Letter From the Pastor – October 2025
Dear Church,
I probably don’t need to tell you, but we are living in difficult times. In fact, you are probably tired of hearing that, and I’m certain you’re tired of thinking about it so much. I know I am. And I know the stress of it all gets to me sometimes. This past month was no different. I won’t use this space for a rundown of all the distressing, confusing, and heartbreaking news from this past month. You know what it was. You know what news items struck a chord with you, that stuck with you. I’ll just say, it gets to me too. It makes me sad, and it makes me worry; worry about my ability to live the life I want to live, worry about the safety and well-being of my loved ones, and all of God’s beloved, worry about the future of the country and the world. The refrain at the end of a song from the Broadway musical Sweeney Todd has gotten stuck in my head. The song is called “Worst Pies in London,” sung by the character Mrs. Lovett as she tries to get customers to purchase her terrible pies. At the end of the song, she emphasizes her struggle by singing again and again the words “Times is hard, sir! Times is hard!”
No doubt, times are hard, and as a pastor, an additional worry that I carry is the concern for how to respond to all the madness in a way that is pastoral, but also prophetic. That is, prophetic in the sense that actions or policies or words that are harmful to God’s creation and counter to God’s desire for the flourishing of that creation must be called out and named as such. Now, as someone who likes to collect their thoughts thoroughly before speaking, rushing to share a thought or opinion has never served me well. However, having had some weeks to think on things, I can offer these thoughts now.
As it seems anyone making a public statement must do these days, first I have to say that I am against any type of violence. I should also say, that violence does not just come from the barrel of a gun. Violence can also come in the form of words when those words are used to spread misinformation, bad theology, or dehumanizing rhetoric. Among other things. Violence can occur in the form of legislation that makes it harder and more expensive for those in need to access healthcare and other social services. Or when our neighbors are torn from their families and imprisoned without due process or just cause, beyond their country of origin or the language they speak. Simply, violence causes harm, and there is no good reason for that.
Also, contrary to popular belief, violence is never an effective show of strength. It is a show of weakness. A last resort and an unimaginative solution for the desperate and the scared. Returning to Sweeney Todd, after singing that “times is hard” Mrs. Lovett makes a deal with Sweeney, the barber, to fill her pies with the human remains of the victims of Sweeney’s violence. They sell those pies for a great profit. She also has a bit of a crush on Sweeney Todd. Sweeney meanwhile, kills because he is seeking revenge after being wrongly convicted for the killing of his wife. They pursue violence to resolve issues in their lives; Mrs. Lovett is lonely and has no money, and Sweeney has been wronged and seeks justice. And while we can have empathy for the fear and desperation that drives such actions, we cannot condone them. The path of violence never leads anywhere good. It certainly didn’t for the characters in Sweeney Todd.
Meanwhile, the path of peace never involves violence. Some believe that peace can be achieved if they have power and control over others, over people and institutions. It is that desperate need, born out of fear of the other and the unknown, that leads to violence -physical, military, legislative, rhetorical, etc. We see these attempts daily. So, yeah, times is hard.
We can find hope, though. Over this past month I have most often found my spirits lifted when in the presence of other people. Whether that is worshipping with you all at church, talking to friends, or just being out in the world with other people simply living their lives. It was always a reminder of the good. We can find hope in each other and also in our faith tradition. After all, Jesus lived in hard times. He spent his ministry traveling through a part of the world that was under the occupation of an empire, of people who sought to have power over others and to control things. He also traveled with people, his disciples, and he stopped and talked with people and ate with people. Most often the vulnerable people, whose lives were the hardest. He shared his message of hope with them, and they in turn shared it with others.
The news of the world can be overwhelming when we take it in through a screen. That’s true whether we’re viewing it on the nightly news on our television, or our social media feed on our phone. We can feel helpless when we experience the world that way. So, when you do find yourself on social media, I would encourage you to share words of comfort and of hope, as often as possible. I would also encourage you to get away from those screens from time to time, and find hope in experiencing the world as Jesus did – person to person and mile by mile. It may be a hard road, but the path to peace is walked together, side by side.
Peace on the journey,
Pastor Zach