Judas treacherously kisses Jesus…before his disciples run away in fear leaving him alone and abandoned…and before Peter denies Jesus three times…Jesus prays for his disciples. Jesus asks God to protect them. As fickle, weak and treacherous as his disciples might be at times, Jesus asks, “protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one” (John 17:11).

I find that sort of curious. This action of grace appears a bit shocking considering the upcoming disciples’ sin and lack of faith. Think about it…Jesus is about to face the biggest challenge of his earthly life…one that would in the most grewsome of ways end his human existence…and he chose to pray for those who had the propensity to let him down or abandon him…Yet, Jesus prays for his disciples amidst all their imperfections, because they are his sheep. They belong to him, and he loves them. And it is true that with God’s help all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). These disciples will yet be one as Jesus and his Father are one. And that to me seems quite profound.

As Jesus prays, he knows that he will be beaten then hung on a cross until death. That’s been part of the plan for his earthly ministry. His experience of the cross was necessary for some divine reason in order to help bless the world and save us. And to fulfill God the Father’s will, Jesus set his face toward the cross, accepting its indignity, the betrayal, and all pain that came with it, and he could not be turned away from it. Oh, he was tempted to, for remember he also prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done.” Still, he could not turn aside. He asks the same of us. We, too, are to accept our crosses in faith.

Thus, to follow Jesus is not an easy gig. We are supposed to love as we are loved…impossibly perfectly. We are supposed to love our enemies and forgive…not easy! We are to seek justice with mercy, care for the sick, provide for the poor, love the aliens in our midst, and share what we have with others. Out of fear of not having enough, we sometimes hesitate. At other times, we are too busy or easily distracted. We are supposed to witness to Christ to the ends of the Earth reflecting faith hope and love…which can be awkward and uncomfortable…can take sacrifice. Sometimes, we are afraid to witness to our next door neighbor.

And especially for we Lutherans, we sometimes joke that sharing faith seems impossible. We are “the frozen chosen” – too stoic, too silent, too shy perhaps…uncertain of how to share our faith. And on our own, it is impossible to be confident…We will fail…BUT we are not alone…and God can transform even a Lutheran. For, Christ promises that he is with us. The Holy Spirit sanctifies, guides, protects, and even prays for us. Whatever we have done or left undone, we can move forward towards our goal just as Jesus did, seeking to bless others on our way. Loving them as they are is our start. Sure, we will fail Jesus like the first disciples did at times, but he calls us anyway. We don’t need fancy words or a degree. We need the authentic love of Jesus to shape our lives, and the willingness to take up our cross knowing that we might stumble and fall as Jesus literally did on the way to Calvary. Unlike God’s love, our love will never be perfect, but we need to try to love anyway. It is ok if we make mistakes, or stumble on our words, or don’t do so perfectly. Seek to love.

Now, sometimes suffering seems void of meaning. Bad stuff can happen to good people…all…the…time. It can happen. We can even cause our own suffering. And, Jesus taught that God the Father makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous alike (Matthew 5:45). What he is saying is what we often feel….This life is often unfair. Suffering is part of life.

And although suffering might come, we aren’t to seek out martyrdom or pain for its own sake. For example, Paul avoided arrest until he couldn’t, ultimately being put to death. Just like Jesus, he died when the time was right. And because suffering is not always glorifying Jesus but a consequence of evil, sin, and the imperfections of a fallen world, it can be just what it is…suffering with no redeeming value to our eyes. It stinks. It’s hard. It’s messy. And just like the prophet Jeremiah, we want to lament. And still even then, because God loves us, we are told that God can use suffering…even the most meaningless suffering for our good…somehow, some way, at the right time for our individual or collective good. It might lead us to knew relationships or opportunities or wisdom for just a few examples. Our suffering can be used to prove Jesus’ steadfast love for us and bring glory and thanksgiving to God in a way we might never understand until we are with Jesus on Resurrection Day…but that’s God’s promise.

Yet it doesn’t feel great when you are in the midst of suffering. The Apostle Peter knows this firsthand, and so does the community he is writing to. In their case, they are facing social hostility and family rejection. Those who have tried to attend Synagogue are being cast out and abused. There’s been unjust suffering because they believe in Jesus and are trying to shape their lives in a way to reflect his life and teachings. This is not just suffering but suffering for Christ’s sake. Yet, some are losing hope, and some are walking away.

This letter was meant to be circulated around the congregations of Asia Minor: “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1).  Recognizing that these fellow disciples are not of this world although still in it (John 17:16), Peter (tradition indicates it is Peter, but scholars debate this) addresses his readers by calling them “exiles” (1 Peter 1:1) and “aliens” (1 Peter 2:11) as the letter began. They aren’t going to fit in, and the powers of the world will rage against them at times, because that’s what happened to Jesus too. So, with great eloquence, he argues for us to do what we can but also hope…hope in the promises and steadfast love of Jesus.  

Seek to accept the suffering for what it is…often unfair. Grieve it, deal with it as best one can, confess to God that you don’t want this cup, but we are to humble ourselves as Jesus did in the Garden recognizing this suffering might not be avoidable. “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you,” Peter writes. No matter how big or small the suffering, no matter plain old suffering or holy suffering, Jesus cares about us…about you! God’s in the mix “working for your welfare not for woe” as Jeremaih similarly reminds us. Paul asked, “What then are we to say about these things [the sufferings of the present]? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31). Oh, our suffering is real, and it hurts, and I don’t want to suffer either, but it will come not just because of our vulnerability as humans but also because we are trying to live like Christ.

Yet, if we remember whose we are and who loves us, it can help us through. And if we don’t? Jesus intends to help us through anyway. That’s why he came. That’s why he accepted his cross. It is why he claims to be our shepherd, and he calls us his sheep, his children, and his brothers and sisters. He cares about us. He wills to save us. Trust this: suffering will never have the final say, God will…God has already spoken the final Word in Christ Jesus. God is a god who loved us enough to suffer and die for us.

So, even with all the suffering the world can send at us, even as we are down and out, confused or dismayed with our eyes filled with tears, our hearts sinking, and our heads spinning….at the point of giving up, remember this….Jesus cares for us…Jesus cares for you. Strive to make the next decision, take the next step, do the right thing and fight the good fight in Jesus’ name. Trusting that all will be well, seek to always follow Jesus. Yet, it is never really left up to us to succeed at this. It never was or will be. Jesus has already asked for our protection, for we are his, and he wills us to be one, as he is one with the Father. It will be so whether we can fully believe it or not. We share in his victory as gift through faith.

“And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen” (1Peter 5:10-11).

Below, please find a video of our worship service. The sermon starts at about the 19:20 minute mark.

© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.

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May 16, 2026 · 2:46 am

We are not the light

Photo: Prateek Gautam on Unsplash

Today, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quoted the Gospel of John in a social media post. It seems obvious to me that they were trying to connect their work to the work of Jesus. Unfortunately as has been the administration’s practice, the verse is misused. Those that take the unique salvific role of Jesus and scripture seriously will be disappointed if not disturbed.

Image: United States Department of Homeland Security

I’m not anti-law enforcement, far from it. I was a decorated six-year police veteran in the Metro-DC region. I have served as a law enforcement chaplain for approaching twenty years. I love our law enforcement officers and understand how difficult and costly a vocation it can be. Indeed, today is Peace Officer Memorial Day, and I sorely grieve four friends who died while serving (read “loving”) their neighbors including some neighbors who might not have “deserved” their love through human eyes. Yet, I also understand there can be bad law and poorly executed even corrupt law enforcement. We can fall short. So, this is a nuanced argument I make, but an important one. What might go wrong if we too easily consider ourselves direct instruments of God’s righteousness? The Bible indicates that the answer is a great deal.

If you are not familiar with it, John 1:5 reads (NRSVue), “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.” Reflecting the wider translation of the Amplified Version (Classic Edition): “And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].” John is introducing and summarizing his Gospel on a cosmic level. The forces of evil have lost. Jesus’ cross, resurrection, and his ascension has seen to that. Then after this summary, John shares his witness of Jesus in its particulars – the human, historical level.

For those that don’t know or can’t remember the context of the quoted verse, John 1:1-5 makes this explicitly clear:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” [or “understood it”].

In error, DHS has diminished the meaning of the text. They want to claim that their work is good if not sacred, on the side of the Light of the World who Jesus claims to be. (Even as our nation is not a theocracy, nor only consisting of Christian believers, they regrettably try to use Christian scripture to validate a secular government.) Unfortunately, again, their assertion is explicitly NOT what John 1:5 is about. It’s supposed to be about Christ alone, the Word that was, is, and ever will be, our God who became incarnate. It calls us to worship him, not our works. This is a very inappropriate repurposing of the verse whether for immigration control or something else.

I’m sure some will suggest it doesn’t matter or proves a minor issue. If Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is fighting crime and enforcing immigration laws that is good, why should one care? Well, it can blind us to our own need for repentance. The trouble remains that we are not Jesus. At best, we can only reflect the light.

In enforcement of laws or boundaries, we shouldn’t assume that our work is pure or on point. If Christian, we are called to repentance ourselves. Indeed, even our Constitution suggests this by declaring people are innocent until proven guilty. Through the Fall, even if redeemed as believers in Jesus, we are still sinners. (At least, we Lutherans believe so.) We won’t be in our fullness, similar to but never equal to Jesus, until Resurrection Day. To raise this or any human work to Christ’s level is problematic at best and sin at the worst. In our hubris, we can inappropriately be sanctifying our work that is always imperfect and demonizing people he died to save.

Even as we Lutherans speak about the Two Kingdoms theology of the Reformation in our discernment, we recognize that governments like people can fail even if well intentioned and highly functional. We should not assume they are innately good even as in our humility we should not assume we are innately good. Governments and their agencies should be critiqued and controlled, just as we should be.

I understand that we all need laws. In our Lutheran tradition, our confessions lay out three purposes for the law: 1) a curb to maintain civil order; 2) a mirror to reveal sin and our need for grace, and 3) a guide for sanctified living. Laws, too, are intended to be a gift from God. Yet like the Sabbath, they are meant to serve us, not the other way around. We must be cautious in enforcement and remember that we cannot have justice without mercy.

Here, the scripture adorns video of immigration arrests. At least in Minnesota, some documents allegedly indicated the policy was to be as harsh and aggressive as possible. This agency is still viewed with suspicion as Native Americans and other citizens have been detained, accusations of excessive force and poor conditions in detention are common, and people guilty on technicalities or with illness or disability are held rather than “the worst of the worst” according to the government’s own reports.

Indeed in this video, we don’t know if the people shown are guilty never mind evil. Indeed, humans might do evil and cooperate with it, but even then, Jesus longs for them to know him and repent. Additionally, as I’ve cited before, Jesus says we risk grave sin when we call someone evil and treat them as unredeemable, throw away persons (into hell, jail, or outside our capacity to love). Please recall Jesus’ teaching about anger:

“But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council, and if you say, ‘You fool [translated from the word, ‘Raca’], you will be liable to the hell of fire.”

Anger is not a sin, but we are not supposed to sin in our anger (Ephesians 4:26). Similarly here, it’s not just calling someone a fool but in one’s heart casting them into the darkness. In our hearts, we might say in judgment, “They are unredeemable. They can’t be saved. They are evil.” This is not how Jesus sees any of us. We might cooperate with evil, act unrighteously, even deny Christ, but still Jesus wants to shine his light on us and make us new. We might resist this, but that’s his hope until our last breath.

As Paul wrote to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 5:15):

“And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for the one who for their sake died and was raised.”

At a time when the President or his administration has misused scripture in social media and speeches for war, depicted the President as Jesus (not a doctor, despite denials), raised a golden idol to the President as boldly as Nebuchadnezzar or a communist despot, and is sponsoring nationalistic Christian rallies when the Church is mean to be universal, no wonder I’m seeing people – even people who voted for the President or support certain policies – suggest this post bad form or even blasphemy.

Martin Luther argued that only Jesus is the Light. All our works – human philosophies, religious efforts, and self-made righteousness – can never drive out darkness. Indeed, even in cooperation with the grace offered us or serving the Kingdom, we find that “this little light of mine” is not ultimately ours but a gift given to us through our faith and baptism.

We are children of the Light. We pray that we reflect the Light in word and deed. Yet, we do so only as empowered by God. Let there be no mistake. Don’t accept any inference otherwise too easily. We are not the Light. As created beings, we never can be.

© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.

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April 30, 2026 · 9:43 am

Here I wait

In early October 2025, I was invited to a “financial update meeting.” There, I was notified that some of the leadership of my last congregation had decided to recommend to the church council and congregation that my call be terminated due to a financial crisis. By the end of November, I had resigned and said my goodbyes.

After five months, I recognize that my period of unemployment has proven exceedingly difficult in many ways, but there were signs of hope too – especially discovered through faithful family and friends, and particularly my wife, Kristine. I also committed to volunteer and serve wherever I could, not just to stay busy or distracted, but to best live into the hopeful future that I trusted God placed before me. Last but not least, these five months proved a time of self care, reflection and study. This period became a desert period, an exercise in radically trusting the Lord where I learned much more about God, myself and the Church.

On Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026, the congregation of Grace and Glory Lutheran Church in Palmyra, Virginia, called me as their new pastor. I start tomorrow, May 1, 2026, (The formal installation date will be announced soon.) I am overjoyed to be serving their congregation, especially within its rural, small congregational setting, one which I historically have dearly loved and enjoyed. This year also happens to be Grace & Glory’s 25th anniversary, a great time for communal renewal.

Before I arrived at Grace & Glory, I was invited to send a short pastoral letter for inclusion in their monthly newsletter. The result below, written before my start date, reflects my recent experience and wisdom hopefully gained, but it also speaks of our shared story and call as believers.

I want to thank all those who supported me during this time of transition through prayer, kind words and notes of encouragement, and many other forms of concrete assistance. I wish to give a special, public thank you to the person who anonymously mailed gifts to my wife and me monthly over this entire time. Your mailings were an encouragement and became yet another sign that a springtime would surely come. I also found respite and inspiration through the ministries and pastoral care offered at the Church of the Messiah Episcopal (Spotsylvania County) with The Reverend Kyle Tomlin as Rector and at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (Stafford County) with The Reverend Paul Toelke as Pastor. Thank you one and all, and thanks be to God!

Martin Luther © dpa/Peter Endig. The linked article speaks of a man who sought to trust God in all things even when the futures seemed unclear or if the world seemed about to end.

Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. (Isaiah 26:12)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! As I write this pastoral letter, I have recently been called to Grace & Glory Lutheran Church as your next pastor – and yet, I am not yet there! There’s a tension in life between what is and what might be, and this can signify a difficulty or joy common to life – change. Yet striving to be a good Lutheran, here I wait. 

And what am I doing while I am waiting? I am praying for wisdom, strength, and direction as I enter this new leadership role as your pastor and friend. I am starting to coordinate my arrival and first steps with your leadership team. I am gathering necessary items, considering topics for potential lessons and retreats, plus I am considering potential community contacts and partnerships as I study Fluvanna County from afar. I am intending to hit the ground running, but while I wait, I continue to volunteer and serve with law enforcement, my local hospital, and in other ways.

Still, I recognize and have experienced that waiting can be painful, too. It involves sorrowful goodbyes, changed plans, and unexpected bumps in the road. Such times also invite us to be patient. We wait on the Lord to make our paths straight, and we walk on even though we might not yet see clearly. There can be fear of the unknown or “what-ifs” that run through our head. Still, Jesus calls us forward in faith anyway. It is during a time of “now but not yet,” expectantly waiting for Jesus’ return that we people of faith wait.

What shall we do while we at Grace & Glory wait? In light of our celebration of twenty-five years and as I simultaneously arrive as your newest pastor, I’m changing the lyrics of a favorite song, While I’m Waiting, just a bit to reflect our shared path: “And [we] will move ahead bold and confident; Taking every step in obedience; While [we are] waiting [we] will serve You; While [we are] waiting [we] will worship; While [we are] waiting [we] will not faint; [we] will be running the race even while [we] wait. This echoes the faith encouraged by Hebrews 12:1.

We have much to celebrate in our shared history as a congregation. We have much to rejoice about in our present. With whatever happens, we can be hopeful for God loves us. Echoing the words of John Henry Newman, we are but links in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. Yet, God has not created us for naught. Here we wait…as we watch, as we walk, as we hope…because even as we sleep, God is awake and at work.

I give God thanks for all those that have labored to help move Grace & Glory to this point in our history. I bless and thank Pastor Strong for his loving and able care of Grace & Glory as interim pastor and for all your past pastors. I thank you for your commitment, stewardship and welcome. With as much as God has accomplished, I struggle to wait to see what God will do next!

In Christian faith, hope, and love,

Pastor Lou

© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.

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April 20, 2026 · 3:46 am

It does not matter who started it, the Pope’s trying to finish it

Image from Philosophyball, Just War Theory

When I was a child, my little brother and I would sometimes fight. It often went something like this: I’d be playing. My brother would want attention or whatever I was playing with. He’d do something obnoxious maybe pushing or hitting me. I’d push or hit him back. My dad would come into the room angry because of our fighting. We’d both be threatened with consequences. I’d shout my lament, “But he started it!” And my dad would say, “Well, I’m finishing it. You are both wrong.”

Amidst the war game themed memes from the US and LEGO themed propaganda from Iran, a serious conversation has begun…again. When does a nation have the right to attack another nation? Historically, Western Christians have wrestled with this issue using theological, often scholarly, arguments and rebuttals over many centuries. A major component of our understanding for Roman Catholics and many Protestants is Just War Theory. Certainly, it’s not perfect, but it is helpful. And priests, pastors, full time theologians and ethicists of many stripes continue to consider it as part of further, later discernment.

Saint Augustine (13 November 354 – 28 August 430) is often recognized as its first proponent. In modern form, it applies within three specific areas:

  1. jus ad bellum (“right to go to war”);
  2. jus in bello (“right conduct in war”);
  3. and some recently speak for jus post bellum (dealing with the morality and ethics related to post-war settlement and reconstruction).

Pope Leo’s recent comments criticizing the US-Iran undeclared war (or “short-term excursion” in the words of President Trump) are rooted in this theory as well as other moral and ethical teachings – ultimately scripture. Pope Leo has a doctorate in Cannon Law, and as a member of the Augustinian Order, he certainly has expertise in all things St. Augustine. You can’t do much better (even if as a Lutheran we wouldn’t see eye to eye on all things).

The National Catholic Register is a traditionalist Roman Catholic news source in the United States. In a recent article, they argue, “Pope Leo’s insistence that war offends God should be understood as a prohibition against all but legitimate defensive actions, a view that is consistent with the pleas for peace issued by recent popes such as Francis, Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II.” They discuss how and why theologians are “pushing back” at all those in the United States criticizing him. They are focused on Roman Catholic theologians, but many Protestant ones would agree.

When I shared the article with comments, a friend suggested he took issue with Pope Leo not casting blame on the Iranians. After all, the Iranians have done many evil things including attacks on US forces since the 1970s. The US seemed to be responding to a threat. It did not start this in his mind, so why the apparent focus on President Trump? That’s a fair and common critique and question that I’ve been hearing, so let’s discuss it.

Certainly, one is absolutely correct that Iran has been an illicit source of carnage and war since the 1970s. One should trust that the Pope realizes this as well. The Iranians might not be Christian, but they have some culpability morally and ethically for their actions as anyone would be under Catholic, most Protestant or Orthodox teaching. These moral and ethical arguments thought true regardless of one’s personal belief, because they are thought to reflect God’s heart and will for us.

So, Pope Leo didn’t have to name anyone and didn’t – a somewhat political move perhaps at some level but also the correct one. He’s speaking to the world, not just the combatants. (In his later comments in Africa, he clearly denied allegations that his call for peace there was aimed at the President.) Again, Just War Theory, as a reflection of God’s own Law and Gospel, applies to everyone. To US ears, his comments likely appeared more about the President partly because of the full context of the US and Israel’s recent attacks. Many in the Church hold this heating up of the conflict does not meet the standard. Many outside the Church also express deep concerns,

It is helpful to recall that the Catholic Church tends to assert their arguments about conflict using a somewhat academic methodology. Theology is called the Queen of the Sciences after all. And as you hopefully know, solid academics, particularly theology, remains imbedded in who the Catholic Church is. (Meanwhile, the Lutheran World Federation has been less academic in its argument thus far, more diplomatic-speak perhaps, but also based on scriptural understanding and calling all parties to back away from hostilities.)

After all the headlines, I’ve not heard a single Roman Catholic bishop or Cardinal disagree with the Pope as of yet, but some might be out there. The National Catholic Register, again a traditionalist or conservative paper, is supporting him as is the pro-Vatican II National Catholic Reporter. (If the Pope was being wrongheaded, trust that the National Catholic Register would find a way to say it.) I expect this is because Pope Leo’s teaching was deemed correct under the theory and other teachings of the Church. It might sound like an attack to some, but note know names were included.

So, why in more detail might people hear the Pope’s comments the wrong way? First, Iran is an overwhelmingly Muslim nation. (Would they even listen?) Meanwhile, the US is thought by many to be an overtly “Christian nation.” Over 50% of Roman Catholics voted for this President and his administration’s policies. On top of that, some voices in the administration and supporters have been overtly framing this as conflict supported by God and some even an overtly Christian verses Muslim conflict. Thus, Pope Leo’s comments obviously resonate with Christians and Catholics in the US more – positively and negatively- as a result. They challenge assumptions and one’s conscience more easily in the US and West than in a Muslim country.

Yet, the Pope’s explicit statements in no way excuse Iran for their wrongs. They are indicted too. Wrong is wrong. The reaction from the government and many on air or social media supporters tended to frame his comments incorrectly saying he said what he did not say. He does not misunderstand the teachings of the majority of the Church as some suggest. He’s not misapplying them as accused. He has not argued that he wants Iran to have nuclear weapons. And what he did say should not reasonably be understood to indicate that he does. The Pope never questioned self defense and was not critiquing forces in World War 2. That’s all a deflective rhetorical brouhaha. (Is that theological term?)

With all the above, one should consider if what the US and Israel did in escalation meets the standard of Just War and other teachings about peace including scripture. According to Just War Theory’s “right to go to war” standard:

Were the US and Israeli attacks reasonably a last resort? People disagree on the immediate threat posed by Iran or any other options to migrate them, and there’s been few clear, detailed insights as to why we attacked now. Was it declared by proper authority for a just cause (e.g., self-defense)? Congress still hasn’t voted, and any attempt to vote has been blocked. Has it been conducted proportionally, minimizing civilian harm? For one high profile example, the Minab school strike in Iran, which killed over 100 children, is considered one of the worst mass civilian casualty incidents involving U.S. That attack also raises other moral questions about the use of AI for war.

Hence, again, in this fuller context, the US Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and others have been trying to point people not toward politics or just one person’s fault but ultimately toward peace using the standards long established within the Catholic (and most Christian denominations’ or catholic meaning universal) world. Also, Trump made things worse when he threatened to wipe out a “whole civilization,” and Hegseth doesn’t help with his explicitly “Christian” imprecatory prayers. Of course, Hegseth’s denomination is self-described as Christian nationalist arguing for a literal theocracy under Old Testament Law (hence their leader’s recent suggestion that Catholic public processions should be illegal), so all those prayers and statements echo his worldview.

Recall, Hegseth expects a literal thousand year Christian reign before Jesus returns (dominionism) where Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Orthodox and most Christians in the world (numerically) believe in amillennialism. Jesus can come at any time, and we pray for that. The majority of Trump’s spiritual advisors are New Apostolic Reformation (also dominionist). They lean toward seeing spiritual warfare everywhere and tend to be cult-like. Dominionism is not the norm for the vast majority of Christians, and it is morally and ethically problematic as people in power concretely hope to see it play out. We should expect that it helps shape both worldview and actions.

Agree with him fully or not, it is good that the Pope is speaking clearly. It is good Christians in the West are being forced to wrestle with the use of violence. If you haven’t read the information coming from the Vatican and USCCB or the majority of Catholic scholars about this, seek it out. Read what your denomination and other Christians are saying, and not just US Christians. Talk to priests and pastors you know and trust who know something on this part of Christian history.

I understand that you might never fully agree with what the Pope says, but when it comes to war and peace, his words are worth considering. They will and should challenge us all. And in the end, most of worldwide Christendom teaches all war is steeped in sin, a reflection of humanity’s fallen condition even when necessary for defense. It’s not God’s will for us.

The US might not have ultimately started this conflict with Iran, but Pope Leo and many in the universal Church are trying to stop it. We should consider what is being said, and meanwhile as we do, you and I can (and should) pray together for a quick, just peace, any victims of war, and our enemies. Certainly, we Children of God have a lot left to learn about our call to peace.

© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.

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April 18, 2026 · 6:04 pm

Reading the Bible is not the same as understanding it: Approaching “America Reads the Bible” with discernment

Photo by ajay_suresh – Museum of the Bible, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150180477

I admit that I have enjoyed going to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. I understand peoples’ concerns about its backers’ politics. I’ve read the criticisms over the provenance of certain artifacts, alleged scholarship issues, and an overt Evangelical Christian tone. Some Jewish people applaud it for an emphasis on the Tanakh while others are concerned that the museum is “a problematic mediator” of Jewish religion and traditions. Yet, if one is a discerning visitor, a person aware of these issues who keeps an eye out for interpretive problems and is willing to investigate further, one could still learn a lot of basics about how the Bible, our culture and nation intersect. It can be an enjoyable, informative stop on your tour of the capital.

At the same time, the museum offers plays, programs and speakers. They can host activities of other organizations. There, you might wish to use more caution in your discernment. This museum is private, and therefore, it has the right to push forward certain messaging or facilitate it. Consume that with care. One current example is America Reads the Bible. The foundation behind it is often linked to the troubling if not heretical New Apostolic Reformation which I have written and spoken about recently.

Now, I want to note that reading the Bible can be a very good thing, and reading it publicly can serve as a testimony of one’s beliefs, become an unifying and educational experience, and prove also an invitation for others to come to believe as well. I’ve had friends tell me that participating in public readings of scripture helped increase their own faith. So with the coming of this new event at the museum supposedly marking the 250th anniversary of our nation, I find myself thinking of an historic site near my first congregation. The Historic Polegreen Church in Mechanicsville, Virginia, is dedicated to supporting religious liberty for all.

True, I’ve been gone for awhile, so I cannot speak for today’s practices, but at the time, the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation sought to share scripture and faith through a lens of religious liberty. They memorialized and educated people about historic events and those connected to this historic congregation like Patrick Henry (who worshipped there as a boy) or an influential religious revival called the Great Awakening. Along with historical markers, the pathway to the historic building’s location (no longer standing) is made of bricks with important dates from religious history. (And yes, of course, Martin Luther is included.) As historic Polegreen Church is often called “ground zero” for the fight for religious freedom, it proves a great space to learn about and discuss the subject.

Thus, the foundation hosts events such as the National Day of Prayer where efforts were made to make sure no one faith took precedence. As we prayed for all spheres of our nation and our government together, no matter what political party, we celebrated the benefits that come with our Constitutional right to exercise religion freely (or not). In the early days of my participation, the local Church of the Nazarene hosted an overnight vigil reading of scripture at the time of the prayer event, but any citizen could participate. Everything connected to the National Day of Prayer at this location was truly a communal, inclusive vent.

Yet noting who reads what passages at such events can also prove instructive. Choices made in presentation and inclusion can profess ulterior motive. And so, be aware that America Reads the Bible, being closely aligned with NAR, likely has a hidden agenda attached – Christian Nationalism and dominionism. These harmful beliefs won’t likely be overtly proclaimed, but that’s what NAR hopes for. Articles about the event might note that it is conservative Evangelical, but many won’t clearly say or understand what is part of the event’s spiritual DNA – bad fruit.

America Reads the Bible is hosted by Christians Engaged, a nonprofit, whose head attended Christ For The Nations Institute (CFNI) which has strong ties to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Christians Engaged often interacts with NAR-related personalities, and the founder according to a Google search, participates in a NAR-friendly world. We should put the dots together, and beware, even as they, too, have the right to gather as long as no laws are broken. (Of course, we as citizens have the right to say why we have concerns and where we disagree.)

Fox news proclaimed, “More than 495 Christian leaders, from Washington to Hollywood, will gather for a live event this week to read the Bible aloud from cover to cover.” Fox also reports, “More than 100 faith-based ministries have partnered with Christians Engaged to support the event.” Some of these include leaders and organizations appearing to be closely aligned with or outright supporters of NAR dominionist theology. Still other participants won’t likely even understand the group they said yes to while others won’t care. Yet understand that the leaders will be a small unhealthy slice of overall American Christianity represented including NAR pastors.

The list of readers will be a list that leans unabashedly conservative. This is when the Church is never meant to cozy up to a singular political identity, left or right (thus losing its identity as one people of God) but instead love one another and strive for reconciliation. I’ve read that Democrats were invited, but I really can’t blame them for not responding. With discernment, I think one will see that this event is meant to have a particular message engrained in all that happens. It will be highly orchestrated and slick. The virtues and benefits that come with our freedom of religion will not likely be the primary focus of the messaging surrounding the primary activity. A specific view of a Christian nation will be, and that won’t be necessarily a healthy, biblical view.

Of particular but unsurprising note, President Trump will be a reader for the event, although a pre-recorded one. Many of his spiritual advisors are aligned with or explicitly stated as being part of the loose NAR movement. (NAR is not a denomination.) The passage chosen for or by him is unlikely a coincidence or providence. Within it, there exists a subtle message previously used by Christian nationalists and those favoring theocracy. As a New York Time’s article explains:

The central verse in II Chronicles 7 reads: “If My people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

“It’s been a hallmark of the religious right to cite this particular passage,” said Matthew D. Taylor, a visiting scholar at the Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University.

Biblical scholars emphasize that the passage concerns the writer’s understanding of a particular covenant between God and the ancient Israelites. The books of Chronicles cover centuries of Jewish history, including the reigns of Kings David and Solomon.

Dr. Taylor knows his stuff. His research, lectures and writings focus on American Islam, Christian nationalism, and Christian extremism. Yet what he shares here is basic to proper biblical scholarship and practice. Another scholar I respect is Dr. Brian Kaylor. He agreed on social media, posting, “As I noted in ‘The Bible According to Christian Nationalists,’ that’s a popular passage to misuse.” Even amidst my earliest seminary days, I was clearly instructed to beware applying the Israelites’ unique covenantal relationship and requirements to modern life and politics. It’s not that such passages cannot teach us something, but they primarily address a specific context (the Israelites under their covenant with God).

When we suggest modern applications, we can err. We might forget that Jesus fulfilled the Jewish law and the prophets, and he expanded God’s love through the creation of the Church. It is to be a Church made of all peoples, not just descendants of Twelve Tribes. It is not to force belief but invite. Unfortunately, people have used the passage the President will read to try to shape society into their vision – and not always kindly. We should never assume that requirements necessary for Israel’s growth, mission, and survival (including survival of their faith) are applicable to modern people or times.

The above passage can indeed encourage one to repent (to turn back to God), but in the wrong hands, the passage has been used to promote political agendas or marginalize those a person deems inferior, sinful, or not simply not redeemable. This is not the Gospel. Jesus explicitly forbids it to the Pharisees and all of us. The passage can also be used to boost the Christian Nation myth when our inherited apostolic faith calls us to understand the Church as catholic (meaning universal). Just as Isaiah and other prophets indicate that Israel will be used by God to bless other nations, the Christian scriptures remind us that Jesus came to draw all people to himself.

Certainly, God will use us individually to fulfill some holy purpose, and similarly I think a nation might be used at times. My goodness, Paul writes that God will ensure all things work for the good of those that God loves…even the bad things. For example, Cyrus and the Persians were lifted up as instruments of God’s justice and care by the prophet Isaiah. Cyrus was actually names as a messiah in the original Hebrew (see Isaiah 45:1). And a thorough review of scripture reminds us that God loves the world – its people and all that God created. This doesn’t mean there are never consequences for actions in the real world, or even a necessity for war, but in short, be very cautious when applying such texts as 2 Chronicles 7. One risks becoming not just unbiblical but rationalizing overt sin including abuse and violence against one’s neighbor.

When we begin to see human beings as an anonymous “other” rather than a person loved and being called by God as we are, it becomes easier to move from anger toward hatred and much, much worse as history proves time and again. Indeed, Jesus warns against anger in Matthew 5. In verse twenty-two, he very specifically warns about unrighteous anger, or calling anyone raca or a fool. (Raca is an Aramaic term meaning roughly “empty headed.”) The evangelical site, Got Answers, sums it up nicely:

First, Jesus warns that the very act of murder finds its roots in an angry, murderous spirit: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:22a). God, who examines the very thoughts and intents of the heart, will issue judgment upon unrighteous anger. Next, Jesus warns against name-calling, using “raca” as an example (verse 22b). Then He issues a third warning against those who call someone a “fool” (verse 22c).

In summary, Jesus explains that murder begins in the heart. How our heart is disposed toward others can misshape our lives and lead us toward harm of others. It is a slippery slope. This is why Luther expands upon God’s command to the people of Israel and on Jesus’ teaching about “Thou shall not murder.” We are all murderers at times as we sin against one another.

Jesus warns about false teachers (Matthew 7:15-16 for example), and Christian supremacists (including those friendly with or espousing NAR theology) might be moving us in the above wrong direction whether they mean to or not. (Trust, some NAR theological adherents explicitly indicate they mean to.) And if we hear their “Christian music,” or read sermons or blog posts, or see memes that echo this theme (subtly or not), or expose ourselves to their well packaged events, without proper reflection, this exposure risks influencing our worldview and gifting their voice with undeserved legitimacy. NAR is often identified as a heretical movement by leaders of Pentecostal, all sorts of Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox bodies, so be on guard. They aren’t Evangelical in the truest sense of the term. In fact, using that term to identify their beliefs gifts them with more unwarranted, if not dangerous, legitimacy.

I believe deeply in the values that come with freedom of religion, but it comes with risks. No religious person should be imprisoned because of their faith – even heretical or harmful faith – unless they violate the law or are hurting themselves or others. And I am not asking they be persecuted or cursed. (Although, NAR adherents commonly utilize imprecatory prayers against those who disagree with them.) Yet be cautious and intentional in engaging such events, teachings, or worship. By lifting up our nation in such an unbiblical way, we tend to subjugate and demean others. In response, we need not become aggressors. We can seek to share the Gospel as Jesus taught us and invite others to see and follow a different way than the powers of this world offers us.

Through the Bible, we have been told that our Kingdom is not of this world, and we do not need to act or react in worry. We are only asked – in both the Jewish and Christian scriptures – to trust as we love our neighbors as ourselves. And if we fail, we can be forgiven because of what Jesus’ has already done through the cross. Our repentance ultimately becomes a sign of our thanksgiving for a God who loves us and all peoples first – before we even knew of God.

That’s ultimately a very different message than either Christian nationalism or NAR offers. The Gospel speaks of Christ’s yoke that is easy and light, not their political manipulation, strong arming, and sinful pride. It is the gentler but certain message and promise that I hope all people will come to hear.

© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.

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April 13, 2026 · 3:27 pm

In this world, not of it

I’m not Catholic, but a former one, and I critique the Pope and Catholicism at times. Others critique my tradition. That’s ok if done with some level of seriousness, respect and decorum. In the end, amidst our differences, I understand we are one Church – some parts of the Church are healthier than others of course, and some are sadly corrupted by human sin. 

Yet, I believe healthier Christians and non-Christians alike should agree that this infantile raging is a gross error and inappropriate especially for the President of the United States. It helps nothing. His meme depicting himself as a Messiah figure if not Christ is hubris if not sin. (Sadly, it is too often explained away or blamed on others.) Maybe the President “should get his act together.” 

Yet, the current President’s behavior is likely not totally his fault. He has spiritual advisors like Paula White-Cain and other New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) leaders, often deemed sketchy if not heretical by other Christians, that speak of him as a messianic figure and flatter him. Ultimately, they likely hope to use him for their ends. 

At a White House celebration for Holy Week on April 1, 2026, she foolishly compared the President’s suffering to Jesus’ own but then went further. As is common with NAR’s claims of special revelation, she said that she believed Jesus had told her to say, “because of his [Jesus’] victory, you [President Trump] will be victorious in all you put your hand to.” Well, that certainly doesn’t seem to apply to his feuding with the Vatican. 

True enough, Christians have the right to hold varied political beliefs, but don’t put up with this drivel. Let’s not forget that Law and Gospel, Justice and Mercy, go together. Jesus taught us to do good to our enemies. Paul urged us to defeat evil with good. Certainly, there are likely other factors influencing the President’s late night, bad choices, but his spiritual sycophants aren’t likely helping. 

Please understand that NAR wants a theocracy with their version of five fold ministry to govern it. They over focus on miracles, exorcisms and healings. Their “Apostles” and “Prophets” often claim direct divine revelation and spout teachings disconnected from any previous Christian belief. Their translation of scripture, the Passion Bible, strays so far away from the original manuscripts to falsely prove their teachings even Bible Gateway removed it as an offering. They specifically state their desire to control seven mountains of cultural influence, including politics, so you see them surround and financially support the President. Some call NAR “obsessed over Israel” because of their hope to rebuild the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. They tend to see money as intimately connected to God’s blessing. Through a Prosperity Gospel, they as pastors often get rich. They tend not to have oversight which has seemingly facilitated criminal offenses. 

Although there are likely other issues causing this kind of behavior, it seems like the President just might be listening to these kind of “spiritual advisors,” and that’s not likely a good thing. As Jesus taught, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15). We are in this world but no longer of it (John 17:14–16), so in our conversation and conduct, we are to strive to reflect a better way. Test teachings and look for good fruit. As Luther taught, yes, the Spirit helps us understand, but it’s best to listen to the voices of the past and present as you discern scripture. We can deceive even ourselves, so scriptural interpretation is better done in community. 

Whatever political party we associate with, we are to be Christian first. Let’s demand better of our leaders rather than ignore such error or explain it away. Ultimately, share the Good News as best as one can, and do not be afraid. 

You can learn more about NAR and associated teachings from my interview on Secrets & Spies, and I include further references and resources as we close. 

Audio – https://pod.fo/e/3ef111

YouTube – https://youtu.be/YIwzJgdEU8g

© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.

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April 10, 2026 · 11:31 pm

Of Secrets, Spies & NAR

Well, this is a different kind of post for me. At least, I don’t often go into the political realm – until of late as morals and ethics collide with the real world around us. Some might find my musings in this post too political. Some might accuse me of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Yet, I am actually responding to a great risk to the Christian Church (alleged heresy), a risk to our republic as we know it (Christian nationalism), and what can be a cultlike, prosperity based religious movement with what seems to be an open door at the White House. A large number of the President’s “spiritual advisors” have been identified as part of this religious-political-cultural movement. Some in this movement explicitly state that they want a theocracy with their “spiritual army” in the lead. Interested in learning more? Please read on, and then listen to the podcast.

As I’ve recently shared on social media, I first became aware of this movement, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR for short), while serving in military intelligence during the 1980s and 1990s. After attending the Virginia Military Institute, I had been commissioned in the United States Army Reserve and sent to attend my Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course (OBC) at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Although not properly named yet, through open, public sources, we were shown how the theology of what was later be be named NAR was seemingly being used to help control and oppress indigenous populations in Guatemala. They often incorrectly used Romans 13 to do so. It shocked me that the modern Church could be complicit in such a thing.

Later as a police officer, I discovered their theology was influencing some hate groups. It was also being used at times in ways that broke the law especially in regards to sex and money related offenses. NAR can reportedly result in some cult-like behaviors. Over the years, I kept my eye on NAR influenced groups, just as I had kept up my very early interest in espionage. I have continued to learn about hate groups and Christian nationalism throughout the years.

If you don’t know from my earlier post, NAR has deeper roots in the problematic Latter Rain Movement. (You might remember Jim Jones cult’s suicide through poisoned Kool-Aid, a spin off of its theology.) Striving to represent the five fold ministry of Ephesians 4:11, primarily led by new “apostles” and “prophets” who often claim direct contact with the divine, who are often detached from the past teachings of the Church, and who often serve with little or no true oversight, many pastors and priests from the most conservative to the most liberal segments of Christianity find fault with their theology. Sometimes, this error even touches upon our understanding of the nature and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps worst of all they want dominion over the earth for a thousand year reign. (They are dominionist.) They tend to want to do so through their brand of spiritual warfare focusing on healings and exorcisms, but also, such leaders hope to manipulate or gain influence over seven areas of our culture. They commonly call this the Seven Mountain Mandate, and through it, they attempt to gain influence if not control over family, religion, education, government, media, arts/entertainment, and business.

NAR is often seen labeled evangelical, but it’s really something else hiding in plain site. It’s megachurches tend not to openly identify as NAR. Even its preferred Bible translation, the Passion Translation, is often criticized for straying from the original text to make the passages fit into its new teachings. This was bad enough that BibleGateway.com, one of my favorite portals to the Bible in multiple translations, removed the Passion Translation from its offerings.

And in regards to exorcisms, healings and other miracles, that’s a center of their ministry. According to A New Apostolic Reformation: A biblical response to a worldwide movement (2014, p. 182), “Three things set NAR apart from more conventional views about miracles:

  1. under the leadership of apostles and prophets, the end-time church will perform miracles that are unpreecedented in terms of their grandeur and frequency;
  2. new truths revealed by the new apostles and prophets are crucial to ‘activating’ miraculous gifts among individuals; and
  3. the followers of apostles and prophets will grow in miraculous gifting until they ‘loose’ God’s judgements on earth and become immortal.

Oh, they do want unity in the Church, but it is a unity to fit their ultimate purposes and goals. In the book, End Time Warriors, according to A New Apostolic Reformation (p. 173), the authors state, “The apostle is the one who will unify the Church into a fighting force.” For some, it is a spiritual army. Yet for others, use of force (or any means necessary) is on the table. It can prove very disturbing.

NAR lends itself to the us verses them mentality, and that can do real harm. In February 2025, Lieutenant General Michael Flynn (Ret.) attacked Lutheran and Roman Catholic social service organizations through social media as money launderers, ultimately part of a vast criminal conspiracy. He has called himself a Roman Catholic, but multiple reports indicate his connection to NAR beliefs and Christian Nationalism. His statements fit the Seven Mountain Mandate. Through what is called “strategic-level spiritual warfare,” NAR has encouraged viewing opponents (especially religious organizations that promote liberal or mainstream social views) as enemies serving evil. In the worst cases, NAR related theology is used by hate groups to support genocide.

You can often find NAR pastors and churches making public displays. Megachurch pastor, Mike Signorelli, is often identified as evangelical in the press. His church held a worship service in Times Square this past Easter. According to a report by the conservative Christian news source, Church Leaders, “The pastor said the moment was not about making history but about reaching people outside the church walls.” I have my doubts about his motivation because he is allegedly NAR affiliated, an apostle, according to a simple internet search. They want dominion.

As soon as I read about his claim of demons manifesting against him during his service in Times Square, I looked deeper. That’s a common red flag. He also alluded to going back to the ways of the first century Church, restorationism. That’s another flag. This event would likely not just meant to reflect his going to where the people are. NAR believes and teaches that demons hold sway over geographical areas. Through spiritual warfare and exorcism, through manipulation of political powers, they hope for theocracy and control in the US and beyond. Coincidentally, they often appear to get rich while doing it.

In Washington, DC, The Museum of the Bible truly has some great displays and programs. I have enjoyed visiting. Yet with the 250th anniversary of our nation, they are hosting an event called, America Reads the Bible, “a national Scripture-reading event and movement led by Christians Engaged – a nonprofit organization committed to discipling Americans on biblical worldview and their responsibilities as citizens to pray, vote, and engage for the wellbeing of our nation.” Christians Engaged reportedly is affiliated with NAR and dominionist goals. As with some of those that attend NAR congregations, I would not be surprised if those reading the Bible during the event will not necessarily understand the theology and the motivation behind it.

Sure, it seems harmless enough, in so far as reading the Bible is in itself harmless, but the event will raise the profile of NAR and likely become a platform for NAR friendly personalities. I am still waiting to see the full list of all the people who will read. I expect mostly social and political conservatives, but I also expect to find a number of dominionist or NAR-friendly pastors among them.

As stated in the podcast, my comments reflect my long time interest, reading, and study, not any agency or nonprofit that I work for. Yet, education is needed. At the end of the podcast, I share resources for news and further information. Education is likely the best defense against such abuses, but if pastors (any pastors or Christian leaders) violate the law, they should be prosecuted fully.

True, End Times theology (eschatology) is a matter of faith. No one knows the hour, as Jesus taught, nor can we explicitly know the means. Yet victimizing others or a movement working toward Christian Nationalism, theonomy or theocracy is rightly a public concern when some proponents have such profound access to the President and other members of the government.

As the authors of A New Apostolic Reformation (p. 203) argue, I agree that “the Bible does not support the NAR teaching that present-day apostles and prophets must govern the church. Nor does it support the teaching that they are revealing new truths the church needs for it to advance God’s kingdom, including new teaching and practices that will enable the church to become and end-time, miracle working army.” Are they Christian? At the best, not healthy ones. At the worst, no, they are not deeply connected to what’s come before, our inherited faith. Indeed, what they teach can be literally new and not trustworthy.

In my recent interview about the New Apostolic Reformation with Secrets & Spies, I argue that the Church is not to cozy up to political power whether liberal or conservative where our identity as the Holy People of God becomes blurred. We are to be in this world but not of it according to Jesus (see John 17:14-16). Political identities should not form our faith or become a litmus test. We all sin, and only faith in Jesus saves. So love one another, even our enemies, as Jesus lived and taught. The work of the Kingdom lies within our family and communities, especially amidst the small, the weak and overlooked, but know that political power will fail us. There is only one holy catholic (universal) Church, and we can only live into that reality with God’s help.

Sadly, if you don’t understand it by now, this theology is being normalized and is influencing many theologically conservative congregations and denominations. Worse perhaps, it is very active in the White House and halls of Congress. I have seen many prayers on YouTube where people are exorcising demons in DC. I see Pine Tree flags, as suggested by a NAR influencer mentioned in the episode as a protest fitting NAR worldview, have been repurposed and is being used by congressman and others – perhaps not fully understanding the new NAR connection. NAR’s influence is often subtle. It might not always lead to a crime. Yet, it certainly seems a shame if not sin. I suspect these so-called apostles and prophets just might be some of those Jesus warned us about in Matthew 7:15-20.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.”

Unfortunately, NAR’s music, sermons, writings and memes are influencing many others. You can learn more about this troubling movement from listening to this episode. Thanks to Chris Carr for inviting me to take part. I hope you find it helpful. My blog post and participation in Secrets & Spies are being offered for educational purposes. The podcast is available via the below links.

To listen to the podcast, visit: https://pod.fo/e/3ef111


Or, you can watch the recorded version on YouTube: 

Image credit: Secrets & Spies

© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.

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March 30, 2026 · 4:04 pm

Come to Die (Sermon)

Cross located at Hochhädrich, Austria (2018). Photo by Thanti Riess on Unsplash

The below sermon was preached on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026, as I served as a supply preacher at Madison Presbyterian Church. Readings included Matthew 21:1-11, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, and Matthew 26:14 through 27:66.

When Jesus arrives in Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna!” (meaning Save us!), Jesus embodies the fulfillment of prophesy. The Essenes, those responsible for the Dead Sea Scrolls, were an ascetic and apocalyptic Jewish sect living in the desert. They and many others expected the Messiah to come to Israel’s political if not spiritual salvation on a warhorse. Yet the true prophets of God did not focus on the promise of a worldly, powerful warrior but rather that of a suffering servant…a Messiah who was willing to die for us.  

You might recall that the prophet, Zachariah, lived at a time coming out of the low ebb in the flow of Israel’s long history with God, the later 6th Century BC. The Temple had previously been destroyed by the Babylonians, and the people, especially the elites, had been sent into exile. The Babylonians hoped to eradicate any resistance as the Jewish culture, religion, and society was forcibly mixed into Baylon’s own.

Then, after the Babylonians were defeated by the rising Persian Empire under Cyrus, the Israelites were allowed to return to Israel. For, Emperor Cyrus had a different idea about ruling conquered peoples. He assisted them, aiming to win their favor so that they would become a faithful vassal state. Thus, Cyrus and several of the rulers following him wanted to help reestablish the Jewish cult in Israel, the center of which would be a second, rebuilt Jewish Temple.

This benevolence, seen as something directed by the hand of God, is why the prophet Isaiah calls Emperor Cyrus a messiah…not the Messiah mind you, a messiah (with a small m). Cyrus was an earthly king who would help reestablish the Temple and Israel’s religious laws. He would help regather the people of Israel, but it was never likely that he would bring world peace and the knowledge of the one true God to all peoples as the Messiah would.

Certainly, Zechariah lived in a difficult, transitional period under the later Persian Emperor, Darius. It was a time of external and internal threat and uncertainty. Therefore, much of his writings encouraged the returned exiles to rebuild the Temple (the Temple of Jesus’ time, but before Herod the Great’s grand expansion), and he urged them to repent from pagan and unfaithful practices.

Under the thumb of Persia’s power, Zechariah hoped that the Messiah would prove a truly victorious king, but he also had some curious prophetic insights to share. He foresaw a humble Messiah entering Jerusalem on a donkey. This shepherd-leader, a suffering servant, would be rejected for 30 pieces of silver. And eventually through a final battle, God would restore Jerusalem. All nations would come to worship God because of him, and the city would become a new Eden with living waters.

If this sounds like what you know about Jesus and the story of his intense suffering and death, the Passion as people call it, or even the establishment of a new heaven and earth at Jesus’ Second Coming, this is no mistake. Indeed, as Jesus enters Jerusalem, we hear Matthew clearly identify Zechariah’s text as pointing toward Jesus as the Messiah. We are supposed to see and understand the connection. Jesus came on a simple donkey. Not just that, it clearly states that it was a colt. For those with the eyes to see and a memory of scripture, Jesus was claiming the humble, messianic role.

So, it is no wonder the crowds under the thumb of Roman cruelty cry out, “Hosanna! (Save us!).” They have huge hopes after seeing or hearing about his miracles and authentic preaching. Right before them, Jesus is fulfilling prophesy! Liberation is at hand! Yet, as we will see, the crowds and even his dearest friends do not yet fully understand that Jesus is offering a very different kind of salvation than they expect.

After Palm Sunday, Holy Week rapidly transitions our focus. We move from triumph to intense grief followed by ecstatic joy. Each day through assigned lectionary readings, we can follow Jesus and his friends during his final week of human life until we come to the Great Three Days – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter – a microcosm of the overall rollercoaster that is Holy Week. After his Passover meal, Jesus will be arrested at night, tried in secret by religious and secular authorities, suffer horribly, then die the death of what his contemporaries might consider “the worst of the worst”[i] – a criminal’s death under the Roman Empire’s rule. The process of public crucifixion from scourging to hanging on a tree where one dies slowly through blood loss and suffocation helped assert and solidify Rome’s worldly rule. It served as a stark warning to others challenging Rome’s claimed dominion.[ii]

Amidst all the jubilation of Palm Sunday hosannas and the bookend of Easter alleluias, we are asked to remember the cost…Remember the cost of the cross…not gloss or rush over it toward Easter. Jesus had predicted this death, as did prophets before him. Jesus willingly came to Jerusalem to die…He had come to die! Christians debate about the mechanics, about the why and how of his suffering, death, and resurrection, and how it redeems and saves us, but within this “mystery of faith,” we are asked to understand that thanks to our faith in Jesus and because of what he has done…that alone…nothing to do with our own efforts…we become eternally saved.

Yet even then, the mystery does not end. Jesus himself taught that we who hope to be his disciples must pick up our own cross and follow. For although Sin, Death, and the Devil are defeated with his resurrection, the Kingdom is not yet here in its fullness. We have work to do sharing the Gospel with others through word and deed. Or as one of my favorite theologians, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, similarly proclaimed, “When Christ calls a [person], he bids [that person] come and die.” We die to ourselves. We die in our surrender to God’s will amidst times of trouble. We die as we try to love the Jesus in others as Jesus loves us. We might face rejection for following Jesus, and some of us might even die as Christian martyrs.

Now, we are not talking about some sort of a bait and switch here. For, Jesus is clear. To follow Jesus in a fallen world which often rebels against him infers the likelihood of suffering for Love’s sake…for God’s sake…or in other words, to fulfill God’s will for our lives and the world. This true Christianity of costly discipleship is antithetical to any false prosperity gospel, unhealthy Christian nationalism, or worldly selfishness. Through it, we discover that our good behavior does not prevent our own suffering in a fallen world.

Instead, we are asked to both love others and trust in God no matter what happens, for thanks to Jesus, our resurrection day will come. In fact, we are already victorious… we are conquerors Paul writes in Romans 8:37… redeemed…saved…whether we feel it or not, understand it or not, or fully trust in this or not. Jesus declares this, and that one day, every tear and suffering will be wiped away…just not yet. This promised perfection will only come at the Parousia, the Second Coming of Jesus.

Yes, our baptism or conversion of heart always comes with a cost. By divine necessity, we must die, yet God will be glorified in and through our suffering and sacrifices made in love…always. Love is never wasted, and Jesus will be with us. The Spirit will pray for us with a groaning too deep for words. And someday, we will rise as Jesus did to be with our Triune God forever. Death no longer has power over us, so why do we so often act as if it does?

As we heard Paul write to the church in Philippi (2:5-11), Jesus nonsensically and willingly lowered and sacrificed himself. He is no victim. He knew what he was about. It hurt emotionally and physically. He struggled, shedding tears and sweating blood in the garden (something that science shows can happen under extreme duress). Jesus even experienced all the horrors of crucifixion. And yet, he humbled himself, “becoming obedient to death even on the cross.” He trusted and understood that resurrection day would come.

Many love the exuberance of Palm Sunday, but the cross? Ah, it seems easier to skip forward to Easter, for the cross remains a scandal to many, even at times for those of us who believe. No, not all of us are called to be martyrs. I’m not saying that, but day by day, we are called to die little deaths[iii]…to offer our lives for others (perhaps figuratively, but offer them nonetheless)…to go without at times in order to help others…to offer our time, treasure and talent because of who we are, out of love, not what we might get…to give even when it hurts or doesn’t make sense only because it is the right thing to do and pleases God. We are asked to accept the realities of suffering while never giving up hope nor stopping our attempts to alleviate it.

Yes, Jesus loves us still even amidst our shortsightedness, struggles, or failures…and he has called us to this time and place to be his body. Yet make no mistake, we come to die…Still what of it? We can rejoice amidst our sufferings (see Romans 5:3-5), even if through tears. For, Jesus never lies. Resurrection Day is on its way. Amen.

[i] The “worst of the worst” reference might remind us of current immigration policy where political entities have falsely called people with administrative issues criminals and peaceful protestors terrorists.

[ii] Perhaps this, too, might bring to mind the modern dominionists who long for theocracy and theonomy, or those who dream of a political American empire shaped by Christian nationalist fervor and bad teaching.   

[iii] One of my Pastoral Care professors at Union Presbyterian Seminary, The Rev. Dr. Charles Brown, often reminded us of this.

© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author. Scripture passages are from the NRSVue translation.

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February 26, 2026 · 4:40 pm

Early mourning thoughts and prayers…revisited.

AP_Ashley_Guindon_160228_DC_12x5_1600

Officer Guindon (center), Prince William County Police, died on her first shift during a domestic disturbance. She was shot and killed on February 27, 2016. Two other officer were injured.

Ten years ago on the early morning of Sunday, February 28, 2016, I learned about the shooting of three Prince William County Police Officers as I prepared to head to my church (at the time in Mechanicsville, Virginia). One of the officers, Officer Guindon, had died from her wounds – just a day after becoming an officer.

Now, I had friends who worked with that department, and at times when an officer in Alexandria, I had served alongside Prince William police in training or some other task. Yet, I did not know her or those wounded. Still, the shootings angered me, and her death impacted me with surprising emotion and connection; bringing a sense of loss and memories of past, similar trauma.

There are reasons thousands of officers travel far, sometimes at their own expense, to honor fallen officers. Certainly, it displays solidarity and respect for the fallen. It’s meant to be a concrete sign of support to the family and department members in deep grief. A large crowd can help proclaim the message that the deceased’s life mattered and continues to matter. Much as the National Police Memorial indicates through its inscriptions, they will be honored, not for the way they died, but for how they lived.

As one police ministry in Texas notes on its webpage, “The job is referred to as having ‘a mystique veiled by a sacred canopy.’ The symbolism, pageantry and tradition make our calling noble.” And certainly, the “final radio call” and the playing of bagpipes serve to honor the officer’s dedication to service, but they also serve as a profound expression of grief fostering an emotional connection between those presents and speaking memories of other people and places gone but still carried in one’s heart. Vincent E. Henry correctly notes in his book, Death Work: Police, Trauma, and the Psychology of Survival (2004), that these events force officers to confront their own mortality. Funerals act as a necessary, though painful, part of the process for the survivors. There always exists the psychological reality that it could have been you or someone you know and love.

At the time of Officer Guindon’s death, I suspect that many people sensed the added “wrong” of her just starting her job with hope and celebration only to die the next day. As with infant or child deaths, such unexpected, sudden officer deaths can become personalized. Thus, they can become more intense if not traumatic. As suggested in literature about grief such as The Burden of Loss: Unexpected loss of a loved one and psychiatric disorder across the life course in a national study (2015), unexpected losses can make processing grief more difficult. The proximity of death emotionally or identity can cause very real complications for some. At the same time, I would remind the reader that we never fully “deal” with the grief of those we feel connected too. Anniversaries or other reminders can make us grieve anew. Indeed, it’s important to say that no one person grieves the same way.

So, I suppose that’s the fuller context of Prince William County’s Facebook post this morning. Departments promise to “never forget.” There are certainly members of the department still working who knew her personally and remember the trauma and loss of that day as if yesterday. Based on comments, you can see how people in and outside the department are touched by personal grief. Such deaths tend to stick with you.

The below essay was written in haste before heading out my door that morning. It wasn’t masterful. It won’t win a prize for literature. Yet it was my real time response echoing what I wrote about above. I’m reposting it in her honor but also for other colleagues of mine who have been murdered or died by suicide. May they all rest in peace, and may our love for one another, sacred memories shared, and God’s grace bring ongoing healing and hope until Jesus returns to wipe away all tears (Rev. 21:4).

God bless Officer Guindon’s mother, and all those who continue to grieve. Please join me in praying for our officers, deputies and their families each day.

My original post follows:

I’m thinking a lot this morning about my first shift, my first arrest, and the many men and women who helped me have a great (if relatively short) law enforcement career. They actually helped me become who I am today, and so I always give God thanks for them and my experiences. It is why I volunteer as a police chaplain today – to try to give back.

And yet, I’m also recalling the joy my family felt having just seen me graduate from the police academy, and then on that same weekend, seeing their fear as I headed out to my first midnight shift. I also remember with love coworkers injured and killed as a result of their desire to serve others. Thus, Officer Guindon’s death is somehow personal to me, as with every law enforcement death. I can’t help it. I feel like a piece of me has died, although I know it doesn’t make much sense to many.

How many Officer Guindon’s are out there? How many such families sacrifice, live in fear, or are now grieving across our country? How must her Field Training Officer and fellow officers feel as this recruit died and as they try to make sense of it? They all need our active support and prayer.

And yet, I don’t know how to pray for this. She was on her first shift, and the hope of last Friday has turned into community shock and grief spreading across the Thin Blue Line. I remain at a loss for words, especially as law enforcement officers in our country continue to be so quickly and openly hated, condemned and needlessly die. And so, I find comfort in these words. “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8:25-26).

To my brothers and sisters still fighting the fight, you are not alone. God has not forgotten you. God will make good come from this evil, although we do not yet know how. No life dedicated to the service and love of neighbor is a wasted one, no matter how short. I remain in communion with you, and you will all be with me at worship this morning in my heavy but hopeful heart.

The Rev. Louis Florio is a former member of the City of Alexandria Police Department and current volunteer law enforcement chaplain with Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Fredericksburg’s Police Department. This post may be shared freely with proper attribution.

(C) 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.

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