Our Moment...

In this hour of American life, something ancient and perilous is stirring. We are watching, in real time, the machinery of democracy strained under the weight of idolatry, not of gold statues or ancient empires, but of a modern-day cult of personality. We are being asked to bow.

Bend the knee not to law, nor to justice, nor to the ideals etched into the architecture of our republic, but to the myth of one man. One voice. One power.

But for those of us who live by faith, not faith in systems, not faith in party or ideology, but faith in the living God, this is our Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego moment.

Their story, found in the book of Daniel, is often reduced to the dramatic finale: the fiery furnace. But the power of their witness lies in what came before that, their refusal to bow. With the full force of empire demanding submission, they stood. Not with weapons. Not with slogans. But with conviction.

"We will not serve your gods," they said. "Even if our God does not deliver us, we still will not bow."

That is where we stand today. In a land where truth is twisted and loyalty is measured not by principles but by proximity to power, people of faith must decide: Will we bow to the golden image of political idolatry, or will we turn our hearts and minds to the cross?

Not the cross as a symbol on lapels or campaign flyers.

Not the cross wielded as a weapon in the culture war.

But the cross of Christ, crucified, risen, and calling us still.

The cross that speaks of humility in the face of arrogance, of sacrifice instead of self-preservation. The cross that reminds us that faithfulness is not about popularity or dominance, but about standing firm when it would be easier to give in.

We are not the first generation to face this fire.

But we must remember what those three exiles knew: Even in the furnace, we are not alone.

In their most vulnerable moment, they discovered that the presence of God did not remove the heat, but it walked beside them in it.

And today, as Christians across the nation find themselves disillusioned, divided, or afraid, we are not without hope. Now more than ever, we must anchor ourselves in the quiet strength of the Gospel, not in a gospel of empire, but in the Gospel of Christ.

Let others build their golden images. Let them demand allegiance to false messiahs. We are called to a different path.

We will not bow.

We will not trade away our witness for political favor.

We will not stay silent while our faith is co-opted and our neighbors are scapegoated.

We will turn our hearts to the cross. We will turn our minds to justice, mercy, and love. And we will remember that God is with us, not only in peace, but in fire.

Because this is not just a moment of resistance. It is a moment of revelation.

A moment to declare, with ancient courage and present clarity:

Even now, even here, the Lord is with us.

And that is more than enough.

Amen.