God's Love Will Prevail

Holy Week and Easter 2026 were simply wonderful! From the Palm Sunday Cantata to our Interfaith Seder, a moving Good Friday musical drama, Sunrise Service and a beautiful and uplifting traditional service, the week couldn't have been more filled with hope, joy or love! Even after church, we celebrated Sara's birthday with a yummy and relaxing brunch at Four Flamingoes. Then, when I went home, I made the mistake of scrolling through social media. It felt like the stomach churning drop from the pinnacle of the rollercoaster down to the lowest point of the track in three seconds flat! 

You all know what I am talking about. On the holiest, most joy-filled day of the Christian calendar, the leader of the free world unleashed an ugly, hate-filled tirade filled with threats of violence against civilians on social media. I felt deflated, shocked and angry! All around the world, preachers, including me, had spent the morning talking about unconditional love of neighbor and the joy of an empty tomb, and our leader used a profanity laced social media post to tell an entire country they were about to be relentlessly bombed and attacked until there was nothing left.

I didn't think it could get much worse than that, until Tuesday, when a deadline was set for the annihilation of an entire population - words that even in the darkest, most immoral and arrogant time I can ever remember, I never imagined I would hear from any leader - other than the extremists who have no regard for the sanctity of human life. I found myself sinking into a pit of despair, fear and hopelessness (and yes, even more anger). That is, until I started reading words and fearless witness from people I greatly admire.

Bishop Tom Berlin wrote, "While we do not need to overreact to this morning’s heated rhetoric, we do need to calmly compare it to the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ, who said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) 

The word “shall” in Matthew 22:39 helps us understand that Jesus sees people as children of God, neighbors to be loved, not obstacles to be destroyed or removed when they refuse our demands.  

I ask all United Methodists in The Florida Conference to spend some time today in prayer for the president, members of Congress, leaders in the Armed Forces, and leaders and citizens of Iran and the Middle East. If President Trump carries out his threat, tomorrow will be a remarkable day of tragedy as we survey a historic level of human loss."

And my colleague, Rev Bryant Manning, wrote, "The methods we use don’t just shape our outcomes, they shape our souls. If fear and destruction become our primary tools, we shouldn’t be surprised when we start to look less like peacemakers and more like the very thing we claim to stand against!

Scripture doesn’t call us to win at all costs. It calls us to be people who make peace, who value life, who exercise power with restraint. Human beings, Children of God, are not expendable!

I’m not comfortable calling something “successful” if it depends on the willingness to threaten entire populations. And I’m not comfortable normalizing a version of leadership where anything goes, as long as it gets results. There’s too much at stake for that. The soul of America is at stake."

Today, in an Interfaith Ministerial Alliance meeting with other Key West clergy, we shared our deep sadness, fear and brokenness in this moment. One of our fellow clergy, whose husband is a retired military chaplain, is also the mother of an active duty Navy pilot with two small children (one of which is three weeks old). She shared her fear, her anger and her deep sadness as she thinks about her son and so many others risking their lives in an unsanctioned, dangerous and unnecessary conflict. But she also said, "I live with a constant sense of gratitude for my deep conviction that God's love will prevail because it always does. Isn't that what we just celebrated a few days ago?" 

I am thankful for this colleague who reminded me that only light can drive out darkness and we must be even more convicted now to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God!

Grace and Peace

-Pastor Madeline