Opinion

Adam Russell Taylor 10-16-2025
A man wears an LGBTQ+ flag and a crown with ''NO KINGS!!'' written in red on it ad a demonstration in Houston, Texas, on April 19, 2025. Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via ReutersConnect

In the past week, the Trump administration brokered a deal that secured the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. While the terms of the long overdue ceasefire are being contested, this is a groundbreaking accomplishment for which I’m deeply thankful. But this short-term peacemaking victory abroad was quickly undermined by the administration’s bellicose rhetoric and actions at home.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly abused his ability to declare emergencies and seize power under the pretense of maintaining law and order. For example, he declared immigration emergencies to further militarize the U.S.-Mexico border and label drug cartels terrorists; he declared a “trade emergency” to justify and impose costly tariffs; and he declared an energy emergency to greenlight new drilling projects and ignore regulations. Most alarmingly, he has falsely declared a “crime” emergency to federalize and deploy National Guard troops to additional cities.

Tyler Huckabee 10-15-2025
Guests including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk, arrive before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS

Are billionaires the reason we can’t have nice things? It’s tempting to think so. 

Consider Elon Musk, having been messily ejected from President Donald Trump’s orbit after his DOGE project ended in failure, with little to show for it other than an appalling and growing body count. Or Jeff Bezos, whose reported interference with The Washington Post has helped reduce the one-time standard bearer of ferocious journalism to a husk of its former glory. 

Betsy Shirley 10-09-2025
A school group passes a closed sign outside the National Gallery of Art nearly a week into a partial government shutdown in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 7, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon

As we enter the second week of the government shutdown, paychecks are on hold, flights are being delayed, and the political blame game is in full swing. One way or another, it will end when legislators do what they failed to do in the first place: Pass a spending bill.

Until that happens, I find it’s easy to get lost in the political soup of it all. A nonstop churn of pundits bid for the best take on what the shutdown means, which party will be held responsible, and whether a new spending bill even matters if Congress won’t do its job and enforce. Politicians point fingers, the president posts a racist deepfake, and Washington, D.C.’s bars roll out themed “unhappy hour” menus with discounts for furloughed workers. A round of “Continuing Rye-solutions,” anyone?

Adam Russell Taylor 10-02-2025
Supporters of the South AFrica's main internal anti-apartheid group, the UDF, sing freedom songs throw black salutes at a rally calling for the release of jailed black nationalist leader Nelson Mandela. December 15, 1985 REUTERS/Juda Ngwenya 86135017 ANTI APARTHEID BLACK BLACK POWER SAL DEMONSTRATION RALLY SOUTH AFRICA DISCLAIMER: The image is presented in its original, uncropped, and untoned state. Due to the age and historical nature of the image, we recommend verifying all associated metadata, which was transferred from the index stored by the Bettmann Archives, and may be truncated.

I first learned about the theological concept of kairos while studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa in 1996. South African faith leaders taught me that, as compared to chronos, or time as we know it and traditionally experience it, kairos moments are precipitated by times in which our current reality becomes so pernicious and fraudulent that God can create a moment of opportunity for propitious action and transformation. 

As I think about the alarming things we’ve seen in the U.S. this year—eviscerated foreign aid, a gutted federal workforce, tax cuts for the 1% at the expense of Medicaid and food stamps, National Guard troops deployed against U.S. cities, indiscriminate immigration raids, an almost complete retreat on addressing our climate crisis, attacks on media outlets and free speech, and other tactics that mirror authoritarian regimes—I’m increasingly sensing that we are in the midst of a kairos moment. Further signs came to a head this past week with the horror of five mass shootings in one weekend, a costly government shutdown, and an alarming and bizarre summoning of 800 generals and admirals to the White House in which President Donald Trump pledged to dangerously misuse the military to come after the “enemy from within.”

Mitchell Atencio 10-02-2025
Colombian President Gustavo Petro addresses pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza outside U.N. headquarters during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2025. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo  

I’ll be honest, I always thought the prophet Isaiah’s “woe to those who call evil good and good evil,” would play out a little more subtly in modern politics. Instead, last week gave us two explicitly straightforward examples of intentional, unjust redefinitions.

On Sept. 25, state Rep. John Gillette, a Republican from Kingman, Ariz., said earlier in the week that U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, should be “tried convicted and hanged.” After the Arizona Mirror reported on his comments, Gillette said he was simply referencing the “longstanding statutory penalty for treason.” But Jayapal, as the Mirror reported, was not calling for treason or a violent overthrow. Instead, she had been advocating for nonviolent resistance and protests. In a review of the entire session, the Mirror found there were “no calls to violence or advocating for overthrowing the government.”

Darren Saint-Ulysse 10-01-2025
Participants worship during the memorial service honoring Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sept. 21, 2025. Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025.

You may have heard that, at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, Erika Kirk said that she forgave her husband’s assassin.

You may have also heard that only a few minutes later, President Donald Trump said that while Charlie Kirk “did not hate his opponents—he wanted the best for them,” he was different: “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them!” This moment got a lot of attention, understandably so, but another moment stuck out to me even more. And even though we’re almost a week and a half removed from the memorial service, I think it’s still worth exploring today.

Max Kuzma 9-29-2025
People hold a Trans rights flag as pro-Trans rights demonstrators gather to protest the "Revive in 25" evangelical Christian rally at Gas Works Park in Seattle, Washington, U.S., Aug. 30, 2025. Credit: Reuters/David Ryder.

In a short few months, I will pass a milestone and move into my sixth year of publicly living out my transgender identity. The years have indeed brought external changes—a deepened voice, new growth of facial hair, and a visible confidence. But more importantly, I finally know true happiness and peace.

Ryan Duncan 9-26-2025
A Palestinian reacts as he inspects the site of Israeli strikes on houses at Shati (Beach) refugee camp, amid an Israeli military operation, in Gaza City, September 26, 2025. Credit: Reuters//Ebrahim Hajjaj

In August, at least 20 people were killed in an Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. According to MSNBC, Israel struck the hospital at least four times, killing journalists, health workers, and emergency response personnel, many of whom were responding to the initial round of bombings.

Tyler Huckabee 9-24-2025
Via YouTube

“On Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband,” Jimmy Kimmel told his live studio audience on Tuesday night, his first show back after a six-day suspension following his musings on Charlie Kirk’s assassination. “She forgave him.”

“That is an example we should follow,” Kimmel continued, his voice cracking with emotion. “If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was. That’s it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow that touched me deeply. And if there’s anything we can take from this tragedy, I hope it’s that.”

Michael Woolf 9-24-2025
A Kashmiri man reads the Holy Quran on the first day of Ramadan in the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Indian Administered Kashmir, on March 2, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Muzamil Mattoo.

When a Texas Republican congressional candidate used a flamethrower to set a Quran ablaze as part of a political ad in August, I wasn’t shocked by the act itself. 

Unfortunately, burning the Quran as a political act has a long history. What made my heart sink was hearing the candidate claim the fire was “powered by Jesus Christ.”

Young girls cling to their loved one, a migrant from Ecuador, as he is detained by ICE after his immigration court hearing at the Jacob Javits Federal Building in New York on August 26, 2025. (Credit Image: Carol Guzy/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters Connect)

Last week the Trump administration announced Operation Midway Blitz, which extends the surge of ICE agents sent to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., into Chicago; additional ICE surges are happening in Boston and are planned for Memphis. This increased ICE activity follows an alarming Supreme Court shadow docket ruling that permits the administration to stop people on the basis of personal appearance, language, or type of employment. In other words, racial profiling is now explicitly permissible for immigration officials.

If your life is proceeding basically as normal—school drop-offs, daily commutes, medical appointments, visits with grandchildren, stressful jobs, or the daily rhythms of life—it can be hard to remember the fear that many of our immigrant neighbors now feel. Despite my job leading a social justice organization, I’ll confess that I’m not immune from the temptation myself.

Kevin Nye 9-18-2025
Chris, who said he has been homeless for a year, sits seeking spare change in the Midtown area of New York City, U.S., September 8, 2025. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Romans 13:1, much to my chagrin, reads, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” 

I’ve been on the receiving end of a pointed quotation of this passage more than once; usually when I’ve questioned the governance of a particular leader or advocated for someone who has broken a law. But all too often, these words seem to vanish from my critics’ memories when their preferred leader is out of power. The Bible is decidedly nuanced in its opinions on this matter. 

Josiah R. Daniels 9-16-2025
Picture of Lamma Mansour. Credit: Matt Mansueto/Church at the Crossroads.

Last weekend, I visited my home state of Illinois to attend the Church at the Crossroads conference, which was held at Parkview Community Church in Glen Ellyn. Conference organizers estimated that 580 attended in person and 300 more joined virtually. The conference was convened to encourage American evangelicals to listen to Palestinian Christians and to confront and correct those who use scripture to “justify war, occupation, or silence” in the face of the escalating violence in Israel and Palestine.

Practically speaking, though, what was the point of this shindig?

SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB People attempt to enter the United States undetected through a section of the border wall in Sunland Park, New Mexico, U.S., as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer

A federal judge has ordered the closure of the notorious immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” citing environmental violations and opposition from the Miccosukee Tribe. Progressives are celebrating this as a significant triumph for Florida’s Everglades, Indigenous communities, and the migrants who have endured the detention center’s conditions. But is this court ruling truly the sweeping victory that advocates claim?

Candles are placed next to a picture of Charlie Kirk during a vigil under the line "In Memory of Charlie Kirk, for freedom, patriotism and justice" in front of the Embassy of the United States after U.S. right-wing activist, commentator, Charlie Kirk, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University, Orem, U.S., in Berlin, Germany September 11, 2025. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

I read the news, stepped into my car, and let out a guttural scream. 

Charlie Kirk, 31, had been shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University.

Rob Schenck 9-11-2025
September 11, 2025, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America: A photo of slain Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk stands in the Utah State Capitol. Kirk was assassinated during an event at Utah Valley University, in front of a large crowd. (Credit Image: © Madeleine Kelly/ZUMA Press Wire)

The brazen and reprehensible murder of right-wing religious movement leader Charlie Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA and a key supporter of President Donald Trump, is as tragic as it is telling about the sad state of American politics.

The 31-year-old husband and father of two died after being shot while he conducted a popular debate-style event at Utah Valley University, south of Salt Lake City. Kirk had started answering a question about gun violence in America when a single bullet struck him in the neck. Republican and Democratic spokespersons, including Trump, asked for prayers as medical professionals tried to save Kirk's life, but he succumbed to his wounds shortly after the attack.

Christian Noakes 9-10-2025
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., after signing a new tax and immigration bill during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Friday, July 4, 2025. The bill extends tax cuts from 2017, increases funding for defense and immigration security, and cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid. Credit: Reuters

As part of the ongoing assault on essential services for the most vulnerable, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, includes $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid over the next 10 years. As Emily Crawford noted for NPR in August, “The Congressional Budget Office estimates that these cuts could cause 10 million Americans to lose health insurance by 2034.”

As a caregiver for my disabled mother, who relies solely on Medicaid for health insurance, these estimates are terrifying. Also terrifying is that House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican and Christian, gave glory to God when the bill that created these cuts was passed. 

A woman prays during an evangelical mass in the municipality of Itaituba in Para state, Brazil, August 4, 2017. Credit: Reuters/Nacho Doce.

In many headlines and on social media, the term “evangelical” is often conflated with “conservative,” “white,” “male,” and “American.” Many in the U.S. evangelical community are resisting that conflation, actively pushing for a new vision for evangelicalism that situates it within a global landscape. For these evangelicals, the future of evangelicalism is less James Dobson and more Botrus Mansour.

As such, Christianity Today often uplifts the multicultural face of global evangelicalism, suggesting that decentering the white American experience offers a new path forward for evangelicalism. Hence, the oft spoken refrain: The new face of Christianity is not a white man, but a woman in Africa.

Jordan T. Jones 9-04-2025
Protests were held in different locations addressing the fascist takeover of DC and the military occupation in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 23, 2025. Robyn Stevens Brody/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect,  

When President Donald Trump announced a takeover of the nation’s capital in August, he justified the move by claiming that crime in Washington, D.C., was rampant. It wasn’t.

Many videos have surfaced on social media depicting law enforcement officers from multiple agencies targeting predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods while outraged bystanders berate the officers.

Amar D. Peterman 9-02-2025
Anti-Trump demonstrators march near the U.S. Capitol, protesting against issues including the Jeffrey Epstein case and the increased presence of military and federal law enforcement in the D.C area ordered by U.S President Donald Trump, in Washington, D.C., U.S. September 2, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst.

If you’ve ever attended a Christian music concert, you’ll likely remember the mid-concert missions pitch. Growing up in the evangelical tradition, I heard countless versions of this pitch from local nonprofit leaders admonishing us to give to their organizations. But there is one pitch I’ll never forget.

In high school, I went to see Remedy Drive at a small music venue in Northeast Wisconsin. At the time, they were a larger-than-life band with songs like “Daylight” and “All Along” topping the Christian music charts. The concert lived up to the expectation as their long-haired frontman, David Zach, danced around the stage, jumping off speakers and spraying water into the crowd.