August 13, 2025 Midweek News
Greetings church,
The increased militarization we are seeing in our nation’s capitol is alarming. Multiple news sources and organizations report that the justification for the deployment of the national guard and federal agents on city streets does not line up with official crime trends and statistics (https://counciloncj.org/crime-in-washington-dc-what-you-need-to-know/). What concerns me most is how scripture is often used by Christian nationalism to justify militarization and armament. How do we make sense of the changing political landscape of our culture and remain faithful?
Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes offers a poetic reflection based on a divisive scripture in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus’ call that he has come to “divide” has often been misinterpreted as a call to hostility and aggression. But Steve’s poetic reflection invites us to sit with Christ’s words – not in a spirit of hostility toward our neighbors – but in a spirit of deep listening to God’s Spirit speak into our lives. It’s a reminder to have holy non-violent courage and resist conforming to the toxic version of the Gospel we see around us, a version that excludes, controls, and lacks patience or grace. I invite you to sit prayerfully with Steve’s poem and listen to God’s Spirit today.
Blessings,
Pastor Jared