There is no way to peace along the way to safety. For peace must be dared. It is the great venture. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Address at Fano
This morning I ran into my neighbors on the sidewalk—always a delight. (I ran into them in the figurative sense, of course. If it were literal, that would not have been delightful.) We talked about our summer and how they had just dropped off their kids at college and about the state of our homes and about the state of our country. Mostly we ended up talking about the state of our country.
Their youngest daughter just started school at a private university with a Quaker background. In her first few days, she’s meeting people and making new friends and enjoying the bent toward a contemplative lifestyle that is encouraged at the school. She already has come to appreciate the emphasis on seeking peace in all relationships—a characteristic that runs contrary to the political environment we find ourselves in.
I affirmed how enriching that must be for her—and how much I wish that attitude held more sway in our everyday lives. They share the sentiment. Their older daughter attends school in DC and has experienced the earie strangeness of a capitol city that is being patrolled by National Guard troops. Parts of the city feel like a ghost town and the disconnect of seeing soldiers with guns on the street corners in the capitol is deeply troubling. The capitol, mind you, of the nation that has for eight decades served as an arbiter of peace. The term pax americana that describes the world order since the end of WWII did not evolve arbitrarily—we earned it! And now, literally within 8 months, we have frittered that reputation away. On the world front, we have ceased to be a reliable partner in defending democracy over tyranny. On the home front, we have turned to overt demonstrations of military force to intimidate and cudgel our own citizens.
“How did we get here?” we asked each other. “How did we get to the place where sending armed troops into Washington, DC seemed like a good idea to half of our nation?” Don’t we remember what happened when we sent troops to quell the anti-war protests at Kent State? Armed troops patrolling everyday citizens can be a lethal combination.
As we talked, my personal sadness came to the fore. I confessed my deep sense of remorse and shame that it is my people—my tribe—that are the most loyal supporters of Trump’s policies. “Yeah,” they acknowledged, “that makes no sense to us either. What Jesus is it who encourages us to disenfranchise the immigrants and to hate the opposition party?”
What Jesus, indeed?
This week, Stephen Miller, Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, asserted on Hannity:
“Look, we discussed this last time I was on your show. The Democrat party does not fight for, care about or represent American citizens. It is an entity devoted exclusively to the defense of hardened criminals, gangbangers, and illegal alien killers and terrorists. The Democrat party is not a political party. It is a domestic, extremist organization.”
It saddens me that the state of politics in our nation has brought us to this. The Trump administration is making every effort to delegitimize the Democratic Party en masse. This is not about constructive dialog with fellow leaders with whom we disagree. This is the art of the ad hominem attack, pure and simple.
It saddens me even more deeply that so many of my brothers and sisters uncritically accept the defamation. How did “dehumanize your opponent” become accepted political strategy? Don’t we believe that every human being is created in the image of God and uniquely worthy of respect? Isn’t democracy founded upon the belief that compromise with political opponents is not only possible, but that it helps deter policies that are based on grift and self-interest?
I realize that by writing these comments, I risk alienating those who I consider to be my Christian family. I remain deeply committed to pursue the unity of the Spirit with each of my brothers and sisters. But genuine unity must be based upon honest dialog. Thus I am compelled to call attention to the slippery slope our nation stands on at this moment in our history.
Is this really the country we want? Do we really want armed troops in the street patrolling ordinary citizens? Doesn’t that look an awful lot like the authoritarian regimes we despise (or at least feel sorry for)?
Do we really want a country that distrusts and rejects scientific (and nonpartisan!) public health experts because our leaders are prone to conspiracy theories? When he resigned in protest this week, CDC Chief Dr. Demetre Daskalakis wrote: “I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us at the CDC. Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS use over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources.”
Do we really choose to ignore his warning? Do we really prefer RFK Jr.’s untested personal musings about vaccine health over the collaborative work of hundreds of scientists from his own CDC team? Have we fallen that far? I’m reminded that in the killing fields of Cambodia, the first people the Khmer Rouge came after were the professors. The Trump administration’s preference for loyalty over competence is in itself a sickness.
Did we really want DOGE lackeys to, against policy and in spite of intense protestations from SSA officials, upload the private Social Security data of 315 million citizens to the cloud, where they remain inaccessible to experts whose job it is to guard the integrity of the data? Does that help us sleep better at night?
And do we really believe that Emil Bove, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney, is seriously a good choice for lifetime appointment to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals? Does it increase our confidence in our justice system to know that Bove is on the bench, a man who reputedly told his justice department team that if the courts tell us that we can’t deport immigrants without first giving them a hearing, then we’ll have to say “F**k you!” to the courts? When over 900 former Justice Department attorneys submitted a letter opposing his nomination, do we seriously think it’s OK to simply ignore their warning? Isn’t “lawlessness” one of the character traits Christians are meant to be especially mindful of and to guard themselves against at all cost? “Lawless” is perhaps the first characteristic that comes to mind when I think about Emil Bove. And in this assessment, I am not alone.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, especially my fellow pastors, I appeal to you: think carefully and deeply about the fruit of the current administration. And if you feel compelled, discuss your thoughts openly with other members of your church community. Follow in the pathway of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who chose not to be silent in the face of a grave moral threat that was disguised as cultural Christianity. He was neither belligerent nor cowardly. He did not succumb to the slippery slope on either side. He was willing to offend, but always in humility. In his own words:
Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its plea for the weak. Christians are doing too little to make these points clear rather than too much. Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now. Christian should take a stronger stand in favor of the weak rather than considering first the possible right of the strong. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Sermon on II Corinthians 12:9
Steve Pecota - a Pastor in Seattle 
“My kingdom is not of this world.” — Jesus (John 18:36)
Christ didn’t come to reform empires. He came to redeem hearts.
While we navigate the chaos of earthly politics, we must remember: no administration holds eternal power. Only the King of Kings reigns forever.
Under the Biden administration:
Our borders collapsed: 10M+ illegal crossings, sanctuary cities multiplied. Not out of compassion for the tired and poor, but to further a political agenda by manipulating census counts and working toward allowing illegals to vote.
Inflation surged: families lost up to $17K/year in real value.
Afghanistan withdrawal: 13 service members lost, trust shattered.
Student loan “forgiveness”: $167B shifted to taxpayers.
…
Under Trump’s current leadership:
Border security restored: criminal deportations surged.
Iran’s nuclear program disabled with precision.
Peace agreements among multiple nations.
NATO strengthened: allies pledged up to 5% GDP.
Economic revival: $300B in tariffs, trillions in investments. To those who say that tariffs are a tax on the American people, I would remind them that we as a nation are $37 trillion in debt. There may be some impact on the consumer, but at least Trump is trying to do something to move us toward long term fiscal responsibility.
Neither leader can claim the moral high ground of heaven. Christ’s kingdom isn’t built on executive orders—it’s built on truth, justice, and mercy.
As a follower of Christ, I’ve wrestled deeply with the policies of the past administration. Some I found very troubling—and often contrary to biblical values. Yet Scripture is clear: I’m called to pray for all those in authority, regardless of my personal approval. That conviction hasn’t changed. While I’m not aligned with every aspect of the Trump administration either, I still carry the same responsibility before God—to lift our leaders in prayer.
What concerns me is the selective outrage by some. There’s criticism of the current administration’s rhetoric toward radical left-wing ideologies, yet silence when honest, God-fearing Americans are labeled by the left as “despicable,” “Nazis,” and worse. The hostility toward biblical truth and Christian conviction from that platform is not subtle—it’s systemic. Much of what flows from it openly opposes the heart of Christ.
I say this not in anger, but with caution: aligning with principles that vilify believers and mocks righteousness is dangerous ground. We are called to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves—and to not be blind to the spiritual battle unfolding around us.
And still, we pray, “For kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” — 1 Timothy 2:2.
Jim, I certainly agree that our prayers for all those in authority are essential-part of our calling as believers. So yes, let’s continue to pray. In that respect, “prayers” are more effectual than “thoughts and prayers.”