Cartoon by Nate Beeler. It remains under his copyright.
Recently at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praised President Trump as a “fighter for the people of faith.” He suggested the President’s policies were biblical. He proclaimed that Christ is King. Yet, he also condemned all those on the political Left as evil.
I agree with the Secretary of War that Christ is King. I concur that Christian voices need to be heard in politics. And like Luther, we both understand that earthly government structures can be (and are) used by God. Yet, Luther always understood that governments like the people that compose them are deficient. It’s not just that we might err. We will err, for we are always sinners and fallible even if truly saved by Christ. Fruits of the Spirit are not measured by political victories but by love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits reflect if not embody Jesus. From what the Secretary of War too often says and posts, I suspect he might not agree while I do.
Whenever political figures (or religious ones) claim they represent God’s way but others are beyond salvation, “evil,” you can be relatively sure they have lost their own way. Left or right, their faith tends to be rooted in flawed human reason, politics, and power – even themselves – more than God. In contrast, humility demands that we need to be open to how we might be wrong.
Most certainly, Jesus focused on the in rushing of the Kingdom of God which challenges rather than aligns with the authorities of this world. Jesus consistently refused to side with partisan religious and political parties of his day, although he would often call out their faults and failures. Hence, those who should have known to listen to him did not. Instead, they conspired to kill him.
That said, the Secretary of War seems to ignore Christ’s call to such humility. The blessing of meekness, even as that word was used in the Bible to describe Jesus and Moses, is rejected. Sadly, his small denomination, more of an association called Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), is an abomination of overt Christian Nationalism, theonomy, extreme patriarchy, and other bad theological takes condemned by the majority of Christians across denominations and political orientation. Woefully in the politics of today, the groups combative, authoritarian manner (intentionally and openly encouraged by its leaders) is influencing others and becoming normalized. Such groups and their behaviors are being accepted as evangelical (reflecting scripture) no matter how far afield their own theology has gone from Christ’s own.
I’m gobsmacked and disheartened by how many Christians are suggesting the ends justify the means. They are willing to overlook certain vices and criminality as long as what they discern as right or good wins the day politically. And still, they can condemn others. This was never true for Jesus. He did not teach or model this. Why do we expect a different standard for us is ok? We are supposed to be agents of reconciliation; willing to suffer for what’s right rather than dominate others. We might be saying “Christ is King,” but we seek to take control of things. In doing so, ultimately fail to trust in God’s providential kingship and care. We can stray doing things that, as in the time of the Judges, are right in our own eyes.
In contrast, as I’ve written previously, Jesus explicitly warns about calling others “roca” (empty headed basically, but in his use unredeemable, beyond salvation, or unworthy of love, in effect “evil”). Every human is to be treated with dignity even when horribly wrong in our minds – even those who might try to kill us. So yes, do not be afraid. One is not implicitly doing evil for arguing for conservative or liberal values, but how we argue and fight for what we believe in matters if we wish to be Christlike. Are we able to be nonanxious, kind, or gentle when facing opposition? Sure, there is indeed a time to fight and anger is not a sin, just as the Bible states, but if we must escalate we must do so with caution. It’s easy for us to blindly fall into sin. The Bible warns us of this error as well.
If we are truly morally and ethically (dare I say biblically) right in our beliefs and actions, we should be trying to “defeat evil with good,” turning the other cheek, loving one another even when difficult, helping others open their eyes and not punching them symbolically or otherwise in the face. That’s being Christlike. His way is not the way of the world.
Patience is a virtue, described as a fruit (or gift) of the Holy Spirit, but we who claim to be Christian too often lose patience with one another. We embrace fear rather than our neighbors. We don’t listen to Jesus nor those who challenge us. Simply, we tend to sin in our self righteousness. All of us are in need of God’s grace.
Please trust that my comments are not simple condemnation casting those who disagree with me into the abyss. I’d suggest the Left and Right are both right and wrong about many things. No person, denomination, or party is perfect. This is intended as a call for our collective, societal (as well as individual) repentance. It’s a warning to not be so sure of ourselves, for we can only be sure that Christ is King, and we are not.
In summation, we can always do better with God’s help. We must. As of now, our cold hearts and closed, certain we are right minds are making our world worse rather than better. People are rejecting Christ and his Church because we look more and more like the world rather than Jesus. We must repent (turn back) from our worldly ways toward Jesus; listening to him rather than the powers of this world; letting his voice and love transform us.
For, Jesus is truly King, but his kingdom is not of this world.
Post Script:
I just read a report by Dr. Brian Kaylor who wrote, “As part of the Secretary of War’s recent speech at a prayer breakfast, he argued, ‘The willingness to make sacrifices on behalf of one’s country is born in one thing: a deep and abiding belief in God’s love for us and his promise of eternal life,’ said Hegseth, who has crusader tattoos. ‘The passage says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” The warrior who is willing to lay down his life for his unit, his country, and his Creator, that warrior finds eternal life.”
No, we are saved only by Christ’s work, never our own. This echoes the mindset of the Crusades which the Secretary of War often alludes to, but historically, they were problematic at best. This is not unlike the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church declaring those who fight and die in the invasion of Ukraine are automatically Christian martyrs. It ignores that secularists and people of other faiths or no faith do and have always died to protect our nation. It is historically forgetful by not remembering mistakes made in the name of patriotism. It seems odd if not unholy that he uttered this at a prayer breakfast where the dictators of the Democratic Republic of Congo and El Salvador also spoke and were applauded.
Yes, it can be a holy act to die for the love of our neighbor, but it is never a saving one. It is also a mistake to assume that our acts of war or use of force are holy when war is never God’s will – even when a “necessity” or unavoidable in a fallen and dangerous world. I’m not a pacifist. I agree with Martin Luther that some are called to protect others using violence. Yet, that’s a sign we live in what can be an unholy world where war should be the last option never the first. It is partly why the Department of War was renamed the Department of Defense after World War 2. War is horrible and always tainted by sin. They hoped to recognize this. Hence, many warriors and law enforcement officers experience moral injury and post traumatic stress. Again, it is not God’s will. War is a curse, not a blessing, even when thrust upon us.
Along with many biblical passages and historical facts that came to mind to refute him, I thought of literature as well. First and foremost, Mark Twain’s The War Prayer (1905) came to mind. (If you’ve not read it in its entirety, please do using the link.) Challenging a congregation’s blindness, a man prays:
“…for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.”
Does this sound like Jesus to you? Christian nationalism is not the way of Christ and his universal Church. It’s time to repent, as I indicated above, ultimately meaning to turn back toward God. We are heading in a very bad direction, but all is not lost. Jesus wants to guide us.
Bishop Berggrav on the cover of Time Magazine, December 25, 1944
“In this world of despotism and injustice, the Lutheran church will always be something dangerous or else it will cease to be a Christian church.” Eivind Berggrav, late Bishop of Norway addressing Assembly II of Lutheran World Federation, Hanover, 1952.
Just last year at this time, Lutheran social service organizations were being called money launderers, sex traffickers, and criminal conspiracies by members of the administration and DOGE supporters. As I’ve written and spoken about elsewhere, this was patently ridiculous as they generously help 1 in 50 people in the USA and always strive to meet non-profit best practices including outside audits. Many organizations serve our international neighbors as well, especially since the ravages of World War 2. Certainly, here and there one can point to moral failures or ignorance, but overwhelmingly, these non-profit para-church organizations have historically been celebrated internationally and at home by those whom are liberal or conservative.
With the passage of time, people have moved on to other things to be publicly outraged about. An alleged concern for the budget has turned into gigantic expenditures for concerns over immigration and border control. A majority of the US population in turn has concerns about how this is being done according to polls, not just if it’s being done. (One poll shows that voters are split on deportations, but two-thirds feel ICE is acting in error.) Meanwhile despite drastic cuts and a country in political conflict, these parachurch organizations continue to try to love our neighbors concretely.
Of course, sometimes trying to do what’s right means putting up with slander or worse. In Bishop Eivind Berggrav’s case, he was arrested by the Nazis in Norway, and sent to a concentration camp. He was the primate of the Church of Norway, and as he would not cooperate with their desired control of the Church’s messaging and practice, he was considered a threat as do many individuals.
The Church under Bishop Berggrav’s leadership and urging refused to alter the liturgy and scripture to fit anti-simitic norms and Nazi cult preferences, compromise their youth groups, or allow Nazis to dictate how the Church serves their neighbors – all of them. After his arrest, a majority of Church of Norway bishops and pastors gave up their state offices in protest. (It was a national church in Norway, not a “free Church” as in the US, so the symbolism and impact was significant and dangerous.) Due to the intervention of some German dissidents, his life was spared and solitary confinement followed. While under house arrest, he was able to secretly help lead the ongoing resistance against the Nazis. Some sources indicate that some guards even helped him leave his confinement to do so.
Our modern issues might be different, but the true Church often remains in conflict with the powers too often wrongly ruling our hearts and our world; sadly blinding us to empathy and compassion. Indeed, some deeply mistaken if not sinful pastors wrongly call such longstanding Christian values a sin. Yet despite aspersions, being true to our faith and seeking to love all our neighbors remains critical at all times. There should be no compromise.
Yet, life is complicated. The above doesn’t mean all laws are to be cast out or ignored, as border control and fair immigration laws can help protect everyone to include immigrants. I agree when people say, “I lock the door to my home, and it’s good to know who is in any country.” I also understand those who have been given much by God have a sacred responsibility to generously care and share with others which for some might include offering a path to citizenship. It certainly includes making some sacrifices to help the poor and oppressed in other countries too. I’m not making light of anyone’s understandings or concerns, but I do hope to stretch them.
Despite some passionate and sincere voices, I know there are dangers if immigration policy is not enforced. When a police officer, I remember encountering the realities of gang activity and violence related to immigration issues of the 1980s and 1990s. I saw the violence and can’t unsee it. I experienced the frustration when people that I arrested for violent crimes were here illegally yet set free on bond and ultimately did not appear in court. I remember receiving grave warnings about booby traps and ambushes.
Yet even amidst danger, if laws and their enforcement don’t reflect justice with mercy, and we struggle to understand that all people are our neighbors and derserve humane treatment, and prosecution is selective or politically punitive, the Church needs to stand firmly and unequivocally against those unjust practices. It must also speak to grace and generosity. Unfortunately, such stances won’t be welcomed by some. Thus, it can take courage.
If Christian, our individual manifestation of this call might not always be found in active, peaceful, public protest so popular in our culture, although it remains the important calling of many. Violent protest and interfering with force of any kind in law enforcement proceedings is a huge risk to yourself and others. There’s a time for war, the Bible says, but let’s not hastily assume it’s now. Mob justice isn’t justice either, and peaceful protests have been making a valuable difference.
And if you are a Federal agent or government official reading this, what then? One can seek to exemplify patience and as much gentleness as possible even as an angry crowd surrounds you. Expect and demand ethical behavior from yourself, and if one sees violations report them to authorities that will listen and act against them. Be on guard about “group think fears” that danger is lurking everywhere, as for decades, research has showed it makes one more prone to violence. We are to see Jesus in those suffering but also our enemies. (This is an ancient belief dating back to the Church Fathers.) Don’t celebrate violence, for violence is not God’s will for the world even if deemed necessary in a fallen world. If the wrong is too much for you to stand up to or change in your agency, resign and speak out. It will be stressful but God will provide. At all times and every level of government, police legitimacy matters, and a lack of legitimacy in many people’s minds is making violence and accidental injury or death much more possible for both agent and citizens.
The immigration debate is an important one. I can’t solve it here. It might never be solved to everyone’s satisfaction no matter who is in power. For a democratic republic to work, one has to give and take. The same goes for policies trying to meet all our wants and help the hurting people of the world. Jesus knows the poor will be with us always until he comes again (Matthew 26:11, Mark 14:7, John 12:8), but he also asked us to love, serve and help them anyway. Certainly, we must vote with all its risks and problems. Yet most importantly, whatever our calling, whatever form of government, our daily witness to love our neighbor – while inviting or inspiring others to do so – makes a difference. And, that often overlooked, “ordinary” witness can come in many forms.
If in favor of the policies in place, how can they be reformed to have less mistakes or abuses occur, as well as lower anger against the policy? If against, how can one communicate this with tolerance, patience, and not becoming what one says one hates? We have to see one another as nothing more than what we all are – fallible humans, prone to hubris induced blindness, in need of love and forgiveness. Not all protestors are “terrorists,” and not all agents are “evil,” although any of what we do on any day can be unwittingly evil, and all of our choices and insights fall short due to sin.
Our society is sick right now, and we need God’s help and guidance to heal. And so, God is calling you, me and all to be part of the answer to our collective problems – ultimately sin. God’s call varies as much as God’s people, but the call also can include changing over time. Don’t be afraid to repent, a turning back to God and God’s ways. One can’t settle or refuse to change with the Spirit (not a matter of changing with the times necessarily). Whatever our vocation, whatever stage of life one is at, God calls all of us to love our neighbor as ourselves concretely in both word and deed. Our goal is as Micah 6:8 says, “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Anything else is falling short. It matters not if it’s the government representing us, a church or para-church organization, or our own actions day to day, we need to work together, as hopeless or impossible as it might seem, to make the world a better place. We need to hold others to a just account when wrong for their own sake as well as society’s. We are called to offer forgiveness, responding as peacefully as one is able while being a human in a fallen world. And perhaps among the hardest things, remain open to reconciliation. Ultimately, we are not to sit on the sidelines, lose hope, or give up. For, Christ is our hope, and he has shown us how to love – unto our death.
Sadly in the unhealthy tenor of these times, critiques, criticism or doing what is right can result in condemnation if not attacks. I’ve had people say they are afraid to speak or post what they think pro or con, on any issue. Yet calling for kinder treatment, following the law and established use of force policies, or even patience as one deals with or works through both just or unjust anger is not something we as Christians should be disagreeing about. It’s our only way forward.
Yes, some violent protests have happened, but it’s not the norm despite some catastrophizing claims. Certainly, some violent criminals are being removed but government reports say they are the minority despite political claims. (ICE data in November 2025 analyzed by the Cato Institute indicated that only 5% had a violent conviction. Nearly half had no criminal conviction nor even any pending criminal charges.) True, some anarchists and people who often frequent protests are present at protests, but the vast majority are just regular, concerned citizens and neighbors. I know of people in Minnesota protesting when they never have protested before. With reported aggressiveness and questionable uses of force, even a two time Trump voter and still admitted MAGA supporter expressed concerns to me recently over how things are being done. Can’t we do better? Right now, things seem at a pretty low bar. We have to.
Thus, I’ve been thinking a lot about Bishop Berggrav and others in the church who stood up for justice. Some worked behind the scenes while in government positions like Bonhoeffer. Others valiantly spoke out risking death like Martin Luther King or Oscar Romero. Still others were quieter witnesses serving all others out of the spotlight like Br. Roger of Taize’ during World War 2 – helping Jews during the war and German POWs afterwards. Countless others did their part to bring goodness into a bad situation but will never be known but to God.
We all need to consider what we can do to act in love rather than react in anger or fear in our social space. (This includes social media.) This should not be seen as a claim that we are facing Nazis (or “terrorist immigrants” for that matter) under every bed. Yet we aren’t loving others when our justice system doesn’t reflect the love of Christ and laws are too often disregarded or worked around. Americans and other legal residents have been wrongly detained. I’ve noted watching videos what appears to be unnecessary aggressiveness and occasions of excessive force. People have died needlessly. And agents and government officials have been caught in lies. It’s all too common and happening too much. It’s not about left or right. It’s about justice. It’s about loving as God loves us through law and gospel. We need to repent for our part and call others to repentance. If we do otherwise, look away, or stay silent, we might be the ones on the wrong side of the border when it comes to God’s law and his gospel grace.
In following such a call, we will likely be misunderstood. Many may accuse us. Many more will never listen. We might be threatened or face violence. Yet, this proved Jesus’ path, too, and we, the Church, are meant to be his living body walking in his love. No matter how bumpy or unclear the road, we remain his. Be comforted, and seek to act justly and with mercy without delay.
Scripture for meditation: [Jesus said,] “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they keep my word, they will also keep yours.” (John 15:19-20)
Let us pray: Mighty God, you gave your servant Eivind Berggrav, together with the bishops and faithful priests of Norway, strength and courage to resist tyranny, to defend your ancient people the Jews, and to uphold the rights of your church: So strengthen our faith by their witness, we pray, that we in our generation may serve you faithfully and confess your Name before the world; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Eivind Berggrav is commemorated by the Church on January 14 for his Christian life and witness.
I previously wrote about Bishop Berggrav when I first started my blog, the very first post on January 14, 2011. You can learn a bit more about him here.
Post Script: After publishing this post, Reuters indicated that courts have ruled over 4,400 times that ICE detained people illegally. We need to demand better.
Yesterday, I joked with friends that I was skipping Festivus this year. My list of grievances was just too long. Then, I was reminded of John Cantius in my reading.
Have you ever heard of St. John of Kanty (Cantius in Latin). His feast day was yesterday, but he actually died on December 24, 1473. A 15th-century Polish theologian, professor, and said to be an incredibly generous priest known for his austerity and devotion to the poor, he became the patron saint of Poland, Lithuania, teachers, students, and academic institutions. It struck me that his feast day being placed on what as a lark became known in modern times as Festivus (from Seinfeld, the television show) could seem ironic. His Christian witness is like an antidote to the human tendency for resentment, rumination, and griping.
Frank Costanza and John Cantius
If you are familiar with the television show, you probably remember that Festivus is a day for the “Airing of Grievances.” A character, Frank Costanza, humorously informs his family and friends, “I got a lot of problems with you people, and now you’re gonna hear about it!” Theoretically according to Festivusweb.com, this practice “can serve as a cathartic method to cleanse people of the evils of dissatisfaction.” Although that might seem to serve the self, I doubt that there are lasting benefits for the community.
In his life, John of Kanty knew disappointment and likely had valid grievances. All humans in a fallen world do to some extent. For example, it is recorded that he was removed from his teaching post at the University of Kraków due to jealousy from rivals. Facing false accusations, he was reassigned as a parish priest in Olkusz until eventually restored to his teaching position.
For someone called by God to scholarship, this must have been disconcerting if not crushing. Our vocations and dreams for the future are part of who we are after all. Such loss can result in a deep and lasting wound. Despite the disappointment of it all (or maybe through this experience by grace through faith), John sought to dedicate his life to humility and peace with others. (Could this be an example of post-traumatic growth?) His motto became, “Beware disturbing: it’s not sweetly pleasing; Beware speaking ill: for taking back words is burdensome.” He is also known for teaching, “Fight all error, but do it with good humor, patience, kindness, and love. Harshness will damage your own soul and spoil the best cause.”
Let us not assume that this means John was ignorant of sin and evil or ignored it. I’m sure he was disappointed and angry at times. (I imagine he was angry less often as he matured in faith, but it likely happened.) He probably fell short of his goal here and there because that’s what imperfect humans do. His teachings also do not mean that we should avoid standing up to or naming injustice and sin – sometimes more forcefully than at other times as needed. (John the Baptist shouting, “You brood of vipers!” comes to mind.) Though, I think it says much that John of Kanty didn’t seem to get stuck in such feelings. If he had, his life would have likely become deformed rather than transformed by Christ’s example and love. When looking at the entirety of John’s life, people did not remember shortcomings. They ultimately remembered God’s grace and peace at work through him.
This has concrete applications for many of us this time of year. As Christmas looms, not everyone is excited to be with family. Being in relationships always proves hard; sometimes incredibly hard. This morning, I was reminded by a short mindfulness meditation on the Calm app (Daily Calm with Tamara Levit, December 24, 2025) that despite our desire to share an harmonious time, old wounds or current struggles can make that complicated. The meditation reminded me that before seeing family, we can mediate (and, if Christian, pray) to calm ourselves and open our hearts wider toward others. If speaking on difficult topics, we can strive to slow down and mindfully choose each word. And if triggered, we can pause, breathe and reflect before committing to any response. This is wise, and I think it ultimately reflects many biblical teachings.
Sure, even Jesus was angry as he flipped tables in the Temple, but he was without sin. As fallen creatures, we aren’t so enabled naturally. Our anger can easily mutate into harm. The discussion at the Council of Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15 was likely tense if not loud at times. Also in Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas argued and had to go their separate ways. Hey, our beloved (real) St. Nicholas is said to have even struck the heretic, Arius, in the nose at the Council of Nicaea. And my theological friend, old Martin Luther, was known to be quite cranky in the 16th century sometimes speaking in grave error. In life, disagreements, disappointments, betrayal, even crimes against us happen, and we can fall short as a result. Once again, we are only human.
Jesus, who as part of our Triune God always existed, was born in the flesh as one person with two distinct natures—perfectly God and perfectly human. (In theology, we call thus the hypostatic union.) We are “creatures” created by God, and our created being uses emotions to process and interact with the world and one another. So, the Bible doesn’t tell us, “don’t get angry.” It reminds us not to sin in our anger. For that, we need God’s help including Christ’s own example and teachings.
So, we can benefit from and be blessed by community. We might need trusted friends, mentors, or counselors to dialogue with and unpack our anger so that we can seek a way forward. Or perhaps, as I’ve mentioned before, we can turn our cheeks and walk away. If doing so, we should seek to not emotionally stuff and ignore our feelings nor ruminate or gossip. There’s a middle ground available, allowing us to be human and feel feelings without getting stuck or sinning in response. We should also understand that we are not meant to emotionally cut off (not caring about others or never praying for them) but seek to establish a new boundary for personal or communal protection hoping for restoration or reconciliation all the while. As Jesus taught, we are to pray for our enemies; not forget they exist. And sometimes, all we can do is seek to let go of the situation leaving it in God’s hands emotionally so it doesn’t disturb or infect our prayer, vision, and actions. Praying for enemies might not help others, but it can help us move forward in love.
Not too long ago, I posted on social media a great article from The Christian Century, “Praying the imprecatory psalms with Bonhoeffer.” If you look it up, you will read that imprecatory psalms are biblical songs of lament that call for God to curse, judge, or destroy His enemies, with examples in Psalms like 35, 59, 69, and 109. As I wrote then, these Psalms reflect a very human sentiment, but they ultimately trust in God to provide justice. God’s our ultimate Defender and Provider to the Psalmist. Taken at face value out of context from other scriptures, they might seem like any old curse. Yet, Bonhoeffer provides a wonderful methodology to look deeper and move us toward compassion and love for “the enemy.”
We are told that Jesus fulfilled all the law and the prophets. When we lack our own words, the Psalms can help us find voice, but it is Jesus who helps us take heart by reshaping them; making them wider and bolder; gifting us with a sacred peace. Rethinking these Psalms through the lens of trusting in God’s ultimate justice and victory, turning our anger over to Jesus and praying as he prayed for our enemies, does make a difference. At the very least it changes us, and that gives us hope that maybe, if we persevere in trust and love, we can do something to make at least our bit of the world a bit better. I suspect St. John’s experience and wisdom shares the same holy roots.
Like many, I was let down by some people in 2025, but doesn’t that happen every year? People do that, sometimes in profoundly hurtful ways while doing what was right in their own eyes. Not unlike the situation in Judges 21:25, people can lose their way. And if self-reflective and honest, I must admit that I have let others and myself down at times too. That’s just being human as well. Yet turning to God’s word for guidance, using resources and tools available to us, humbly surrendering to God’s will while praying even for our enemies, trusting in and listening for the Spirit to guide us, we can avoid being stuck and become more than we are on our own. Indeed, we become freed from the weight of sin whether someone else’s or our own.
Like John of Kanty, people might look past our missteps and see the Prince of Peace working in and through our lives one day and relationship at a time. Our lives might even inspire others as we share the Good News through deed which might include our own repentance. When this happens, know this reflects Christ’s Kingdom rushing into the world through the imperfect vessels that we are. And in that, we and the world will be ultimately well blessed.
And when we fail? If we hurt others or fail to forgive when hurt by others, or even when we can’t seem to be able let go of the pain of the past, recognize that healing can take time. We learn as we go, and miracles can take shape over a lifetime. Like the lepers healed by Jesus in Luke 17, we might heal as we walk on. Holy wisdom and growth can come at any age. So, never stop trying to do better or give up hope. God’s healing love will be at work in us when we confess, repent, and try again. It’s ok to point out a wrong, sometimes it’s very important to do so, but instead of just airing grievances, God empowers us to do something about them. We can heal, and if others are willing and able, reconciliation might come at last.
“I’ll see you in the funny papers” is a phrase reportedly dating back to the 1920s. It was a lighthearted way to say goodbye. Yet true goodbyes are never easy, especially when forced upon you by unfortunate events. Due to a reported financial crisis at my most recent congregation, I was advised in October by leadership that there would be a recommendation made to transition to a single pastor model. So, long story short, I’ve resigned in exchange for a severance package.
Today (December 1, 2025 as I write) was my first day without a full time call since ordination in 2007. My office is empty, some tears have been shed over these last weeks, but my heart remains full and hopeful. I will be working with the bishop’s office to discern my next call in a congregation or in some other role. Prayers are appreciated as I seek what’s next, although I firmly believe God’s in the mix and always working for my (really our) welfare. You can learn something from bad experiences as well as good even if only to hold on to God more tightly than one did before. (God will ultimately never disappoint.)
Indeed, wherever we go, whatever our vocation or situation, we can always love and serve God and neighbor, and that’s been a source of great joy throughout my life – working, laid off; in higher income positions, lower income positions, or with no income at times. (I’ve been through all such periods before having worked in both secular and faith based positions.) I firmly believe that money is really only a tool. It’s the giving and receiving that comes through love based relationships and service that makes one truly rich.
Farewell gathering (November 16, 2025)
Looking back, I will certainly miss most deeply the youth at my recent congregation as I walk on, and I will always love them. I witnessed unique gifts in each one of them, and I found blessing through our time together. (I hope they did too.) As with others who I have come to love before through my police work, volunteering with the Community of Taize,’ as a houseparent and teacher at St. Joseph’s Indian School, as a researcher and writer at First Nations Development Institute, or while serving as a hospice and hospital chaplain as well as many other places and spaces, I know they have become part of who I am and how I will love and serve the Lord and others forever. The communion of saints is real, and nothing can truly separate us when God has connected us through love.
My favorite comic strip as a young adult was always Bloom County, and it still can make me smile reading the old strips that are now digitized or in collections on my bookshelf. As a fan, I developed a special affinity for Opus the Penguin. I admired his innocence and how that could lead him to make keen if ironic observations about life. I came to think of him this week in relationship to my current situation. In the “final” strip, you see the familiar scenes empty of life. The colorful artwork fades to white within the panel, and Opus waddles on into the unknown to the distress and sadness of fans. (He looked sad, too.)
Bloom County, August 6, 1989
Yet ultimately this departure led to new books, totally new comic strips with reimagined characters and plots, and adventures on television including a Christmasspecial. Bloom County even came back after a prolonged absenceas the original comic strip in recent years thanks to social media. So maybe there’s something we can learn from the funny papers after all. Life is not always easy. It won’t always be funny or fun. Yet who one shares life with brings joy to our journey. And a somewhat innocent, hopeful attitude can help us on our way no matter how many times life knocks us down.
Best of all, our own story never really ends…God’s making all things new (Isa. 43:19). Thus, I guess it’s time for me to waddle my way toward what God has in store for me next. I can do so boldly and with confidence (with the Spirit’s help and support of family and friends anyway). Whatever condition I might find myself in, it can serve God’s will and prove to my benefit. For as Paul writes, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28); including within any unexpected end to one’s position or perceived security.
What our Jewish siblings call the Writings (or Ketuvim) are examples of “wisdom literature.” They are the third and final section of the Tanakh (the Jewish scriptures, or what many Christians call the Old Testament). These selections are found after the Torah (“instruction”; the five Books of Moses, also called the Pentateuch) and Nevi’im (the “prophets”). How does this journey to wisdom start? Proverbs tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”
No, we aren’t supposed to run away from God like Adam and Eve after sinning in the Garden of Eden. We are supposed to seek after God. We experience a holy fear as we encounter the one true God, and we come to understand our vulnerability and reliance in something greater than ourselves. We tremble before God’s greatness, because we discover we are not God, nor even masters of our destiny. In fact, on our own, we are worthy of condemnation. To think otherwise is vanity. Yet, we turn to God humbly, because we discover that God is only love, and we know we need God’s grace and salvation. We also know through Jesus and the tug of the Holy Spirit, God desires to save us, not destroy.
A favorite Christian musician and Bible scholar of mine back in the 1990s was a man named Michael Card. He used his love of scripture to ponder God’s greatness through music. He created a three CD work contemplating the Torah, The Prophets, and the Writings. In his reflection song on Proverbs, he reframes this fear with these words, “The Way of Wisdom beckons us; To find the end of fear that perfect love pursues; Wisdom did not come to simply speak the words of truth; He’s the Word that makes us true.” In other words, our holy fear leads us eventually to our grace-filled salvation found only in Jesus. Jesus’ love has the power to transform us.
The path of wisdom leads us from fear toward a perfect love, one that wishes to help and embrace us. Indeed, Wisdom in the Writings is often personified as a welcoming woman. It is much as the Jewish faith has often contemplated and represented God’s Spirit in female imagery in art and other poetry. As Jesus describes God’s love as a Mother Hen, Proverbs tells us that Wisdom beckons us home in our weakness and need. It invites us to knock at the door and seek as Jesus did saying, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.”
So how do we seek? The way of Wisdom calls us to live a life in community where forgiveness is offered, where support is shared, where we meet Christ in one another as well as the Word and Sacraments. The original wisdom works were based on observations and experiences rather than visons and dreams – people found God at work in real life and reflected upon it.
Through their lives, poetry, and sayings preserved in scripture, we learn that our seeking is not just a Sunday adventure or a diversion to our week. It cannot be fully explored alone. We seek to listen for Wisdom daily as we interact with the world. For, God is there. We uncover our true place is among God’s chosen people, and we see that God is at work around us. Even in small acts of love or kindness to our neighbor, we might spot Wisdom.
It is only through such Wisdom that we find our true significance. As we are promised, whoever finds Lady Wisdom, finds true life. I think it comforting that the source of such Wisdom, the Holy Spirit (by the way, spirit is a feminine word in ancient Hebrew), is already seeking and reaching out to us. Perhaps, we should stop, look, and listen for her during our busy days or on days when we feel overwhelmed or afraid. She’ll be there waiting to not just teach us, but embrace us, as our Triune God’s children.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this post are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.
Originally published in the July 18, 2023 weekly newsletter, the Hub, of Christ Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, VA, this post was edited and expanded upon for my blog.
A Smithsonian Institution sign is seen on the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on March 28, 2025. KEVIN DIETSCH/GETTY/Newsweek – See the Newsweek article sparking this post.
Recently, the President pondered about slavery in the context of what he suggested was one sided history presentations at the Smithsonian. Certainly, one can point to possible errors, but the President made a big one himself. Plenty of people on social media have regrettably expressed similar things before and since. He said that their portrayal of U.S. history was too negative and focused too much on “how bad Slavery was.”
Well, unfortunately, slavery was worse in the USA than many understand or admit. Don’t take my word for it. Read first hand slave narratives from diaries and interviews: extreme poverty, dismemberments, whipping, rape, murder, and more abominable acts were a norm. Many potential slaves, Native American, African and others, historically feared slavery more than death. In fact, you read of suicidal acts rather than being dragged into slavery or returned to it.
So if anyone is wondering, in the best of circumstances one could imagine, slavery is wrong. It was and always has been steeped in sin, a sign of our fallen world not God’s Kingdom. In Genesis, every human was created in God’s image, male and female alike. Some (I sadly know from experience) will say God allowed it. They will point at a few verses which l agree seem to affirm slavery in that period, but even in speaking of the Ten Commandments, Mosaic law called for better treatment and freedom processes for slaves.
God’s patience with our sin should not be confused with God’s approval of it. (God was not too keen on Israel having a king other than God or the Temple in Jerusalem being built either, for they could lead to idolatry and other sin. Yet, God consented.) By the time the Church comes around, Jesus has extended the understanding of the neighbor whom we should love as oneself to include everyone. Paul emphasizes how slave and master should live within the existing structure while prioritizing Christ, as he did regarding women, but he never argued for slavery. He argued that Christ’s plan is to make all one. In the dangerous context of the Roman Empire where slavery was so embedded, order valued, and social roles defined, he expects Jesus back soon. He didn’t want anything to hinder the spread of the Gospel, so within an unjust fallen world, he counsels humility, patience and love even to one’s enemy. Living faithfully was his primary concern whether a slave or any other lot in a fallen life.
Yet, God did not stop speaking in biblical times. As the Church grows and becomes more diverse, as education spreads (both knowledge and wisdom are said to be gifts of the Spirit), as people pray, meditate on scripture, preach and teach about our Lord, the consensus and understanding grew that slavery and prejudice of any kind is sin. The Spirit works through such holy discernment to try to open our hearts to God’s truth. So again, God called and created everyone. Jesus is to call all peoples to himself. And we are to love one another and see the Christ, the sacred, in one another – in everyone whether friend or foe, believer or not.
Still to this day, prejudice of all kinds, slavery, and ignorance sadly continue to exist. Some people don’t want to see their ancestors as “bad,” but we are all sinnners, so let’s get over it. Going in circles about the multiple causes of the Civil War is a distraction distancing us from the horror. Slavery always takes away a person’s self determination, rights, dignity, health and ultimately life. It’s a kind of theft and murder, as Luther extended those commands similarly to many sins in his Large Catechism. (He suggests we are all murderers at times as we lack care for our neighbors or live selfishly.) As I often quote from Jesus, let your yes be yes, and your no be no. Slavery was evil. It was and remains sin. Let’s leave it at that.
Our ancestors might not have understood this was a sin, but we now do. So, we shouldn’t forget or be shy about their errors. We can learn from them. Sinner-saints all, certainly there could be signs of kindness or generosity back then like now. Yet let God be their ultimate judge, for we have our own sins still to address including modern slavery and human trafficking.
Good thing God is still patient and kind. For, we all need his forgiveness.
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13
Left or right or in between in the US, we all are a sinful, stiff necked people in need of grace; called to become more through Christ. As a culture and fallen people, we historically swing dysfunctionally between political poles of excess and denouncing the “other,” hurting ourselves and those entrusted to our care all the while. Platforms tend to become more important than people, for we rest in the assurance that we are “right,” and we want to defeat the “other.” We self righteously think, “They are the evil ones after all.” In doing so, we often forget that true justice requires mercy and the least of these are indeed our responsibility. At the same time, or perhaps because of this plank in our eye, we tend not to like to reflect deeply on our own sins – what we have done and failed to do – with the gift of holy wisdom at our disposal. We prefer passion and group-think over the Holy Spirit’s guidance and light.
It ultimately doesn’t matter what wrong was done in the past. We must let it go instead of letting anger metastasize. We are called to love one another in the present, not ignoring or enabling wrongs, but striving with God’s help to see the Christ in others and treating them with gentleness, patience, and the love we ourselves have received first. As I’ve said before, it is a habit of life which takes practice. We are to forgive and forgive again when wronged. “Seventy times seven” times according to Jesus, we should forgive. This means we should forgive others without limit even when they don’t deserve it. For Jesus died for our sin – that which we have been born into or done, those we struggle with today, and the sins we’ve yet to do – when we still don’t and never will deserve it.
And what about us? Our recalcitrance in regard to all the teachings of Jesus including doing good to those whom hate us? What evil is at work in and through us and our choices as we face the fears and pressures of our day? How might we be making a bad situation worse? Who are we to condemn people to hell in our hearts or cause others to suffer through our actions? Each day in a similar way to our siblings in Twelve Step programs, we who are addicted to sin and selfishness can take a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Then, we ask for God’s forgiveness, seek to repent of our wrongs (turning back to God), make amends as we can (as we are empowered by God). We do so because Jesus said he wants us to have his abundant life and peace, and this is the Way.
We might feel caught in an impossible situation, but all things remain possible with God. We can make choices to help change our behaviors and attitudes for the better today; repenting of our wrongs and positively influencing others. God’s Spirit has already been sent to help us, residing in our hearts through the gifts of our faith and baptism. Most importantly, Jesus promises that we are never alone. He will carry our cross when we cannot. He already has!
Jesus once said, “People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” In times of trouble and discord, this is even more true. We need our yes to mean yes and to seek to love God and others as ourselves no matter the cost. It is Jesus who has called us to this time and place to be his body. Don’t be afraid.
Whatever happens around us or to us, our first allegiance as a Christian is always to Jesus. As we American Christians look upon fireworks tonight celebrating Independence Day, never forget that Jesus always wants us to reflect his light…always. Sinning in our anger is never his way. Political waffling is not his style. We can be better as a person and a nation. We can be healed. We live in hope thanks be to God.
I wish you a happy and safe Independence Day, while remembering and seeking to serve the only One who truly makes us free.
Image: Jerzy Hulewicz, Detail from “The Cross.” 1918; public domain
This April, our Jewish siblings recall several major events in their history once again. Among them, Passover Festival is from sundown, April 12, through sundown, April 20 this year. This marks the passing of the Angel of Death over Jewish homes and their subsequent flight from slavery. On April 12, 1951, the Knesset passed a resolution establishing 27 Nisan on the Jewish calendar, a week after Passover, and eight days before Israel’s Independence Day, as the annual Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day. In 2025, this begins on Wednesday, April 23rd. Yet in 1943, 27 Nissan was also the day of the brave Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis. It occurred on April 19 during that year.
Remembering the sadness of slavery and the evils of the Holocaust with them, you will often read or hear the words “gam zu latova” in Hebrew which means “this too is for the good.” Most certainly in the face of such horrors and ongoing struggles, it seems a bit difficult to say such hopeful words. Yet, these words are shared out of deep trust despite what is seen, reason, or any emotion. It is about God’s glory but also God’s pledged steadfast love to the descendants of Abraham. God will always be faithful, and God will make good eventually come from any bad.
It is a similar theological belief that had Paul, a former Pharisee, write, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). One of my favorite passages, it reminds us that while we face any family discord or rift, struggle with sin, or threat from any evil, persecution or death itself, God will not let us down. God will change curse into blessing much as he did with Balaam’s curse of Israel in Deuteronomy 23:5. God does this because our Lord God loves us. It is just who God is.
As we have entered another Holy Week and face any stressors and discord internationally, nationally, or within our personal lives, we come to remember Jesus’ own suffering and death. In the face of defeat with our Lord Jesus on the cross, his disciples scattered and afraid, only a few daring to watch and wait amidst tears and wailing. As Jesus shouts (quoting the Psalmist), “Why have you forsaken me!” toward God the Father in heaven, we might struggle to call Holy Week holy or Good Friday good. Yet, we now know this barbarous, desolate scene is not the end of the story. As an old sermon proclaims, “It is Friday…but Sunday is coming.”
Although Jesus is now risen, a bigger and more perfect “Sunday” is still yet to come. We live in an in between time of Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension and his coming again to make all things new. Only then, when the time is right, will Jesus end suffering and death and wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4). This time that we find ourselves within is often hard. It might be appropriate to grieve. Yet, it is not the entire story. Jesus is coming, and we pray in hope and love that he comes soon.
Until then, we walk step by step in faith, trusting in what has not yet come to pass, sharing hope and love with others, because Jesus loves us and will not abandon us. It is just who Jesus is. It is who we are called to be. And although God might seem hidden, we can trust that God’s ultimate will for us, our perfect joy, is being somehow worked out in our present.
Despite his own experience with desolation and abandonment, overcoming death, Jesus promises that we are not and never will be alone. We will overcome too, thanks be to his unending love for us. We can sing with the ancient Church and Church yet to be, “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again,” for it is true. Jesus does not lie. This life we share, hard as it might prove at times, will all be for the good.
Adapted from an essay written for the April 15, 2025 weekly newsletter, the Hub, of Christ Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, VA.
Remains of St Bonaventure Roman Catholic Church, Philadelphia (2014). Photo credit: Abandoned America.
“Why do we tear and rip apart the members of Christ, and rebel against our own body and get worked up to such a frenzy that we forget that we are members of one another? Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, for it says, ‘Woe to that person, it would be better for him if he had not been born than to cause one of my elect to sin. It would have been better for him to be tied to a millstone and to sink into the sea than to turn away one of my elect.’ Your schism has turned many away, has plunged many into discouragement, many into doubt; all of us into grief, yet your rebellion is continuous!” – The First Epistle of Clement of Rome to the Church in Corinth, date uncertain, sometime before 70 AD or even at the end of the reign of Domitian (c. 96 AD).
I’ve recently been reading The Apostolic Fathers in English. The book includes ancient texts from the earliest days of the Church. Some are pastoral letters. Others were likely sermons. Yet they often reveal the controversies and arguments of their day.
Apparently the early Church was filled with ill tempered people prone to pride. They often seem to have struggled with submission to authority, and yet they seem to have needed more often than not the proverbial rod rather than the shepherd’s staff to keep them focused on the Gospel. They fought among themselves. They jockeyed for power and position. They could be dishonest as they did so. They became divided, sometimes hating one another. I have come to notice through my reading that early Christians were much like some of us modern Christians today.
In today’s world when a theological argument comes (as they will thanks to our limited human intelligence and sin), we are prone to split denominations or congregations rather than face the difficult call from Jesus to reconcile – or at least struggle towards reconciliation. These splits are often precipitated by one or two people shaping a consensus then drawing others into the fray. Paul warned the early Church about people stirring the proverbial church coffee pot and drawing up grounds of discontent. He writes, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who create dissensions and hindrances, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them. For such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded.” Certainly, their appetites could reflect greed or a desire for power, a disordered search for significance or other sin, but sometimes, people causing such disarray don’t realize it. It might not be intentional. They can be acting out over wounds of their own past. Unhealthy people can make unhealthy choices. They can also influence others.
Likewise, my social media feed gets too often filled with Christians demonizing one another intentionally or not. For example, “Lutherans,” some Christians posted recently, “are sex traffickers and money launderers.” These posts came into being because member agencies of Lutheran Services of America help our federal government contractually serve citizens and others in need within our country’s jurisdiction. Often, these agencies do so more cost effectively than if the government did it themselves. Through such government contracts and grants from other entities, one in fifty Americans are helped through addressing all kinds of needs – foster care, adoptions, at risk schools, senior services, homes for the physically and intellectually disabled, and much more. Services can include immigrants and refugees. And there lies the rub…
As member nonprofits already provided foster care and adoption services since the 1800s, they have been asked by past administrations (both Republican and Democrat) to help care for unescorted minors in the United States for decades. With an history dating back to World War II helping refugees, they were requested to help with the currently unpopular task of assisting immigrants and refugees. They do only what they are asked to do by the government or through grants as legally contracted to do. If one doesn’t like a program, individual grants and contracts can be cancelled or redefined. No one is helped to run across our nation’s border. Laws aren’t broken, and the organizations are audited annually by outside groups. They operate in a way where any profits go toward maintenance of current efforts or establishing new services. Lutheran Services in America even has a four star, 100% rating on Charity Navigator.
Yet, I see some people openly espousing Christian values on social media, then they turn to virtually shout that these organizations are betraying our nation, corrupt, and “getting rich.” They often wrongly conflate independent nonprofits with denominations as they do so and repeat false claims heard elsewhere with more rumors than evidence. No reason or fact mitigates their attacks. All remain guilty in their minds, even as independent nonprofits (like people) can vary in quality and performance. Yes, Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and other denominational efforts are condemned in similar ways.
Further, I have seen other Christian people who support such nonprofits denounced by these publicly self-identified Christians. They can be called “libtards,” parasites, and worse. The negative rhetoric of television personalities, radio hosts, podcasters, or even memes can infect the body of Christ and spread. In Philippians 4, Paul requests, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Rather than being anxious and angry, he suggests that trusting in God and turning to him with hope “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” He commands, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Instead, too many modern Christians keep a list of transgressions both real and imagined. Focusing on these, they lose their peace and too often their tempers.
As I’ve written elsewhere, when it comes to the growing influence of New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) churches, it can become much worse. Those who disagree with the NAR view are said to be possessed by demons, thus they need to be soundly defeated if not (amidst extreme adherents) wiped out. They adhere to a Seven Mountain Mandate, seven aspects of society that believers seek to gain influence and dominate to prepare if not precipitate Christ’s return: family, religion, education, media, arts and entertainment, business, and government. The problem comes when abuse and problematic techniques are employed; when sin is excused in the pursuit of power. The disease spreads as elements of the teaching become accepted by other Christians. Battle lines are drawn.
Some avowed Christians with NAR backgrounds in the government or influenced by similar theologies have thus reluctantly called the above organizations providing social services and the people supporting them Christian, for they will only do so in quotes. It seems clear that they wish to insinuate that such organizations and people are not Christian, at least in the way that they define Christians. In fact, they aren’t afraid to call other Christians’ salvation in doubt or claim they are controlled by literal demons. Those who do such things bring to my mind the Super Apostles of Paul’s time who were neither super nor Apostles in Paul’s assessment (see 2 Corinthians 11). Unfortunately, many of the President’s spiritual advisors reflect this theological view, and its unyielding harshness has made its way subtly yet influentially into our political speech.
Bearing false witness is a serious sin causing brokenness no matter what positive goals we might claim. Yet, I have had pastors and other Christians (most often Baptist, Evangelical, or conservative Roman Catholic) tell me privately that they can live with statements they know to be false, coarse, even overtly sinful during this political season of history because the ends in their mind are good. (I was taken aback that they so easily excused such behaviors.)
Luther’s comments extensively about the commandment not to bear false witness in his Large Catechism. He expands our understanding of the commandment beyond legal necessities to all offenses of the tongue, “For it is a common evil plague that every one prefers hearing evil to hearing good of his neighbor; and although we ourselves are so bad that we cannot suffer that any one should say anything bad about us, but every one would much rather that all the world should speak of him in terms of gold, yet we cannot bear that the best is spoken about others.”
If things cannot be properly proved, don’t say them. If you hear of secret sins that are not “notorious” (illegalities or causing significant harm to others), keep them secret. And interpret your neighbors’ actions in the most generous way possible, for we will be judged as we judge our neighbors (Matthew 7:2). We also are taught to pray by Jesus. We are to ask that we be forgiven our trespasses/sin/debts as we forgive others in the Lord’s Prayer.
Luther further writes, “and it is especially an excellent and noble virtue for one always to explain advantageously and put the best construction upon all he may hear of his neighbor (if it be not notoriously evil), or at any rate to condone it over and against the poisonous tongues that are busy wherever they can pry out and discover something to blame in a neighbor, and that explain and pervert it in the worst way.” As I have asked my pastor friends who feel differently than me, I will ask you, dear blog reader, “Does the end justify the means?” As far as I have seen, Jesus never taught us that. Let our yes mean yes and our no mean no, and love even your enemies (Matthew 5). Jesus says, “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16), but he never tells us to be bullies. Meekness is the way of Jesus. To take up our cross is what he modeled.
Certainly in the age of DOGE, it is easy to find examples of right leaning Christians attacking the left leaning ones, as such hot button issues regarding cuts to social service, education, and immigration are for the present often in the forefront of the news. Yet leftist Christians can be just as insensitive, callous, and hateful as they speak or post about rightist Christians. For they are human, too.
I’ve mentioned elsewhere that conservative leaning Christians can be called fascist or Nazis just because they might want to secure borders, address concerns about violent crime, and promote economic growth. Certainly, as with the left, some among the right can go to excess in their dogmatic pursuit of political ends. Some can indeed sin or support sinful policies. Yet, the basic goals represented are not always or automatically unreasonable. One could come up with policies between a wide open border and one sealed completely shut for example. Yet, we tend to be rigid like Pharisees when it comes to our politics, even though we are called as Christians to be open to the possibility of much more. God says in Isaiah 43:19,
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Then during the sometimes violent demonstrations and riots against police use of force over the last decade, I was indeed treated differently if not rudely by some other pastors who could not understand or did not seem to like that I was a police chaplain. One pastor I know in a position of authority spent time questioning not just police policies but the need for police. Fair enough, I suppose, at least philosophically, although I think that assertion misguided. Yet, a number of that pastor’s social media posts during that period went further calling all police blue thugs…in effect calling me who had been an officer a blue thug, too. (This epithet echoed the too often misdirected anger of a popular theologian at the time.) There was no public openness to recognize that each officer and agency is different even as they all struggle with sin. One should not assume all people in a neighborhood are criminals. One should offer law enforcement officers the same amount of grace.
And further in these times of heightened tensions over “culture wars,” I had two younger pastors insist that I would not understand an issue because of my generation. They continued to speak on the issue as if I was not there. (Ironically as liberal politically as they viewed themselves, they exemplified the bias called ageism.) Certainly, context matters. Our knowledge is impacted by our experiences. Yet, that doesn’t mean that a person cannot have understanding or empathy. In denying that truth, sometimes even well meaning people can be blind.
In addition, I have seen people who often post about their faith attack me as a “bad” pastor/priest and poor Christian when I post something they don’t like or understand. For example, I suggested turning the other cheek over the Paris Olympic scandal – a transgender portrayal of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies. Yes, it was insensitive to many conservative Christians’ worldview. Sure, they would not likely portray Mohammed in a similar way. Definitely, Christians disagree over gender issues and much more. Yet why waste time raging?
Paul, the great Apostle and missionary, gives this advice, “Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” I think I was on pretty solid ground to try to act and talk about the issue patiently in love rather than react in anger calling people names.
Still, one old friend asked how I could not be mad. They were mad at me for not being mad! Well, I have known people oppressed by laws forbidding faith practices, physically tortured, threatened with death because they loved Jesus. A potentially rude skit (depending on one’s beliefs perhaps) seems a regrettable but much lower threat to Christianity to me. Indeed, Christ can defend himself and has looked with kindness toward greater transgressions – like people abusing him and hanging him on a cross. So, let us offer such insensitive people forgiveness. They likely don’t truly know what they do.
And in response to my concerns over confirmed war crimes of the Russian Army in Ukraine or the US taking over Greenland “one way or another,” “no matter what,” I’ve had a fellow Christian try to shame me publicly in their own posts. I was to him a pastor against peace and security when I’m anything but. Some others have claimed I am being political when I am rather trying to suggest that we cannot ignore war crimes as Christians even as overall policy and goals might need to be debated. We should not threaten (even by insinuation) to take by force other lands against the will of the people who live there. We should demand honesty and transparency rather than lies or half truths when government policies on intelligence matters are violated, employee reduction of force is outside of regulations and laws and completed in an insulting way to people who dedicated their lives to service, or our potentially wrongly deporting people is at stake. If the government has admitted one mistake, potentially there can be or will be others.
Yet, Christians are imperfect humans, often casting us all into grief as Clement suggests. Another person responding to one of my posts swore in their own, “I don’t give a F**K about those who are unhappy about Ukraine. I’m sticking with my President.” All the while, their Christian identity was flaunted in multiple pictures on their page. What about sticking with Christ to defend an innocent populace; to try to offer justice with mercy as we strive for peace? Or how about being patient or kind amidst disagreements? That’s a better way in my mind. I’m not political for suggesting this, but I am humbly trying to apply Christian ethics as we work toward any goals. I believe we are capable of being more just and loving.
Christians have always had disagreements with one another because they are human and can err at any time. I am not foolish enough to think that I am not blind to my own bias and sin. We all are blinded by our pride and lack of faith at times. It is a good reason to listen to one another – especially those who disagree with us. They might see something that we…that I…don’t. Indeed, my Lutheran heritage suggests that our will is always in bondage to sin, and we cannot do or speak good without God’s help. So, we need to constantly reflect and pray about what we are to do and say. I confess that I can always be wrong when it comes to my thoughts on our political, communal life together. Yet, bishops and priests are called to address sin wherever they see it, as best as they can anyway, despite their personal weakness or imperfections.
Thus, trying to apply scripture to the real world can always be dicey if not done with humility, prayer, and the recognition that you can be wrong. It’s always imperfect. This means we should not hold people hostage in the pews during sermons, spouting overtly political policy statements, at least in all but the most unusual cases. Those in the pews can’t raise questions or respond back during the usual sermon. I have found it always easier, more productive, and fair to discuss bigger questions in small groups while sitting or standing face to face.
That said, Christians still might need to refer to current events in sermons, blogs, podcasts, or social media posts because that’s where we will find our modern people. If attempting to communicate over hot button issues, I think we should urge for people to love better and more, to remember grace not just utilitarian ideals, to encourage empathy and compassion, to condemn lies by commission or omission or any other deceitful acts, and encourage people to look to scripture with others and seek the Spirit’s guidance. And let us not forget that we need to be about our God-given work (within our worldly vocation) to serve as agents of reconciliation offering others forgiveness and peace in Christ’s name not condemnation. Addressing world events or public errors through the lens of Christian ethics and with a spirit of gentleness and grace is not being political if done soberly. Even Paul rebuked Peter and others when in Antioch over their hypocrisy.
Ultimately, I’m not talking about policy here. I’m suggesting that how we treat one another, speak to one another, post about one another, and even think about one another are all part of our public witness about Jesus. We must be rooted in Jesus even as we walk in the world. For, our children can be shaped by what we do or fail to do. Non-Christians can be pushed away by our infighting and hostility.
In this day of anonymous attacks, conspiracy theories, interpreting things in the worst way instead of through a lens of grace, and with half truths or outright lies being reposted without a care on social media and sometimes even shared through sermons, we modern Christians become guilty of a similar if not magnified sin brought up in the ancient text quoted above. “Why do we tear and rip apart the members of Christ, and rebel against our own body and get worked up to such a frenzy that we forget that we are members of one another?” This should give us all reason to pause.
With increased hostility on social media particularly since President Trump’s inauguration, I have posted several times that arguing on social media is vanity – as all things are vanity. It is a useless exercise too often ending in broken relationship. Mobs of people – sometimes people you don’t know – can seek to force one to defend an observation, prove an assertion, and ultimately submit to their favored view as they post article after rebutting article with an angry insult or accusation like a cherry on top. Memes and sarcasm often pass for debate. Insults become a norm.
Still in this time when the louder voices (not necessarily wiser ones) are often heard most clearly and other people fear being bullied, people with important things to say can wrongly choose to remain quiet out of fear. So, I often receive a thank you message or even a call as I try to reframe issues or address what I think might be wrong – hopefully politely and nonanxiously while referencing scripture and Christian values. People long to hear dissenting yet reassuring voices rather than the most angry ones. They are glad to see mature behaviors and dialogue fostering peace rather than conflict. As for me, if I feel insulted or triggered by what others say, I, too, can consider what they wrote, turn my cheek, and scroll away. Dissenting and minority views need to be heard, or else we risk a tyranny of the majority, a form of group think potentially affirming injustice from the left or the right. Engaging people with gentleness and respect, offering empathy and compassion, are biblical models of discourse despite so many modern denials.
A friend asked why I still post articles and observations if I think arguing on social media is such a waste of time. He posted that my practice to post opinions, articles, and blog pieces seemed ironic in view of my assertion. Well, love much like arguing is always a choice. I can still post articles which I think are important and speak about weighty issues, but I can choose whether to engage others or not. I don’t even have to allow for comments (using social media controls) if I don’t want to, because people can read what I post or ignore it. And to be honest, I don’t have time to type my arguments back and forth all day when I have more important work to do.
Meanwhile in the very real world, we can find positive examples of repentance and reconciliation. My former congregation had suffered a major split. Ultimately, the pastor was blamed by many for the congregation failing to grow. I believe that he did do some things wrong in trying to address his accusers, but the congregation was stuck in a rut. People to often said to new people, “We don’t do it that way,” and sidebar conversations fostering dissent were common problems. These behaviors are often identified by research as church-busting behaviors and attitudes. Rumors, gossip, and angry words took a toll. All the while, people left. They did not come to church in order to take sides and fight. They longed for something else entirely. Eventually, there was a vote to remove the pastor who did not want to leave. It was a tie, broken by the President of the Council whom voted to keep the pastor. Things deteriorated from there until they had to choose between what bill to pay. They were running out of people, money, and time.
Digging out of this situation was a Spirit-led process. The remaining members, previously addicted to infighting, hit a bottom of sorts. They repented from their past behaviors in community. They became open not only to change but perhaps importantly more open to God and others. During the recovery period, there was a lot of hard work by the Assistant to the Bishop Jean Bozeman, the Interim Pastor John Waltonen, and the leaders of the congregation and its people to help them heal, forgive and reconcile. Prayer and biblically honest self-reflection were a big part of the process.
When I came into the community as pastor, I was asked to continue that journey with them, and together we grew not just in numbers but in love for one another and in shared mission outside of our doors. After a few years passed, the bishop at the time said we had become a new people. Where neighbors said they previously did not even recognize there was a church in our lot, local county authorities began to call our community a hub of the county for our congregation’s welcome of others to use our resources, a willingness to work with other community groups to help neighbors, and our loving others even when we received nothing in return. It was a beautiful thing to see and to be part of. It stands as a witness to Jesus and the power of his Spirit, and there are many more miracles that I could report from my eleven years there.
So, if we think that as the people of God that we cannot change, that we must conform to the behaviors of the world around us in order to get by, well, that itself is a lie. Before I was ever ordained, I had a foundational, transformative experience that later informed my approach to ministry. I tasted what the Church can be at its best. I was deeply blessed to have encountered the example of Brother Roger of Taizé and eventually live with him and his community.
You might know that Br. Roger helped refugees and Jews in Vichy France risking his own arrest. He helped German released prisoners of war following World War II. He continued to reach out to and support his French neighbors who were communist or anti-church as the community sought to recover from the war together. Over time, he attracted people to Christ through the authentic love which he lived – not badgering or bullying or vilifying. Br. Roger sought to embody Christ, and soon others came to share in his vision and life. The Community of Taizé is an ecumenical one, half Protestant and half Roman Catholic, and church leaders can come from all kinds of Christian traditions to reflect, discuss, and learn while visiting. Popes, Patriarchs, political leaders, authors and more have come.
In addition, thousands of young adults can also come to that small village each week from all the inhabited continents and across denominations. Some young adults just show up because they hear lots of young adults are there, but many more come seeking something deeper. Through a ministry of hospitality and a community centered on becoming a living parable of trust based on the Beatitudes, people often come to see Christ and the Church in an entirely new and vibrant way. Again, love is a choice, and when we gather, not to dominate but to serve, not to just speak but to listen, as one Church in common fellowship despite important theological, political, ethnic or other differences, people can begin to see the Risen Christ alive in us. And we might be blessed to catch a glimpse of Jesus in them, too.
In lieu of schisms, we can seek unity. In the face of anger, we can refuse to respond in kind. For as the Second Epistle of Clement critiqued Christians of that day, when people who do not believe in Jesus “see that not only do we [Christians] not love those who hate us, but that [we do] not even [love] those who love us, they laugh at us and the name [of Jesus] is blasphemed.” How we do things, accomplish things, talk about things, is as important as any goal or value that we espouse. Yet if our words, actions and hearts don’t reflect love especially to other Christians, let us not fool ourselves. We are not of Christ but more like children splashing in the dank puddle of our sin rather than the wide and deep waters of our baptism. We need to repent and do better. For, we bear the name of Christ. That is to remain our primary identity at all times – over national, political, ethnic, or racial identities. We are in this world, but not of this world. As Jesus prayed, he is in us, and he wants to be seen. He longs for us to be one, not tearing one another apart.
No indeed, we are not the first in salvation history to be hardhearted, stiff necked, and prone to taking our eyes off of God in order to pursue bright and shiny objects of our desires in this world. In our hubris, we can too easily strive to be our own god. Whereas, Ephesians 5:1-2 urges, “So try to be like God, because you are his own dear children. Love others as Christ has loved us. He gave his life for us, a sweet smelling offering and a sacrifice to God.”
This is a struggle as old as time itself ongoing in all of us. So as the Israelites transitioned from slavery into freedom, as they moved from being tribal to one nation, God gave them this direction that speaks to us, too, “Circumcise, then, the foreskin of your heart, and do not be stubborn any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers [immigrants], providing them food and clothing.”
If we wish to become one as Jesus prayed, we must always seek to somehow bless “the other” in whatever we do. We are to seek to love one another as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31) – at home, school, work, in politics, and yes, even on social media. Especially as Christ’s body, we are to remember Christ’s instructions as he shared his Last Supper with those he loved, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13: 34-35).
Tearing one another apart should be deemed anathema whatever the fears we face, our feelings, or excuses. For we are “called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2b).
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this post are from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVue) translation.
“Christ healing the blind,” by Thobias Minzi, Tanzania (2010)
This morning as we come within a day’s walk from Jesus’ goal, the cross, we hear the third of three predictions within Luke’s account of Jesus’ death and resurrection. These predictions have been gifted to his disciples to help them prepare themselves for what must come – a future they have been resisting. “Everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished,” Jesus taught, to include his suffering and death. The cross cannot be avoided.
So, who’s responsible for Jesus’ suffering and death? These three prophecies give us a clue. In the first prophesy (Luke 9:21-22), Jesus accuses the elders and chief priests and scribes of what will come. During the second (Luke 9:44), Jesus says he will be handed over the hands of men – all humankind is hinted at here, including the Passover mob in Jerusalem. They will soon shout for another’s release rather than for the release of our beloved Jesus. In the third prediction (from today’s sermon text), we hear that he will be handed over to the Gentiles, nonbelievers, the Romans, and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon. The religious authorities against Jesus, the Romans and powers of this world, and we ourselves share responsibility for Jesus’ death. For through our sinfulness and participation in the fallen nature of this world, we all share guilt in his condemnation. Not one of us is free of this sin. For even as he “died for us,” Jesus died for our sins.
You might also notice that Luke’s account leading to Christ’s cross is not a straight-line journey geographically. Jesus has wondered a bit to attend to his ministry and await the right time. Yet it remains a journey of destiny…a fulfillment and offering of all that Jesus is and has for the sake of others. And as he speaks of his death, this love for the world, Jesus often teaches that disciples (including us) have our own crosses to bear as we might be ridiculed, attacked, or even killed for our faith – our trust in Jesus. Yet, our cross is also found in the sacrificial love we are to offer each day to others including our enemies – such things as patience, charity and care, as well as forgiveness. In doing so, we are to die to ourselves. We lay aside our will and our good in order to fulfill God’s will and the good of others. (Whether they deserve it or not is not the issue at all, for we don’t deserve our Christ’s love or salvation either – not one of us.)
Surprisingly, his disciples still don’t get it. They are blind. In fact, Luke says so in three ways. (There’s that number three again, a symbol of divine fullness and completion in Jewish numerology.) The three phrases describing the disciples blindness drive Luke’s point home for us as if they are three nails being pounded into Jesus’ two hands and feet: “They understood nothing…it was hidden from them…they did not grasp what was said to them.” These three descriptions of Jesus’ followers are somewhat ironic, for you might recall Jesus’ visit to a synagogue where he first preached. It was among his earliest words spoken as reported by Luke.
Remember? Jesus took a scroll and read from Isaiah (Isa. 61): “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Along with other promises of the prophets, this passage revealed the essence of Jesus and his purpose among us. Jesus has come to save and to heal…to seek out the lost, forgotten and suffering…for those that are blind. As we prepare for Jesus’ Palm Sunday entrance to Jerusalem, today’s stories where he heals the literally and figuratively blind serve almost like a bookend to his reading from Isaiah as he began his public mission.
This time, Jesus will embody Isaiah’s promises. Just outside of Jericho, an unnamed blind man demands healing. “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Son of David was a traditional, prophetic title anticipated for the Messiah. And Jesus hearing the beggar stops…and Jesus heals. Yet, it is almost a non-miracle miracle. There’s no grand pronouncement or discourse. There’s no mumbo jumbo like a magician or any concrete action on Jesus’ part. No one is touched. No, he simply declares, “Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.” The man saw Jesus for who he was with the Spirit’s help, with the gift of faith…of trust in Jesus. Then, that’s when healing happened. A new life for this culturally and religiously marginalized man began.
And as Jesus finally enters Jericho, we meet the beloved Zacchaeus made popular in the children’s song. And if you have been to VBS, you likely recall that he’s a rich but wee little man. Certainly, he was short, but he was also little esteemed by his neighbors because of the way he lived. He was short in stature and status – a traitor working for Rome, a cheat as tax collectors of this days often were, and despised and hated as a sinner. Yet, Zacchaeus had come to a point of spiritual poverty too. As a chief tax collector, a Jew turned chief oppressor to his people…a neighbor who stole from and cheated others…a person who lived for himself first… he died a bit more each day inside from his sin. Zacchaeus was blind in a different way than the first man, yet blind, nonetheless. And hearing of Jesus, he appears at some level to understand who Jesus was. He felt a need for Jesus and healing, and the Spirit drew him toward Jesus.
And so, hoping against hope, Zacchaeus climbs a tree to just catch a glimpse of Jesus…Perhaps, he’s much like the woman who weeks ago we heard desired to just touch the hem of Jesus’ garments and be healed. Jesus saw Zacchaeus in his hunger and hope, way up, hidden in the tree, and before Zacheus even had the chance to ask for it, Jesus declared Zacchaeus’ healed. “I must stay at your house today.” That’s joyfully what Jesus said. It is what Jesus does. It is who he is. He welcomes people into relationships with him and forgives them. As the Pharisees and others so often grumble and accuse, Jesus enjoys being the guest of sinners. Jesus is not ashamed to be seen with them, for he has come to find, and to heal, and to save them…to save us.
This encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus reminds me of a scene reported by Matthew 8 where a centurion says, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof (to be my guest), but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Now in this story, another similar non-miracle miracle has happened with Zaccheus…no pretense…no show…just blindly trusting in who Jesus is with his heart. Through that gift of trust, Jesus heals Zacchaeus’ spiritual blindness. Knowing his hunger Knowing his need. He is not worthy to receive Jesus under his roof or in his heart, yet Jesus doesn’t stand for that. He comes to him anyway.
In response, Zacchaeus is so emotionally and spiritually touched, he says that he will make amends for what he has done beyond that called for by the laws of Moses. He’s going to be more generous than necessary. And yet note that he is forgiven before he ever, ever, ever makes a commitment to any penance. He’s making amends…his desire to love others and make things right…it is a response to his being loved first. (Just as in 1 John 4:19, we, are to love because God in Jesus loved us first.)
Jesus affirms Zacchaeus and his own purpose by saying, “Today salvation has come to this house, because [Zacchaeus] too is a son of Abraham.” Abandoned by the Jewish community…left outside the family of Abraham as far as they are concerned, Zacchaeus seems like a hopeless case. Yet Jesus has fulfilled God the Father’s promise to Abraham and his descendants (see Genesis 12:1-3 and Genesis 17) that his children would be heirs to God’s love forever. Never forgotten. Never alone. Never abandoned. This is just as Jesus will remember and fulfill his promises to us who believe…who trust him.
Yes, whatever our blindness…whatever our own poverty and need…Jesus knows it before we even ask. (We cannot hide our sin from Jesus. We cannot hide our needs. He knows!) In the blindness of the disciples…in the blindness of the beggar or Zacchaeus…in the blindness of our own sin…Jesus’ journey was and remains about his seeking out and saving the lost. Healing the blind was one of the great Messianic miracles forecasted, predicted, promised in Isaiah. And, it proves the final miracles that Jesus will perform before he enters Jerusalem for the last time.
The beggar and Zacchaeus had no right to expect anything, and yet Jesus knew of their need and responded in love. He reflected the great and profound Jewish virtue of hesed. It is a hard to define word as it incorporates an ongoing love, mercy, grace and kindness…the love of God. It is a quality that moves someone to act for the sake of the other…not expecting anything in return…not considering what is in it for them. It is a love reflecting how God loves His people genuinely, immutably, loyally, generously. It is what Jesus shows in his life. It is who Jesus is. It is the love that we are called to share in his name in our families, other relationships, and as we participate in the political and unfair and “real” world that’s around us. We are to seek to love for Love’s sake…God’s sake….For, God is only love (1 John 4:8).
Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week. We are invited to walk with Jesus in remembrance as he travels within the city of Jerusalem and accepts his cross. It is a time within our liturgical year which challenges us to understand Jesus better…to look beyond our own sin and suffering to try to grasp onto his own purpose….his passion for us and our world…his grace. It is another opportunity to invite Jesus under our roof and into our hearts again, so that by his word we may be healed. Then, we are to go into the world to love, serve, care and reconcile in thanksgiving for this gift.
“Come down,” Jesus tells each of us, “Follow me. I have a surprise for you. Salvation has come to your house. I want to dine with you, because I love you. Will you let me in?….Will you trust me that I won’t lie to you?” Through trusting in and sharing that perfect hesed which is Jesus…a new journey may begin for us where we seek to follow his example…But following Christ’s own example, he asks us to also to look beyond our household, and our congregations, and our human borders – interpersonal, cultural, racial, geographical, political, whatever borders you want to define! “Go beyond them,” he says, “I want to call all people to myself” (John 12:32). We are not to be like the grumbling scribes and pharisees judging people as fallen too far. We are to look for the poor, the captive, the blind, the oppressed, and the lost that are all around us…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (echoing Jesus’ own words). We are to do so in his holy name as a joyful penance, as amends…not to gain anything, but as a thank you. For we are why he died…and it is through his death and rising, he has gifted us eternal life with him. Amen.
If you would like to hear my sermon or watch our service, the video can be found below. The Gospel text and sermon begins at about the 18:22 minute mark.The preaching text isLuke 18:31—19:10.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this post are from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVue) translation.
Husband, Pastor, Law Enforcement Chaplain, and member of the Clerical Errors (aka "The Three Priests"), I'm sharing my two cents with anyone who cares...
You can also find me on social media as Loudluthrn (Lou-d-Luthrn or Lou the Lutheran). It is a moniker given me while attending a Presbyterian Seminary, but I'm a loud and proud Lutheran too (just not too loud and proud, mind you).
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