In the Old Testament scripture, Malachi promises people safety when he says their War “Lord God will come to his temple” and wage war, “all enemies will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire.” Jesus promises people insecurity when he says “there will not be left a stone upon another stone,” in the temple and when he says their War Lord God’s dutiful warriors will cause “wars and insurrections,” and soldiers “will seize and persecute you… and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.”
Jesus is not prophesizing any future event. Jesus is addressing every current event when we live under the War Lord God religion. War Lords promise people across history safety but constantly cause scriptural nationalism and warrior invasions. In the U.S., in the name of MAGA’s War Lord God, “wars and insurrections” abound and warrior soldiers will indeed “seize and persecute you.” We are seeing religious soldiers oppress people, especially dark-skinned people. At the hands of religious soldiers, we are made to suffer abuses, especially targeting immigrants. We are being groomed for continued killings by religious soldiers who claim their violence saves us. As they have done for thousands of years, believers in religion and the military claim the oppression, suffering, and killing they inflict keep us safe. They lie. The oppression, suffering, and killing done by religious soldiers keep us endangered. We are wise enough to know that religious soldiers will perpetually endanger us, no matter if we are obedient to their oppression, acquiescent to their inflicted suffering, and compliant with their destructive practices. Every day, people who need the security of religion and the military exhaust us, specifically with their War Lords and their wars. They intend to drain us of our attention, our energy, and our agency. They intend to confine us physically, emotionally, morally. Are we hesitant to be active faith-filled peacemakers in a society of too many dutiful religious soldiers? Are we waiting until it is safe to be peacemakers? When Jesus evokes insecurity about the temple/religion and its soldiers/military, he is specifically invigorating the active fortitude of conscience/spirituality and its leaders/peacemakers. It is why Jesus concludes his challenging words by saying, ‘You will “persevere.’” We will live as risk-takers specifically when religious militants seek to confine us. We will strengthen our inner life – our meditations, prayers, reflections – about what it means to be human – about what it means to be in conscientious communion. We will strengthen our social life – our connections, love, challenges – about what it means to be a leader – about what it means to be peacemakers in conflict. We are not waiting until it is safe to be strong, bold, and determined. We are taking the risks of conscientious leadership now. We are taking the risk of inviting religious soldiers to convert from their militancy and join us as in a spirituality of peacemaking now.
“One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” (Omar El Akkad)
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, help us take risks in our engagements.
Question: Who are the religious soldiers with whom I can engage and invite them toward conversion?
November 16, 2025 Gospel Luke 21:5-19 Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time