I have been writing this blog for over ten years and rarely have I written about anything political. That has largely been because of what I perceive to be a lack of intelligent political discourse these days. This is due not only to the tactics of Donald Trump but to a disturbing reinterpretation of Christianity, a trend made more apparent through the uproar over the sermon of Marian Edgar Budde as directed at Donald Trump. In her sermon, she respectfully asked Trump to deal with both the immigration issue and matters relating to sexual identity with compassion, not judgment. Trump responded not with some intelligent perspective on those issues but by calling Rev. Budde a “left-wing Trump-hater.”

Similarly the US Catholic Bishops have issued a statement challenging Trump’s plans to deport thousands of immigrants. While the Church accepts Trump’s negative stance regarding sexual identity diversity, the Bishops nonetheless have challenged the President, this in spite of the fact that a significant right wing has developed within the Church.

I admire her courage and that of the Bishops.. In these days with Trump elected and clearly having an agenda of payback to political enemies, there is more at stake for those who speak up. There are those who support Trump and who respond to such things as Budde’s sermon with threats of violence. She has even been accused of being “un-Christian.” The response from the laity to the Bishops’ statement remains to be seen. So far Vice President Vance has accused the Bishops of supporting migrants because of concerns regarding the “bottom line” i.e., money.

We have also seen various police officers and organizations criticize Trump for his pardoning of Jan 6 rioters, some of whom were already convicted and jailed for violence against law enforcement personnel. I read of one police officer who spoke up only to have some MAGA supporters throw shit at his mother’s house.

There is a long history of Christians who suffered for speaking out. The most obvious is Jesus Himself who was condemned and executed for speaking out against religious and government leaders. Since then, Christians such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy Day, Daniel Berrigan and others have suffered imprisonment and even death.

The era of McCarthyism has multiple examples of persons condemned for speaking out. Reporter Edward R. Murrow was labelled as a Communist for his public challenge of Sen Joseph McCarthy. Others such as folk singer Pete Seeger lost their livelihood for many years. Sadly, the current political atmosphere has some uncomfortable parallels to the age of McCarthyism.

The biggest challenge to most of us is the feeling of powerlessness. Yes, we can write letters. And, yes we can joins protests. And yes we can jeopardize friendships by speaking out. What threatens those thoughts, though, is the thought “What difference does it make?”

My own belief is that, as legal challenges begin, the issues of the day will ultimately be resolved for better or worse by a Supreme Court that is in part made up of ultra-conservative Catholics..

How am I as a Christian supposed to respond? My Christian beliefs suggest that I should respond with compassion both to the oppressed and to the oppressor. Yes, I can hold the oppressor accountable yet at the same time convey compassion for whatever is dark within that person.

As Christians, we are called to speak up but also to do so with respect. Name-calling much less throwing bags of shit are hardly Christian responses.

The issues of the day also challenge us to discern without passion what we really believe. What should I as a Christian believe about such issues as immigration, inclusivity, the death penalty, or caring for the environment to highlight only a few of the issues generating passionate responses these days? How should I as a Christian respond to those who hold a different point of view about these issues? Do I respond out of anger to hypocrisy or do I strive to hate the sin but love the sinner?

There is a great need for spiritual renewal in our deeply divided country. Hopefully that spiritual renewal an be based on the message of Jesus as seen in the Beatitudes. This, after all, is His central message on how we are to treat one another.