A year ago this week, the 47th president of the United States was inaugurated, supported by millions of Christians seeking stability, prosperity, moral renewal, or protection from forces they feared were eroding the nation they loved.
A year later, many are wondering if the adminstration they got was what they voted for.
Normally it would be none of my business, as a European, to comment on American politics. Unfortunately, it has become our business too. What has been happening in America this past year has deeply affected our lives and futures in Europe. For the worse. Not the least in Ukraine. And also for billions globally.
We have watched from afar with growing disbelief and horror as a nation we have held in great esteem all our lives appeared to have descended rapidly towards autocracy, where courts, news media, universities and cultural institutions were bent to the will of one man unashamedly aligning himself with other strongmen past and present. While some trends towards ‘lawfare’ and of weakening democracy may have already been underway, the current administration has broken norms on unprecedented levels.
What we have always known to be a welcoming refuge for the world’s tired, poor, ‘huddled masses yearning to breathe free’, symbolised by the Statue of Liberty, now projects official hostility towards foreigners and migrants. What was Europe’s essential and reliable ally, ‘the leader of the Free World’, a keystone of peace, democracy and stability in the world, is now a source of global anxiety, even being called a threat to international peace. The security of all the NATO nations now hangs on the whim of one erratic man in pursuit of power and wealth.
‘Might is right’ appears to be the new guiding philosophy, contradicting the prayer Franklin Graham prayed at the inauguration: “We know that America can never be great again if we turn our backs on You. We ask for Your help.”
For all the populist talk of ‘restoring Christian values’, ‘love’ is sadly missing. The Great Commandment to love God and neighbour has been eclipsed by America-first nationalism. Paul reminds us that even if we had the faith to move mountains (or power to mobilise armies) but had not love, then we were nothing. Love does not boast, says Paul. Love is not proud. Love does not dishonour others. It keeps no record of wrongs. It rejoices with the truth. It always protects…
Let us pray then for America on this anniversary of the inauguration. Let’s pray that it become truly great again, known for generosity, compassion, commitment to truth, righteousness and justice for all and seeking the common good of all:
Merciful God, Lord of truth, justice, and compassion,
From across the Atlantic, bound by history, friendship, and shared hopes,
we lift America to You in prayer.
We do not stand above or apart, for we too know our own failures and fears.
Yet as neighbours and allies, we bring before You a nation whose choices
now shape lives far beyond its borders.
We acknowledge, O God, that many Americans voted prayerfully, longing for stability, prosperity, protection, or renewal. They did not intend harm.
Yet you said, Lord, that a tree is known by its fruit. And with sorrow we observe:
• the corrosion of truth,
• the weakening of democratic safeguards,
• the intimidation of institutions meant to restrain power,
• the coarsening of public life,
• the weaponising of the state to harass opponents,
• the increasing rich-poor gap
• the erosion of international law,
• the embrace of autocrats,
• the abandonment of allies, and
• the suffering of the vulnerable—
within America and across the world.
Have mercy, O God, where evil has been called good or injustice excused for the sake of political loyalty, where silence has replaced courage, and where devotion to leaders has displaced faithfulness to You.
We confess that power wrapped in religious language can become an idol, and that neutrality in the face of wrongdoing becomes complicity.
Give courage to speak the truth plainly. Free hearts from pride that resists confession and from fear that clings to denial.
Renew in America a love for justice, a commitment to truth, a defence of the weak, and a reverence for freedom of conscience, speech, and belief—even for those who are different, even for those with whom we disagree.
Heal what has been damaged, O God—in American society, in its democratic life, in its global witness, and in the trust of those who now look upon the Church and the nation with sorrow or suspicion.
We hold fast to Your promise that if Your people humble themselves, pray, turn from their errant ways, You will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
In the name of Jesus, who is Lord over every nation, every ruler, and every power – in Washington and Brussels, Moscow and Beijing.
Amen.
Till next week,
