Pulse
MARCH 2026
ISSUE 24
A CALL TO CHRISTIANS IN CRISIS
I BLAME BIBLICAL LITERALISM
DANCED RELIGION AT THE SUPER BOWL
TRUMP’S PROFANITY AND LIES “WORSHIPWASHED”
PRESIDENT’S DAY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME
A CALL TO CHRISTIANS IN A CRISIS OF FAITH AND DEMOCRACY
There are moments that call for repentance and resistance, courage and conviction, faith and fortitude This is one of those moments
The question is, what will we do now?
We are facing a cruel and oppressive government; citizens and immigrants being demonized, disappeared, even killed; the erosion of hard-won rights and freedoms; and a calculated effort to reverse America’s growing racial and ethnic diversity all of which are pushing us toward authoritarian and imperial rule What confronts us is not only an endangered democracy and the rise of tyranny. It is also a Christian faith corrupted by the heretical ideology of white Christian nationalism, and a church that has often failed to equip its members to model Jesus’ teachings and fulfill its prophetic calling as a humanitarian, compassionate, and moral compass for society
Therefore, as Christians in the United States, representing the breadth of Christian traditions and one part of our nation’s religiously plural society, we are compelled to speak out more boldly at this time.
We call on all Christians to join us in greater acts of courage to resist the injustices and antidemocratic danger sweeping across the nation.
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In moments like this, silence is not neutrality it is an active choice to permit harm
This call is particularly dire as our nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a time of celebration and reflection on our historic racial and human rights progress and setbacks, as we seek both democratic and civic renewal Instead, current trends and forces assault our core rights and freedoms and threaten to derail and even destroy our democracy This is not a distant danger or a future possibility It is a present and urgent reality.
In moments like this, silence is not neutrality.
The government-sponsored cruelty and violence we are witnessing stands in total opposition to the teachings of Jesus. We refuse to be silent while too many people who call themselves Christians aid, abet, or simply stand by and allow these atrocities.
This political crisis is driven by people who have fallen for the temptation of absolute power undermining democratic checks and balances, entrenching economic inequality, exacerbating divisions, and normalizing corruption and the
indiscriminate use of violence.
Freedoms and rights once assumed to be secure are being stripped away, redefined, or selectively applied. Decades-old civil rights protections are being dismantled. Truth is being replaced by lies and propaganda Governance is being hollowed out and replaced with corruption, loyalty tests, intimidation, and the normalization of lawlessness The architecture of democracy and the rights secured by the separation of powers are being eroded from within, while we are told to accept it as “law,” “order,” or “God’s will ”
Sadly, the crisis is not only political it is one driven by a moral and spiritual collapse showing up in alarming levels of polarization Our faith is being tested Christians cannot pretend otherwise and must make a decision to act.
All forms of political violence stand in contradiction to the way of Christ.
We refuse to baptize domination. We refuse to sanctify cruelty. We refuse to confuse authoritarian power with divine authority We choose to resist, calling forth the righteous demands of our faith rooted in the teachings of Jesus Religion should not be used to deify politicians or justify their abuses When it is, faith ceases to be faithful and becomes a weapon of both heresy and hypocrisy.
As Christians, we must never preach nationalism as discipleship, confuse American and Christian identity with whiteness, or mistake allegiance to modern-day Caesars for faithfulness to Christ We must never surrender our prophetic voice by aligning with powers and principalities rather than with the One who calls us to be purveyors of justice and righteousness Now is the time to boldly embrace fidelity to the message of Jesus: to defend the image of God in every person; to love our neighbors no exception; to reject retribution; extend grace,
mercy, and compassion; reflect the radical counterculture of the Beatitudes and live out the call of Matthew 25 with special care for persons who are poor, vulnerable, and marginalized.
As followers of Jesus, we must take these principles seriously, as we seek to renew, deepen, and fortify our faith, resist false religion, build Beloved Community, and become a truly multi-racial, inclusive democracy
The Sovereignty of God
In every generation, the Church is called to declare without fear or favor, “Thus saith the Lord,” bearing witness to the sovereignty of God over every system, party, and power
As Christians, our ultimate allegiance belongs to God alone, and we believe that any political leader who demands absolute power places themselves in opposition to God’s sovereignty.
Allegiance to such leaders is idolatry and manipulates the teaching of Jesus as a tool of oppressive power, replacing compassion with control and unity with division. A faithful Christian witness is fundamentally incompatible with nationalist power and the suffering it is producing in our nation and around the world.
The Word of God
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh. His life and teachings reveal God’s way and must shape our lives, our conduct, and our public witness, especially in this moment. Jesus became human to reconcile us back to God and to one another. This moment is a critical test of our primary allegiance to Him
Jesus announces His mission in His first sermon: to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18, 19). Any gospel that contradicts this is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus teaches in the parable of the Good Samaritan that love of neighbor knows no political, social, or ethnic boundaries (Luke
10:25-37). This love stands in direct opposition to a politics of exclusion and discrimination. Jesus declares that truth and freedom are inseparable: “You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). Yet, every day we hear lies and distortions that seek to divide and demonize Truth liberates us from the captivity of lies and brings us into a deeper relationship with God and all others
Jesus blesses peacemakers, calling them children of God (Matt. 5:9). The Hebrew and Greek words for peace, Shalom and eirene, mean a resolving and restoring of broken relationships All forms of political violence stand in contradiction to the way of Christ, and Christians must reject them at every turn
Jesus gives His final test of discipleship in Matthew 25:31-46, making clear that the measure of our faith is revealed in how we treat those who are hungry, thirsty, sick, strangers, or imprisoned. To say, as some do, that this passage is only about taking care of fellow Christians is an incorrect theological interpretation It is for the nations, ethnoi, for all peoples. This passage names people who are, even now, being directly and deliberately targeted and harmed by those in political power To serve and defend the most vulnerable is to serve and defend Christ Himself.
The Spirit of God
In this moment, we believe the Holy Spirit is moving us to stand, speak, and act with greater courage to serve the most vulnerable and advance God's reign of justice and peace. Therefore, we commit to:
Protect and Stand With Vulnerable People: We will defend immigrants, refugees, people of color, and all who are in harm's way; resist cruel, unjust, and illegal policies and violent enforcement, and surround those under attack with pastoral care, solidarity, and prophetic public witness.
Love Our Neighbors: In obedience to Jesus, we will love our neighbors without exception, especially those who are different from us, and reject the politics of fear, exclusion, and dehumanization We will reject the language
of “others” and “us and them,” and remember that Christ came " so that [we] may all be one " (John 17:21)
Speak Truth to Power: We will confront lies and hatred towards immigrants, people of color, Jews, Muslims, and other religious minorities and political opponents; oppose the rollback of civil rights and racial justice protections; name racism as a sin from which we must repent and turn from; and resist the erasure of history and truth. Silence in this moment is complicity. Seek Peace: We commit to persistently building peace and pursuing justice, including by acting nonviolently to protect those threatened by violence and advocating for a foreign policy that favors diplomacy, respects national sovereignty, and supports democracy, human rights, humanitarian aid, and peacebuilding
We reject the politics of fear, exclusion, and dehumanization.
Do Justice: Guided by the prophets, we will challenge unjust laws, defend poor and marginalized people, and persist in the work of uprooting racism and white Christian nationalism We will commit to act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with God (Isa. 10:1; Micah 6:8).
Strengthen Democracy: Honoring the image of God–imago dei–in every person (Gen 1:26) in a democracy means each person ' s vote is their voice We will, therefore, defend the right to vote, resist voter suppression and intimidation, encourage greater participation in our democratic process, and equip clergy and lay leaders to support free and fair elections. We will defend constitutional rights and freedoms, including speech and assembly, due process, the rule of law, and religious liberty, and will
uphold democratic norms and practices.
Practice Hope: In a time of fear, intimidation, and despair, we will choose hope, which is more than optimism. It is trusting and believing that God is still at work. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”(Heb 11:1)
Ground our Discipleship: Knowing that following Jesus in this time requires deep wellsprings of spiritual courage, we will be rooted and grounded in prayer and love (Eph. 3:17-19), developing practices and commitments to nurture resilience in our inward journey for the outward witness we embrace as our calling.
Choosing Faithfulness
“Choose you this day whom you will serve.” Joshua 24:15
Faith and democracy do not die in a single moment; they erode when we trade courage for conformity, substitute the gospel for power, and fall silent in the face of wrongdoing.
This letter is made in a spirit of humility and solidarity It is an invitation for each of us to ask what faithfulness to Christ and love of neighbor demand of each of us at such a time as this.
If we Christians fail to speak and act now clearly, courageously, and prophetically we will be remembered not only for the injustices committed in our time, but for the righteous possibilities we allowed to die in our hands. History and future generations will record our choices, but the God of heaven and earth will judge our faithfulness.
Now is the time to take risks for the sake of the gospel and our democratic rights and freedoms.
We call on Christians to remember that we serve a mighty and awesome God, who is sovereign over nations and rulers
We serve a God, through our Lord and Liberator Jesus Christ, who equips us with the courage and fortitude to stand for justice and peace. We will always stand in solidarity with those who are most vulnerable among us.
Now is the time to speak and act
May God guide us, empower us, and strengthen us.
CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY
A few days ago I was approached on the street by someone I didn’t know “Are you Robert Reich?” she asked
“Yes,” I replied.
“I just want you to know ” she began, then burst into tears I felt awful but couldn’t think what to say. Then, in a flash, she was gone.
I don’t know what she wanted me to know, but I do know that lots of people are weeping these days.
They’re weeping for family members who have been arrested and abducted by ICE For children arrested and imprisoned, even if their own families haven’t been affected. For people murdered by ICE or Border Patrol.
Grieving the children now dying around the world because they no longer have medicines that America used to provide through USAID or because they’re starving in places of war or famine in which America is implicated
Crying for our planet being destroyed because Trump won’t adhere to the Paris [Climate] Agreement and promotes oil and coal and kills subsidies for solar and wind [energy].
In tears over the common decency that’s being demolished, as Trump reposts a video of the Obamas as apes, calls Somali-Americans “garbage,” and demands his name on an airport or train station in return for approving a vital transit project in New York
Lamenting an America being sacked with impunity by billionaires such as Jeff Bezos
handing Melania Trump $28 million while slashing The Washington Post’s newsroom and laying off thousands of Amazon workers, at the same time raking in billions of dollars.
Or Elon Musk planning AI data centers in space while his AI Grok floods X with sexually explicit images, and promising to flood American politics with more of his money.
Don’t just weep. Turn these losses into a new beginning.
And the shameless, wealthy, powerful men who abused young girls in Jeffrey Epstein’s island retreat and New York townhouse
They’re sobbing because they’re sickened by what has happened to America.
Cry, our beloved country I understand the tears I have wept, too
Opportunities Ahead
But let’s not just weep
As bleak as this era is, I hope you can also see in it an opportunity.
We could not have stayed on the road we were on even before Trump toward widening inequality, a politics polluted by wealthy campaign donations and corporate super PACs,
a market increasingly rigged by and for billionaires, an economy dominated by finance, and a climate collapsing
So now we have an opportunity to begin the rebuilding of America. A chance to reimagine what we can become and how we can live
To commit ourselves to stopping the selfdealing, crony capitalism, and legalized bribery that have led us to where we are Override Citizens United and get big money out of our politics. Prevent the oligarchy from monopolizing our economy, owning our media, and taking over America
An opportunity to update our Constitution and our means of self-government. Abolish the Electoral College Stop political and racial gerrymandering
And never again allow a loathsome wannabe king to tyrannize America and the world.
In other words, my friends, now is the time to rededicate ourselves to the values enshrined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Gettysburg Address, and FDR’s first and second inaugural addresses
A time to educate the next generation so they don’t make the same mistakes. To teach our children and our grandchildren what happened and why, and instill in them a passion for democracy and the rule of law.
To read them the poems of Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes, Emma Lazarus’s “New Colossus” which adorns the Statue of Liberty and Martin Luther King Jr ’s “I Have a Dream” speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial
To celebrate the courage of generations of American soldiers, the selflessness of our teachers and social workers, and the kindness of people like Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and the people of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Yes, weep for what we have lost But don’t just weep Turn these losses into a new beginning based not only on what’s gone wrong with America but also on what’s still good
I BLAME BIBLICAL LITERALISM
If we manage to survive as a human race long enough, a few hundred years from now scores of Ph D s will be earned as scholars analyze the combination of social, political, and economic factors leading to the rise of the current resident of the White House and to the concurrent orchestrated assault on our constitutional democracy. So, let me weigh in.
I’m convinced biblical literalism is a prime cause of the mess we find ourselves in as a nation.
Yes, there are a complex set of factors that lead to the rise of the populist, nationalist, sexist, xenophobic, white supremacist, homo/transphobic toxins that have contaminated our body politic and dominated our public discourse.
But incubating those factors into this particular set of toxins requires a kind of cultural Petri dish that will simultaneously provide the nutrients necessary to nourish the toxic worldview while protecting it from contaminates like data, facts, diversity, and multi-cultural competency.
The biblical literalism foundational to Twenty-first century American Evangelicalism does precisely that.
It feeds, waters, and fertilizes exclusively male language for God marginalizing women and non-binary people, perpetuating patriarchy and fanning the fire of unexamined privilege making a Putin-style oligarchy appear preferable
to a democracy in which women and people of color have voice and power It creates a context in which it is a very short journey from “the Bible said it, I believe it, that settles it” to “my country, love it or leave it” –with a direct connection to the rise of nationalism, sexism, white supremacism, and the rest of the litany of isms that plague our nation and our world: the rise of the forces we struggle against daily as we live out our baptismal promise to persevere in resisting evil.
This fertile environment becomes a breeding ground for a population pre-programmed to believe fact-based science is an enemy of faith.
This fertile environment becomes a breeding ground for a population pre-programmed to believe fact-based science is an enemy of faith. It quite literally lays down neuron tracks in the brain set up to reject as “fake news” the very science that calls us to come together to save what we can of this planet we have exploited and the very evidence that proves our
president is criminally abusing the power of his office for personal and political gain
Freedom to Believe, or Not
To be clear: the beauty, power, and importance of the First Amendment is that it protects every one of us to freely exercise the religion of our choice including the freedom to exercise no religion at all; including the freedom to reject science, fact, and data and to believe whatever one chooses about what God wills, blesses, or condemns
However and it’s a big however the First Amendment does not protect the right to confuse the freedom to exercise religion with the license to impose religion And the job of defending the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, requires each of us to do our part
If we are going to save our nation from devolving into a kind of theocratic oligarchy, those who believe that science and data are things those who embrace the vision of a nation where liberty and justice for all literally means all must provide an antidote to the toxins of ignorance and “alternative facts” threatening our constitutional democracy with polarization and division.
Otherwise we risk finding ourselves in the last scene of the last act of “Camelot” looking for a boy to run and tell the story of what almost was: a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal
The stakes are too high, the challenges too great, and the struggle too real to do anything less than to stand up, to speak out, and to resist the rise of the populist, nationalist, sexist, xenophobic, white supremacist, homo/transphobic toxins contaminating our body politic and dominating our public discourse
Pick your thing and do it. Now. Together we can make a difference Together we can overcome Because we have to
WORLDCHANGERS AND FUTURE VOTERS
Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump’s America, Samhita Mukhopadhyay and Kate Harding, eds , Macmillan Publishers, 2017
“Mom, how do you feel about walkouts?”
“What’s the context?”
“Protesting I.C.E.”
“I support it Want to borrow my ‘Get Into Good Trouble’ t-shirt?” “Nope.”
My disbelief at what had just occurred had more to do with my 13-year-old making an oldfashioned telephone call to me in the presence of his friends, rather than with his asking if he could participate in a protest walkout that he and his middle-school comrades were orchestrating
I was the only parent who stood on the corner witnessing the middle schoolers on walkout day “Hey, Calvin’s Mom!” yelled one jubilant friend I waved, took pictures, and tried not to be obnoxious as my pride and joy walked by holding a protest sign with his best friends chanting “NO MORE I C E !” I do not cry often, but that morning was an exception I felt hope as I watched these world-changers and future voters I shared happy nods of affirmation with other parents who nodded back from their cars They were also proud of their kids, or at least maybe they really liked my ‘Get Into Good Trouble’ t-shirt
Weeks later, my daughter told me that during the daily Pledge of Allegiance, she refuses to say liberty and justice for all, “because we don’t have that, because of I C E ” She told me names of her
fellow second-graders who are joining her silent rebellion. Why are my eyeballs sweaty again?
If you have ever wondered whether or not you should talk to your kids about fascism, don’t hesitate Like other awkward topics, they probably already know more than you think.
Edited by Samhita Mukhopadhyay and Kate Harding, Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump’s America is a collection of essays on the realities of living in the United States immediately after Donald Trump’s first presidential election As I read through other women’s memories of how they got through the initial shocking disrespect of Trump, I find myself thinking Oh hold on buddy, it gets worse. Essays reveal our collective foundations of mutual support during a time when misogyny, cruelty against the disabled, attacks on the transgender community, and deliberate willful ignorance is not only excused but celebrated by our elected representatives
This book has aged nine years, and while it is more than overdue for a sequel, the infrastructure of hope, persistence, and camaraderie remains You may be compelled to use it as a history book for the young worldchangers and future voters in your life– who we pray as they grow in grace will keep saying, “Nope ”
DANCED RELIGION AT HALFTIME
Bad Bunny swerved, subverting everyone’s expectations of a political statement.
Since it was announced in September that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (Bad Bunny) would be the halftime performer for Super Bowl LX, the question being asked was, “What political statement will Bad Bunny make?”
Back in 2018, during his U S television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Bad Bunny performed “Estamos Bien” (“We’re Good”) A trap song with dreamy synths and wistful piano chords, “Estamos Bien” is a declaration of hope and assurance for Puerto Ricans who were still facing worsening electrical outages and the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria the year before. As images of Maria’s violence flashed on screen, Bad Bunny described the losses, adding, “More than 3,000 people died, and Trump is still in denial.”
Right-wing pundits remembered this criticism when, after announcing his current world tour, Bad Bunny told I-D magazine that the reason he did not include stops in the U.S. mainland was concern about ICE raiding his shows His comments sparked immediate backlash. Then, during a Grammy award acceptance speech the week before this year’s Super Bowl, Bad Bunny intensified his opposition to ICE, saying, “Before I say thanks to God, I am going to say, ‘ICE Out.’”
A Super Bowl Match-up
The stage was set for a direct confrontation at the Super Bowl. But what Benito delivered was politics at a more fundamental level
This year’s halftime opened with images of Puerto Ricans dressed as jíbaros, a complex symbol of Puerto Rican identity, working on a sugar cane plantation The setting evoked histories of slavery and, later, the hard labor of a free-but-abused class of cane cutters. The football field at Levi Stadium was organized into a maze of sugar cane and “grass people,” creating a narrative trajectory that began in the narrow rows of the plantation and opened to the wider world of América (including North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean). As he moved through the maze, Benito highlighted real small businesses, cultural touch points, and family gatherings that mark the experience of Puerto Ricans (and other Latinos) who migrated to the U S mainland
By beginning in the plantation, Bad Bunny evoked the history of Black people carried to América in the transatlantic slave trade. These same people furnished the instruments, developed the rhythms, and cultivated the collective performances that are foundational to Bad Bunny’s music The show included bomba, salsa, and of course reggaetón, all of which are musical genres with Afro-diasporic roots.
The narrative of the show was carried forward by Afro-diasporic music and dance, both of which operate as the base for what religious scholar Albert Raboteau refers to as “danced religion.” In América, the religious practices of enslaved people coalesced around common patterns inherited from a diverse collection of (largely West) African religions. These patterns are what Raboteau calls danced religion, and they include polyrhythmic music and dance along with singing and shouting.
Danced religion is not particularly concerned with establishing a strict, organized set of beliefs Its spiritual practice instead creates liturgies for belonging. The performance of danced religion, the literal movement of bodies to music, enfolds people into a creative community with the Divine Spirit and with human others. Because of the musical complexity, the various drumbeats and vocal melodies, the community makes room for bodies to dance and sing at multiple registers; the ways to participate and belong are many
While one is alive, one should love as much as one can.
A Demonstration of Inclusion
In January, Apple Music dropped a teaser for the halftime show In it, Benito walks toward an árbol flamboyán (royal poinciana tree) and plays his salsa song “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” from an iPhone. People from distinct ethnic groups and of various ages appear before him and join in dance An older Black woman dances to the song traditionally. A fireman pops and locks. A younger Asian woman jumps with Benito as if the song is punk rock A cowboy line dances Eventually, the collective of people surrounds Benito, dancing their own rhythms as the words “The World Will Dance” flash on the screen
Delivering on the teaser, at Super Bowl LX Bad Bunny performed danced religion and invited everyone in América to a peoplehood marked by love rather than hate
Danced religion is identified with two outcomes. First, people who have been rejected and dehumanized by the world recover their sense of self and freedom. Second, the dance creates subversive, open forms of kinship, mutuality, and solidarity between people Both outcomes were made visible through guest performers in the halftime show.
Ricky Martin is one of the icons of the 90s Latin Explosion, a collection of Latin pop artists who had crossover success in English markets. Martin’s success demanded he assimilate in order to make him palatable to US audiences At this year’s show, he stood next to a musician playing Puerto Rico’s cuatro and sang Bad Bunny’s anti-imperial anthem, “LO QUE LE PASÓ
A HAWAii ” The song warns Puerto Ricans about the danger of continued encroachment from US investors gentrifying the archipelago. It points to Hawaiʻi as the possible outcome if gentrification is not curtailed.
The performance was brief, but it displayed the recovered agency and prophetic power of danced religion Martin represented all Latinos who have experienced alienation through assimilation as he expressed his full self and his passion for his people’s freedom
More surprising was Bad Bunny’s invitation to Lady Gaga to perform a salsa rendition of her hit song “Die With A Smile ” Staged as the wedding singer for a real wedding that took place during the halftime show, Gaga sang, “Our love’s the only war worth fighting for / Wherever you go, that’s where I’ll follow ” Gaga is wearing a custom baby blue dress designed by Dominican American fashion designer Raul Lopez and a flor de maga, the official flower of Puerto Rico
Taken together, the look, lyrics, and wedding depicted the formation of a spiritual kinship that challenges the relational dynamic between the US and its colony, Puerto Rico As decolonial scholar Nelson Maldonado-Torres put it, Gaga and Bad Bunny dancing together “reveals a Puerto Rican-ized US The entire AfroCaribbean performance explodes into a party that transforms las Américas. ” Benito punctuates the mutuality made possible through the dance by citing the words of
Jacobo Morales, the Oscar-nominated director who plays an older Bad Bunny in the music video for “BAILE INoLVIDABLE ” He says in Spanish, “While one is alive, one should love as much as one can.”
We Keep Dancing
As a Puerto Rican formed by the Pentecostalism that spread from the 1906 Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles to Puerto Rico, I resonate with Bad Bunny’s performance because my own religious practice has roots in danced religion I encountered God in a community that taught me how to be both Christian and Puerto Rican. The two were mutually constituted through liturgical practices like coritos, songs repeating short musical refrains of praise or lament. The congregation brought their own bongos, güiro, and other instruments with plantation origins to participate in the polyrhythmic music-making. We sang. We danced. We became one people through the move of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is notorious for challenging boundaries and engendering belonging where there was previously alienation When the disciples first receive the Spirit at Pentecost, their gathering spills into the streets, causing confusion and curiosity. Travelers passing through hear the testimony of Jesus in their own languages, and the community of Christians expands, immediately becoming characterized by multilingualism and an open kinship that would destabilize the Roman empire
Bad Bunny’s performance similarly spilled into the streets on Sunday, subverting US demands for boundaries and social order
The halftime show was political at a deeper register than mere confrontation. People expecting a show of force were confused, disappointed, or even missed the political import of what they saw. Some saw joy that “mostly avoids politics ” Others suggested the performance lacked political bite Some wrestled with Lady Gaga’s inclusion.
These commentators all seemed to miss the spirituality of the performance Benito invited everyone to a party that could be the beginnings of an América marked by love and born from the spiritual practices of danced religion As he reached the end of the narrative, the literal end zone of the football field, Bad Bunny gathered to himself dancers carrying flags representing each nation in América He held up a football that he had carried throughout the show and revealed the hidden message written on it: “Together We Are America ” Together in the Spirit and dance, we can be one.
jurisdiction of the United States These facts didn’t assuage their anger.
So, Turning Point USA announced that they would fund an alternative halftime show promoting “faith, freedom, and family.” I haven’t been able to get my hands on the plans, but I have some really good, really plausible recommendations to help this event live into the biblical call to social justice.
that they would fund an alternative halftime show promoting “faith, freedom, and family.”
As Feucht heads to a gender-neutral restroom to clean up, Amy Grant takes center stage, holding hands with Flamy Grant, the first
drag queen to ever top the Christian music charts In perfect harmony, they perform the confessional ballad “Better Than a Hallelujah”: “The tears of shame for what’s been done / The silence when the words won’t come / Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes ”
Above them, a jumbotron slideshow depicts twenty-first century American sins: stills from the Iraq War, images of the BP oil spill and the Dakota Access Pipeline, clips from every sequel of Transformers. This is shaping up to be more haunting and healing than we expected.
Then, in a jarring tone shift, Larry the Cucumber from Veggie Tales takes the stage. He’s ready for his Left Shark moment. “Bob the Tomato wishes he could be here,” Larry explains, “but he didn’t want to miss Bad Bunny’s performance.” Larry launches a catchy, cringey mashup of “Where Is My Hairbrush?” and “Where Is the Love?”
Suddenly, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones approach the stage on camelback We’re all worried that they’ll sing “Billionaire” by Bruno Mars, or worse, the Pentatonix version of “We Three Kings.” But instead, something unthinkable happens, something biblical
Musk speaks first: “After completing a DOGE audit on our own hearts, minds, and bank accounts, we realized we are not using our funds efficiently or compassionately.” He hands the mic to a solemn Bezos, who says, “We no longer wish to store up treasures for ourselves on earth ” Jones clears his throat, before adding, “Starting today, the Dallas Cowboys will be known as the Dallas Samaritans ” He pauses for applause, before continuing: “I, and the other repentant rich men up here, will be donating our money all of it to causes aligned with Christian values Starting with the Good Bunny Foundation ”
Fail better.
Brené Brown
George Bernard Shaw DEPEND ON IT
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
ACTIVE PEACEMAKING
Calm does not mean inactive. Apathy is not a Christian virtue Jesus is an activist Susan Doenim
EYES AND EARS
Your eyes shall see your Teacher And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”
Isaiah 30:20, 21
ENEMY CAMP
Enemies are not the people we dislike or those who are different from us. In the Gospel, enemies are those who make camp on the far side of the line that is justice.
LIVING PARADOXES
Every human person is in certain respects: Like all others, Like some others, Like no other Kluckholm and Murray
UNVEILING
We write to discover what we think
Joan Didion
Melissa Florer-Bixler
NEW CREATION
As our case is new, we must think anew and act anew.
Abraham Lincoln
UNITING HEARTS, INSPIRING ACTION
Season
1: “Justice + Love: Faith in Action”
In a world crying out for both justice and love, the JustCoz Podcast explores what happens when these powerful forces combine with faith to create meaningful change
Rooted in the Adventist tradition and guided by the prophetic call of Micah 6:8, this podcast takes listeners on a journey through compelling stories of faith-based activism, biblical justice, and Christcentered community building Each episode features honest conversations with movement leaders, grassroots activists, theologians, artists, and everyday change-makers who are living out their commitment to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God ”
From the historical justice work of Adventist pioneers to contemporary movements addressing today’s most pressing challenges, we explore how faith communities can be powerful agents of transformation You’ll hear stories of courage, creativity, and hope that will inspire your own journey toward meaningful action.
The JustCoz Podcast isn’t just about ideas— it’s about building a community of practice.
Each episode concludes with practical steps and resources to help you connect with others and begin making a difference right where you are.
Join us as we discover together how justice plus love can transform not only our communities but also our own hearts and lives. Because when justice and love meet, something truly divine happens.
�� Season 1 Schedule:
March 7 Episode 0: Introduction to JustCoz (Launch)
March 21 The JustLove Story: Where Justice Meets Love
April 4 Prophetic Voices: From Hebrew Prophets to Modern Activism
April 18 Adventist Pioneers as Social Reformers
May 2 The Silent Church Speaks
May 16 Global Voices: Justice Stories from Around the World
May 30 Young Adult Voices: Justice in a New Generation
June 13 Walking Humbly: Justice and Spiritual Formation (Season Finale)
Find JustCoz wherever you listen to podcasts. justlovecollective.org
THE UNCHRISTIANS
They weep for the pain of the wealthy
And rage at the grief of the poor
They sing of the glory of Jesus
But worship the weapons of war
They scoff at the folly of science
And marvel at wisdom of fools
They sneer at the concept of kindness
And cheer everything that is cruel
They question the honor of heroes
While praising the virtue of thieves
They claim all the experts are lying
And shame all the sheep who believe
They stand for the freedom of liars
And shout down the censor of truth
They pardon the crimes of the wicked
And the good without proof
They take away food from the hungry
And healthcare away from the ill
Still claiming to follow the Bible
No matter how many they kill.
Unknown (Facebook)
MICHAEL W. SMITH WORSHIPWASHES TRUMP’S PROFANITY AND LIES
After President Donald Trump rambled, lied, and cursed for 77 minutes at the National Prayer Breakfast, a prominent Christian musician went to the piano to bless it. Michael W. Smith might insist he was just there to lead worship, but by pretending this was a normal prayer gathering he used his songs to worshipwash all Trump had just said.
Trump repeatedly cursed He also lied a lot, such as claiming he won the 2020 presidential election. Then Smith sang his classic worship song “Agnus Dei ”
Trump also used the “prayer” gathering to air petty grievances. He called U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie a “moron” because the Kentucky Republican pushed for releasing the Epstein files in which Trump is mentioned tens of thousands of times. And he attacked the faith of Democrats Then Smith sang “Amazing Grace ” Smith didn’t just follow Trump’s profane, unchristian speech. The National Prayer Breakfast also featured remarks from and praise for the authoritarian leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and El Salvador. And remarks by “prosperity gospel” preacher and MAGA grifter Paula White-Cain And Pete Hegseth, who likes to call himself “Secretary of War,” espoused false Christian Nationalistic claims before making the heretical claim that a soldier “finds eternal life” by dying for the country. While all of that happened, Smith sat up front on stage at the head table of honor.
After the profane service went on for three hours, Smith went to the piano as if it were just a normal worship service As he used worship to whitewash the profanity, lies, lust for power, and heresy, he made himself an accessory after the fact Acting as if everything was normal, Smith simply started singing. Then the same crowd that applauded Trump’s lies, cheered for dictators, and approved of Hegseth’s heresy gave the complicit singer a standing ovation.
After the service went on for three hours, Smith went to the piano as if it were just a normal worship service.
What He Should Have Sung
This isn’t the first time Smith has performed at the National Prayer Breakfast. He did so once while Bill Clinton was in office and twice during George W Bush’s presidency While the NPB has always been more Christian Nationalist than I like for worship (or breakfast), this year’s gathering was in a whole different category Yet, Smith just went on with the show as if nothing was wrong.
“Holy, holy are you, Lord God, Almighty.
Worthy is the lamb,” Smith crooned, using worship to call evil “good ”
Rather than calling for repentance, he asked the crowd to join him in singing, making them his holy choir. He could’ve walked out and refused to play He could’ve said something about what they had all just witnessed or he could’ve switched to a song of condemnation to call the crowd to repentance Instead of suggesting this service was about “amazing grace” from a “holy, holy” God, he could’ve switched to something like his song “Lord, Have Mercy.”
“Jesus, I’ve forgotten the words that you have spoken,” he could’ve sung. “I have built an altar where I worship things of men ”
He could’ve offered that as a warning to the power-hungry crowd that cheered lies, violence, and heresy But because of his worshipwashing of the gathering, those words now condemn him. That is, assuming he even remembers the tune
Pardon my transgressions Help me love you again. Lord, have mercy.
SONGS OF RESISTANCE
Lunchtime on Thursday, February 19, siting at my desk, watching the lyric video to “Yours Eternally” that follows Ukrainian rock starturned-soldier Taras Tapolia, with some help from Ed Sheeran and a number of other prominent musicians on backing vocals From a “dream of waking up free” to finding beauty “in the chaos of the earth” and “for the glory of a world we can’t yet see”, I find myself with tears in my eyes and a few of them spilled down my cheeks as the music lifted my weary heart and frayed nerves
I had woken that morning to the news of an unexpected music release from U2. The Days of Ash EP is a collection of songs of lament, protest and hope Released on Ash Wednesday, it was U2’s first major new music in almost seven years reason enough for an emotional response, in my world but also a necessary voice of protest in our world now This small collection of songs protests the ICE shooting of Renee Good, laments the ongoing outrages against Palestinians in their occupied territories, and applauds the protest movement in Iran as “the song of the future”, as well as celebrating hope amid the ongoing tragedy of the war against Ukraine.
For many of us U2 fans, this is a return to some of what we have most appreciated in their back catalogue of protest and political engagement. But, of course, they are not the only ones raising their voices in this way. Bruce
Springsteen released his “Streets of Minneapolis” song a few weeks earlier and kicks off his “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour this month in the city that has become an epicenter of resistance
On the streets of Minneapolis, singing protests became a beautiful and communal method of resistance.
On the streets of Minneapolis, singing protests became a beautiful and communal method of resistance Groups of people have gathered in churches, learned and practiced hymns of protest, then “targeted” the hotels and headquarters of ICE agents with song, standing in the snow but singing together “Singing resistance” has become more popular in other parts of the country and beyond, renewing a long tradition that includes hymns of the Reformation, the Afro-American “spirituals” of enslaved people, the marching songs of the Civil Rights movement, among so many others in so many places, times and cultures
Even the recent Superbowl Halftime performances by Bad Bunny and Kendrick
Lamar have been remarkable, creative, significant acts of artistic protest In a time of reasserted nationalism, celebrating unique cultural expressions as excellent, legitimate and joyous is important That performing in a different language or culture is recognised as protest demonstrates why this is so necessary. That it is done with joy offers such a refreshing alternative vision to the stultifying grimness of wannabe totalitarianism and the tragic succession that fills too much of our news feeds.
Which brings me back to that Thursday afternoon in my office Like many people, I have been immersed in those news feeds far too deeply, too long and too often I have seen much of what I have been working on as a faith-rooted, politically-engaged activist over the past 15 years going backwards and losing ground. In the noise of today’s world, it’s hard not to hear a growing note of despair.
So when given the gift of new music that sounds a voice of protest with a chorus of joy and hope, it is also a reminder that we are not alone in our weariness and temptations to despair. My social media feeds were filled with other fans and activists celebrating the new U2 EP, together we felt that lift in our spirit and the encouragement that is defined by feeling a little renewed courage together
CHECK
OUT
U2’S DAYS OF ASH EP
And I learned a new Ukrainian word, as Taras and his bandmates in long-distance harmony with the musical Irishmen of U2 and their friends proclaimed repeatedly VOLIA, the Ukrainian word for liberty or freedom. In a world where this kind of joyful promise can feel a long way off, to proclaim this together feels like an echo of the multitudes singing praise in those grand crowd scenes of the Book of Revelation The tears come with recognition of beauty and hope and the possibilities of these together. May you be blessed with music of resistance, lament and hope and some people to sing them with Or maybe you need to seek these out. There are a few suggestions here with which you can begin
WHO WE ARE
Pulse is the monthly digital magazine of JustLove Collective.
This month’s issue is sponsored by Nicholas Zork. (Thank you.)
Designed by Jeffers Media.
Unless indicated otherwise all Bible references are from the New Revised Standard Version
L S E C O R R E S P O N D E N T S
CHRIS BLAKE
Is professor emeritus at Union Adventist University where he taught English and communication courses, including Conflict and Peacemaking and Critiquing Film He has also served as academy teacher, editor of Insight magazine, author of many books and articles, and pastor of two small churches
NATHAN BROWN
Is book editor at Signs Publishing, based near Melbourne, Australia He is author of 21 books, including Thinking Faith and Do Not Be Afraid (the devotional book for 2025), published by Pacific Press in North America
STEPHEN CHAVEZ
Is an ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister, now retired after serving in pastoral and publishing ministries.
MARCIA NORDMEYER
Is a circulation/reference associate at Union Adventist University's library in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is happily married to Jeremy. Their two children are encouraged to read banned books.
PRESIDENT’S DAY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME
On February 13 and 14, 2026 President Donald J Trump’s representatives filed three applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to trademark his name for future use on an airport As trademark lawyer Josh Gerben of Gerben IP noted, the application also covers merchandise branded “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” “Donald J. Trump International Airport,” and “DJT,” including “clothing, handbags, luggage, jewelry, watches, and tie clips.”
Because of the trademark filing, Gerben notes, any airport adopting the Trump name would have to get a license to use the name, potentially paying a licensing fee. Gerben emphasizes that while it is common for public officials to have landmarks named after them, “never in the history of the United States” has “a sitting president’s private company sought trademark rights” before such a naming
In October, Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought withheld billions of dollars Congress appropriated for a tunnel between New York and New Jersey under the Hudson River, saying he wanted “to ensure funding is not flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles.” Trump told Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that he would release the funds if Schumer would agree to name Dulles Airport outside Washington, D C , and New York City’s Penn Station after him.
After a Florida state lawmaker proposed
putting Trump’s name on the Palm Beach International Airport, Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents reported that the Florida legislature is currently pushing through measures to change the name of that airport to the “Donald J Trump International Airport ” The amount of money proposed in Florida’s budget to make the change is $2,750,000, but Garcia notes this is likely a placeholder: the budget request is for $5.5 million.
Trump has made no secret of wanting his image carved onto Mount Rushmore.
If It Looks Like a Duck .
. .
The Trump grab for an airport named after him is just the latest grift in a presidential term that experts so far estimate has enriched the Trump family by at least $4 billion. That windfall includes merch, political contributions, and multiple cryptocurrency deals that have led, for example, to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who manages the United Arab Emirates’ sovereign wealth fund, buying a 49% stake in the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial crypto company for $500 million days before Trump took office This deal put $187 million
immediately into Trump family entities and at least $31 million into entities owned by the family of Steve Witkoff, whom Trump had just named his Middle East envoy.
“President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said of the UAE deal. “President Trump’s assets are in a trust managed by his children. There are no conflicts of interest ”
Earlier this month, Trump, his sons Don Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization sued the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury Department for $10 billion in damages after an IRS contractor during Trump’s own first term was convicted of leaking their tax information, along with that of thousands of other Americans who are not suing, to news outlets. Trump has control over the IRS, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says he will write whatever check he is told to cut This move advances Trump’s use of the presidency to enrich himself into the realm of autocratic rulers who move their country’s money to their own accounts
royal rule demand payoffs before they would approve popular measures, Washington rejected the idea of profiting from the presidency. In his short Inaugural Address, he took the time to state explicitly that he would not accept any payments while in the presidency except for an official salary appropriated by Congress.
Washington noted that the support of the American people for the new government was key to its survival. He hailed the pledges of the new nation’s lawmakers to rule for the good of the whole nation, not for specific regions or partisan groups He also predicted that the power of the government would come not from military might but from its determination to serve the needs of the public He promised “that the foundations of our National policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality; and the pre-eminence of a free Government, be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its Citizens, and command the respect of the world ”
Washington rejected the idea of profiting from the presidency.
Setting a Precedent
In 1789, when George Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United States of America, no one knew what to expect of leaders in a democratic republic Washington understood that anything he did would become the standard for anyone who came after him. “I walk on untrodden ground,” he wrote in 1790, the year after he assumed the office of the presidency. “There is scarcely any part of my conduct w[hi]ch may not hereafter be drawn into precedent ”
After watching colonial lawmakers under
Washington put a hopeful spin on human nature to launch the institution of the presidency, but the Framers had no illusions They constructed the Constitution to pit men’s ambitions against each other so no individual could gain enough power to become a tyrant Later, the rise of formal political parties in the 1830s guaranteed hawkish oversight of those in power by those out of it, exposing corruption or personal vices before those exhibiting them made it to the height of the government.
As recently as the 1970s, those systems held strongly enough that Republican senators warned Republican president Richard M Nixon that the House was about to impeach him for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress for his actions during and after the Watergate break-in, during which operatives tried to bug the headquarters of the Democratic National Convention And, they told him, when the House impeached, the Senate including Senate Republicans would convict. They urged him to resign, which he did on August 8, 1974, the only president so far to
resign the office of the presidency.
Since then, Republicans have fallen into the trap Washington warned against in his Farewell Address, putting party over country. Such partisanship, he said, would “distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration,” agitate “the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms,” kindle “the animosity of one part against another,” foment “occasionally riot and insurrection,” and open “the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passion Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another ” Fierce partisanship would lead partisans to seek absolute power through an individual who “turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty,” Washington warned
Selfish Ambition Run Amok
As Washington predicted, today’s Republicans have replaced the prerogatives of Congress with loyalty to Trump. They have also ignored the vices of Trump and his loyalists Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explained to a podcaster on February 12 why he doesn’t worry about Covid “I’m not scared of a germ,” he said “I used to snort cocaine off toilet seats.”
Jonathan Landay and Douglas Gillison of Reuters reported that Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought took $15 million in unlawfully impounded money that Congress had appropriated for the U S Agency for International Development, which fed starving children, for his own security detail. Michelle Hackman, Josh Dawsey, and Tarini Parti of the Wall Street Journal reported that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her affair partner Corey Lewandowski travel in a $70 million luxury 737 MAX jet with a private cabin in the back.
Over all are the horrors of the Epstein files, in which Trump’s name appears so often observers have suggested it is the one place that could legitimately be rebranded with Trump’s name as
the Trump-Epstein files.
So Washington’s dire warnings have come true
Profiting off his name is only part of why Trump appears to want to splash it anywhere he can: so far, the U S Institute of Peace, the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a new class of battleships, and perhaps “The President Donald J Trump Ballroom” where the East Wing of the White House used to be
Republicans have fallen into the trap Washington warned against in his Farewell Address: putting party over country.
It’s also about his legacy. In a tour of George Washington’s Virginia home, Mount Vernon, in April 2019, Trump expressed surprise that the first president hadn’t named any of his property after himself. “If he was smart, he would’ve put his name on it,” Trump said “You’ve got to put your name on stuff or no one remembers you ”
In fact, Americans remember and revere Washington because of his reluctance to promote himself, not in spite of it John Trumbull’s portrait of him resigning his wartime commission after negotiators had signed the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War hangs in the U S Capitol as a moment that defined the United States: a leader voluntarily giving up power rather than becoming a dictator Then, when voters made him president of the new United States in 1789, he refused a second time to become a king, emphasizing that he was the servant of the people and then, after two terms, voluntarily handing power to a successor chosen not by him but by the people.
As Washington predicted, the presidents Americans revere despite their faults George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt are those who used the enormous power of the U S government not for their own aggrandizement but to secure and expand the rights and the prosperity of the American people
Trump has made no secret of wanting his image carved onto Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, where sculptor Gutzon Borglum carved the busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln in the Black Hills of the Lakotas Beginning his sculpture in 1927, Borglum chose President Washington because he had founded the nation, Jefferson because he had launched westward expansion, Lincoln because he had saved the United States from destruction, and Roosevelt because he had protected working men and helped fit democracy to industrial development
But Trump’s interest in being added to Mount Rushmore does not appear to be related to a desire to advance the interests of the American people. In September 2025 the IRS granted tax-exempt status to the Donald Trump Mount Rushmore Memorial Legacy, making it a charity that can accept tax-free donations.
$68,000 GOAL
$27,005 RAISED
Gratitude
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$500
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“THIS IS THE BOOK FOR OUR TIME .
. . ”
“Not merely a theological theory—a practical roadmap for living in faithful solidarity with those around us.”
Dilys Brooks, campus chaplain at Loma Linda University
“Blake continues to sprint in his lifetime marathon to call Adventists to embrace fully the radical way of Jesus.”
Carmen Lau, Adventist Forum Board Chair
“This is THE book for our time, to make tangible how our faith becomes lifegiving in the real world.”
Karah Thompson, Co-Executive Director of Adventist Peace Fellowship
“Chris Blake not only walks the talk, he writes about it in sui generis style.”
Alexander Carpenter, Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief, SPECTRUM
“This book is a movement toward restoring the world God envisions.”
Moe Stiles, pastor/chaplain, Crosswalk Melbourne
Using ten “piercing and profound strands,” Imagine Life presents openings for going beyond the commonplace to live today as New Earth people.
Buckle up for the journey.
All profits from this book go toward JustLove Collective
INSPIRATION
COLLECTIVE
Podcasts we just love
A House on Fire: This Adventist Peace Fellowship podcast series is based on the excellent book on race and racism
Red Letter Christian Podcast: Christian commentary on the way of Jesus in the world today
Adventist Voices: Weekly podcast and companion to Spectrum designed to foster community through conversation
Adventist Pilgrimage: A lively monthly podcast focusing on the academic side of Adventist history
The Social Jesus Podcast talks about the intersection of Jesus, faith, and social justice today
Just Liberty: A fresh, balanced take on religious liberty where justice and liberty meet
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