In the Old Testament scripture, Malachi promises people safety and salvation when he says their War “Lord God will come to his temple” and wage war. Under the command of the War Lord Yahweh and his War Lord soldiers “all enemies will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire.” Jesus promises people insecurity and courage when he says “there will not be left a stone upon another stone,” in the temple. Jesus also promises insecurity when he says the War Lords will cause “wars and insurrections.” They “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 repetitive current event of religious nationalism and War Lord persecutions. In the U.S., MAGA War Lords and their War Lord soldiers do indeed cause “wars and insurrections.” They will indeed “seize and persecute you,” especially if you are dark-skinned, or maybe an immigrant. We are groomed from ancient days and its religious nationalism to accept continued killings by War Lord soldiers who claim their violence saves us. As they have done for thousands of years, religious soldiers like MAGA claim the oppression, suffering, and killing they inflict upon us keep us safe. They lie. The oppression, suffering, and killing done by religious soldiers like MAGA keep us endangered. MAGA’s religious soldiers will perpetually endanger us all, 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 image of their War Lord God and War Lord soldiers. These religious soldiers 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 so many dutiful religious soldiers? Are we waiting until it is safe to be peacemakers? In the gospel, Jesus evokes insecurity about the temple, hence religion, and its soldiers, hence the military. He is thus specifically invigorating the active fortitude of our conscience, hence spirituality, and our leadership, hence our being peacemakers. It is why Jesus concludes his challenging words by saying, ‘You will “persevere.’” We will live as risk-takers specifically when religious soldiers seek to confine us. We will strengthen our inner life – our meditations, prayers, reflections – about what it means to be a human being who witnesses 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 courageous. 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