To the God who sits above the thrones of earthly kings and is not intimidated by the power of presidents, hear us now.

Our nation stands at a crossroads, and the ground beneath our feet feels increasingly unsteady.

We are weary of the threats, of the cruelty, weary of the reckless words spoken as though human lives were bargaining chips and the fate of nations were some kind of game to be won.

We watch as the very foundations of our democracy are tested. We hear threats that the will of the people may not be honored if the outcome does not satisfy those who hold power.

And on top of all this, we hear the unthinkable spoken aloud: the threat of nuclear destruction against Iran, as though the lives of millions are expendable in the pursuit of political dominance and the arrogant self interest of leaders. All while claiming to be your chosen ones.

Lord, have mercy. Have mercy on this nation. Have mercy on Iran. Have mercy on every innocent life caught in the crossfire of the ambitions, grievances, and vanities of powerful and cruel men. Have mercy on the children who will inherit the world we are making. Have mercy on those who wake each morning wondering whether their future, their safety, or their very existence is in jeopardy.

God, we confess that we are angry. We are exhausted and sometimes we are tempted to despair. But we will not surrender our hope to fear. We will not confuse the noise of the powerful with the voice of God. We will not mistake political authority for divine authority. We will not bow to the idols of nationalism, domination, or unchecked power.

For you, O God, are not impressed by earthly thrones. You do not measure greatness by military might, nor righteousness by the size of an army, nor truth by the number of people willing to repeat a lie.

You are the God who brings down the mighty from their thrones and lifts up the lowly. You are the God who hears the blood crying out from the ground. You are the God who stands with the widow, the orphan, the immigrant, the prisoner, the poor, and the forgotten. And so we ask, give us the courage to stand where you stand.

As the midterms approach, guard the integrity of our elections. Protect the people entrusted with counting the votes. Strengthen those who defend the truth. Let the voices of the people be heard, and let no threat, intimidation, or hunger for power overturn the will of those who have spoken.

Where lies are being planted, let truth take root. Where fear is being weaponized, let courage rise. Where neighbors have been turned against one another, teach us again the difficult, holy work of loving one another.

May we never become so weary of injustice that we grow accustomed to it. May we never become so familiar with cruelty that it no longer breaks our hearts. May we never become so enamored with political power that we lose sight of the people crushed beneath it.

Give us voices that will not be silenced, convictions that cannot be purchased, and courage that does not depend on who is in power.

We will keep lifting our voices for the voiceless. We will keep standing with the powerless. We will keep speaking truth to power, even when the truth is costly, even when the powerful are offended, even when the crowd turns away. Not because we believe we can save the world by our own strength, but because we refuse to abandon the people you love.

Remind us that our greatest loyalty is not to a party, a president, a nation, an ideology, or a political movement. Our greatest loyalty is love.

Love that tells the truth. Love that protects the vulnerable. Love that refuses to dehumanize an enemy. Love that confronts injustice without becoming unjust. Love that will not make peace with cruelty. Love that seeks the flourishing of every human being, not merely the victory of our own side.

And when history looks back upon this moment, may it not be said that we were silent while our neighbors were threatened, that we were comfortable while others were crushed, or that we traded our conscience for proximity to power.

May it be said that we stood. That we spoke. That we loved. That we refused to surrender our humanity.

Let justice roll down like waters. Let righteousness flow like an ever-flowing stream. Let the proud be humbled, the oppressed be lifted, the truth be made known, and the vulnerable find shelter.

We do not know what tomorrow holds, but we know whose we are. And we will not be silent. For as long as there are people being crushed beneath the weight of power, there will be a reason to raise our voices. And as long as love remains our greatest loyalty, there will be a reason to hope.

In the name of the God of justice, the Prince of Peace, and the Love that will not let us go. Amen.

Now I'd like to hear from you! Did you find this helpful? What thoughts came to your mind as you read? Feel free to respond to this email and share your thoughts with me. I look forward to reading them. A 30 Day Day Devotional: I wrote a daily devotional for the season of Advent, which begins on November 29th this year. I wrote it in hopes to provide a companion for people seeking to follow Jesus through the season of we are currently navigating together. You can find out more below: $20.00 Solace: The Birth of Hope in a Time of Longing This devotional is an ebook, crafted as a daily scripture readings and reflections that begin on the First Sunday of... Read more Get it now! ​ Ways to support: If you'd like to support this project, you can do so through one-time-gift of any amount you feel is right. You can also subscribe through a $5/mo, $15/mo, or $25/mo. Several others have also asked for a recurring gift option that is different from the ones offered here, like this one. If you'd like me to set up a different option for you, please just send me an email with the word "support" in the subject line. As always, I really want to thank all of you for reading and for all the ways you support me and this project every single week. I'm thankful for the ways we are building this together and hope it creates a lasting, positive change in our world along the way! I sincerely appreciate you all, Ben Remember, you can now view this and all previous newsletters as well as invite friends to join through this link: https://benjamin-cremer.ck.page/profile.

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