Are We At A Tipping Point?

Humpday Haiku

December 17, 2025

Darkness dwarfed wisdom.

Night-time slows forward movement.

Stand. Dawn is coming.

I try to keep politics out of the posts that I offer. I chose to post on the Faith and Spirituality section of Substack because I’m writing to folks who include their spiritual selves in their life’s journey. I share from a generative place. What is it that you want to create? What is inside that wants to be born but perhaps you’re ignoring something you need to attend to? I’m speaking to a place that is trying to move past whatever had been interfering with stepping into our whole, connected selves, with a spiritual grounding.

Some background on why I try to keep politics out of the posts I offer. A little more than ten years ago when I was helping my father and sister through the last 18 months of their lives, I realized something. My mind and spirit had no more room for anything in any media outlet that drains my energy. I was already depleted.

Hence, I’ve not gorged on the schizophrenic, soul-sucking news that rehashes the most recent “unprecedented” scenario of the day. Even if you don’t engage in doom-scrolling on your devices, the daily news is committed to penetrating and disrupting your stable mind. But politics creep into everything, so here I am with this week’s offering. More than twice as many words, and it could have been longer.

Question: Have we reached a tipping point? Are we witnessing a shift? We’ve been riding this nuclear-powered rocket straight to hell for some time now, but are there fresh efforts to recalibrate our course?

When we wondered early this year why Congress was mute when Trump was running roughshod over all things that stabilize our lives, one female Senator was televised finally explaining the idle, silent Republican legislators. In April, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska addressed a conference in her home state and named that which must not be named: fear. She said that the muted politicians were afraid of violent threats against them and their families. Regrettably those threats were not limited to one political party. But over these past few weeks I’m noticing how the voices of Republican politicians who are pushing back against Trump’s agenda are increasing in number and over multiple issues.

Folks who supported Democrats have been angered by their inability to show up in a cohesive way, with any semblance of strength. Recently they are showing more grit. The Democrats who needed to find their center and their voice are proving that they can stand together for our health care. That they can continue forward in their objective to serve constituents even when a few break ranks on other matters.

Whatever it was that people were holding onto that kept them silent is changing. It seems like there are hints of recalibrating beginning to show up.

Since the earlier Trump administration many Christians I’ve encountered have had powerful reactions to his choices. There was fear. There was complaining. And there were prayers. The prayers have been born of deep despair, watching civility disappear, human rights trampled, and mindless and destructive deeds shattering any semblance of our collective peace.

“Lord, help those silent members of the House and Senate grow a spine and find their voice.”

“God, shut down the squawk boxes and let wisdom be the tenor.”

“Make the people who say they are pro-life understand that cutting health care, firing workers, not addressing unaffordable housing, defunding public education, cutting food assistance, and taking away our right to voice our presence through voting are not life-affirming measures.

“Jesus, let the authors of this destruction who are creating division be caught in their own snares.”

“Lord, open their eyes and help them see Your light. Turn them back to You.”

The grand, universal prayer is from 2 Chronicles 7:14: ‘If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.’

***

An awesome thing just happened in real time! As I wrote these prayer lines, the still, small whisper brought these song lyrics to me. “The blood that Jesus shed for me way back on Calvary is the blood that gives me strength from day to day… The blood that gives me strength from day to day will never lose its power.”

For those of you that don’t already know, the one that I know to be the Holy Spirit whispers song lyrics to me in the morning that fits my situation. The way I make meaning of the lyrics that just got dropped on me is that our prayers are being answered. At the individual level, our prayers are moving some silent politicians away from fear, one by one. Collectively, our prayers are moving groups away from the extreme edges and back towards a more conscious place. They are awakening! They are being transformed!

Sure, there are some that see politicians standing up and say, “Yeah, I’m not breaking out the champagne just yet.” Really? We are praying. Things are moving and changing. Will you pray for change and then not give thanks and be glad when things change?

Don’t miss the fact that those politicians are coming back to life. Little by little, in incremental steps, one after another they are choosing to be a better version of what they have been. If your child had suddenly become disabled and couldn’t walk, would you not be ecstatic and grateful when they took their first wobbly steps again? Show some grace, people. We may be witnessing repentance on some level. Those song lyrics should also remind us that we must be forgiving.

Don’t overlook the change that’s unfolding. Now is the time to pray harder and give thanks even more! Give thanks for the changed hearts and pray for their continued strength. Pray and give thanks for their protection from violence. That “go along to get along” racket has been a persistent distraction designed to keep them from being connected with themselves and the rest of us. But the higher purpose that calls is bigger and more powerful than the disruptive clamor.

While you’re praying, don’t forget about your own vacillating faith. Redirect your constant focus from the racket and give attention to the faint sounds of what we have been needing to hear. Those sounds are growing. Choose to listen. Then buoy the repentant ones. Encourage them just as you would your child whose finding her or his footing again.

For months I’ve been hearing from people I know in different parts of the country say how the hard core Trump followers have taken down the giant flags bearing his name and have stopped wearing their M.A.G.A. hats. They don’t show up at work with the same haughtiness that they had in December of last year.

The divisive divide-and-conquer rhetoric worked for a while. While the false banter was driving a wedge between people who want life, liberty and an opportunity to pursue happiness, it stealthily allowed unethical and illegal executive decisions to go unchecked. But light overshadows darkness.

***

We are all broken. Focus on the early hints of restoration of our broken pieces. This is what Christ’s sacrifice looks like in a tangible way. Show gratitude today for that sacrifice to make us whole again. The blood that gives strength from day to day and will never lose its power, that’s what’s going to get us out of this chaos. We certainly haven’t managed to do it on our own.

So here we are at this tipping point. This place where folks who have been silent are speaking up; where those who have been still are pushing back, and those who couldn’t seem to pull themselves together are mobilizing. This moment begs the question: What do you want to create now? Take time to reflect on where we’ve been, what we want and need, and what we’ve been praying for. Then step into this opportunity that is opening up.