Will We Be Okay?

A question for Christians in the Second Trump Era

Photo by Nik on Unsplash

Daniel, my husband, was born almost 54 years ago in a small town about an hour east of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. His father had his first call out of seminary in the Canadian prairies, so both he and his brother were born in Canada. They are both American citizens, but they could apply for Canadian citizenship since they were born in Canada.

Over the last eight years, I’ve suggested Daniel should apply so that he can be a dual citizen. It would make it easier when we cross the border on vacation.

Given the recent changes in Washington, it would also be easier to leave the US in a hurry.

I feel stupid sharing that last sentence because I don’t like to think of myself as conspiratorial or catastrophizing that the worst will happen. The worst probably won’t happen.

Yet, it is hard for me not to think about such things as hearing the news reports, which bring a fresh round of worry each day. Many of you reading this might have the same concerns. All of it boils down to one searing question: Will we be okay?

For some people right now, things are not okay. It isn’t okay for refugees who were promised by our government that they could come to America for their safety to be left in the cold. I’ve known refugees who have made a life here in America and how important is to find a safe harbor. It isn’t okay for federal workers who are locked out of jobs and don’t know if they will have a job. I’ve known people who work for the federal government and have built lives in Washington and other parts of the country. It isn’t okay for nonprofits to be maligned by people like Elon Musk because they care for immigrants or receive money from the government. I’m familiar with agencies like Lutheran Social Services that work to help immigrants and those experiencing poverty. There is talk that a world war, World War III, is approaching.

It hasn’t been okay for many people and many more people might find out their lives are not okay.

As all of this is happening, the first anniversary of my mother’s death is just around the corner. These two events have made me think of my mother’s favorite psalm, Psalm 121. She would have me read it when I couldn’t sleep. I can remember getting angry that she couldn’t get out of her bed to comfort me and instead just gave me this boring psalm to read.

As I grew older, I started to understand why it comforted her. I was reminded of that again in the months before she died. When she was in pain, I would at times read the passages to her and it seemed to bring that comfort. “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come?” it begins. “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The psalm tells us that God is watching over us and will always keep us.

There is something wonderful about this passage…and it is also somewhat disturbing.

It’s hard to not read the passage and wonder, “Where was God to protect the Jews and countless others who died in concentration camps in World War II? The psalm talks about how God doesn’t slumber or sleep, but when trouble faced God’s people and they died, you have to wonder: where was God? And if we wonder where was God, we have to ask again: will we be okay?

I don’t know. But I also wonder if that’s the wrong question.

There were many Christians who endured incredible suffering. Many believing Christians died in Nazi Germany. They were not protected from evil. And the thing is, if really bad things were ever to happen, there is nothing to say that we won’t be protected from those who might make our lives difficult if not take our very lives.

Now, I’m not saying that bad things will happen. More likely than not, it won’t happen. But if it did, there is nothing that says that we will be protected from bad things befalling us. God isn’t Superman.

While God might not protect us from bad things, that doesn’t mean God isn’t there for us. God is for us and God is with us, even in the bad times, especially in the bad times.

When I was growing up in Michigan, we would sing the hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in my African American congregation every February. I’ve always loved the hymn. Written by James Weldon Johnson, it is a witness to the strength and steadfastness of African Americans throughout our nation’s history. The third verse is especially moving as it is directed at God, giving thanks for God’s faithfulness through the challenges of slavery and segregation:

God of our weary years,

God of our silent tears,

Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;

Thou who has by Thy might

Led us into the light,

Keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,

Lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;

Shadowed beneath Thy hand,

May we forever stand,

True to our God,

True to our native land.

God was always with African Americans during the hard times, but God has always been with all of us, no matter our color or race. God might not stop the worst things from happening, but that doesn’t mean God will abandon us. No, God is always with us because, as Paul says in Romans, nothing separates us from God’s love.

The next few years might be rather challenging. It could be rather dangerous for some people. But what I learned from my mother who trusted in the God listed in Psalm 121 is the God that looked over her, the God that looks over me and the God that looks over everyone. People can do their worst, but that doesn’t mean they will win. God looks over us and will care for us.

Will we be okay? I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. No matter what, God will not forget us.