— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —
Recently we visited Greece and stayed in Corinth. I had originally planned to write about Paul; How much courage does it take to go to a new place, as Paul did, when he went to Corinth, to say things that people might not want to hear?
But I found I could not entirely focus on Paul. The daily outrages from the US keep this American awake at night. Can this truly be God’s will? In a country that prides itself on the words, “with liberty and justice for all,” the rule of law seems to be disappearing. Due process: that was yesterday. Freedom of speech pales in the light of attempted manipulation of news coverage. The resignation of Bill Owens, executive producer of the venerable and Emmy-Award winning news program, “60 Minutes” because of “additional oversight”…to secure the [new] administration’s approval for [funding] is terrifying.
It is not my intention to use this forum for my rants. Instead, it has given me pause…and cause to question how churches are responding to these challenges.
Not surprisingly, the White House Faith Office, created to “make recommendations regarding changes to policies, programs and practices”, is headed by Paula White, the “tongues-speaking, multimillionaire televangelist who called the Black Lives Matter movement the “Antichrist” and said Jesus would have been “sinful” and not “our Messiah” if he had broken immigration law.” (The Guardian, 16 April 2025). The Guardian continues: “Promotion of Christian nationalists and prosperity gospel preachers….will lead to further dismantling of government institutions and the chilling of free speech.”
But it is the churches on the other side of the spectrum that interest me. Our own church, the Episcopal Church in the US, wrote in an open letter on 21 January 2025, “as more immigration enforcement policy changes are announced, our churchwide ministries will continue to provide practical pathways to protect the most vulnerable among us.”
And, of course, last week the administration lost, with the death of Pope Francis, one of the most outspoken critics of its policies, at least regarding immigration.
Ryan Duncan, writing in Sojourners1, (“Christian Allegiance to Trump Has Wrecked My Faith”)shares “Yet even under the shadow of tyranny, angels sang, multitudes were fed, and death gave way to resurrection. The Holy Spirit is forever present – be it under Caesar’s Rome or Trump’s America…. we can reject nihilism, embody love and ground ourselves in the strength of community as we seek to reserve what matters most. The Holy Spirit will continue to do its work, and we can be part of its beautiful purpose. If we embrace this calling, there’s no telling what type of miracles we may witness.”
While many Christian nationalists portray themselves, despite being in powerful positions, as victims, I would argue that their unilateral views victimize others more. And, back to Paul, wasn’t it his courage to say what others did not want to hear that laid the path for his legacy for us today? I will continue to pray for freedom of speech, and “liberty and justice for all.”
The ACF Midweek Meditations
are written by a diverse group of our church members with the intention to seek God’s fingerprints in our lives. They range from somber to humorous and are inspired by all facets of live and faith. Written by ordinary people from all walks of life, they reflect a wide range of Christian backgrounds and spiritualities.
Each week’s text portrays the individual viewpoint of its author. They might not always resonate with everyone, and are not meant to be understood as representing the Anglican Church Freiburg as a whole. Yet, as a church that is aiming to ‘Build a Community of Grace’ we seek to practice learning from and listening to one another.
We pray that these humble ponderings add a small spark of blessing to your week.
- Sojourners is a Christian organization dedicated to social justice, peace and faith-driven activism. ↩︎
Freiburg Anglican Church 