Dearest ladies of the church,
Let me begin by saying how much I admire your dedication to keeping up appearances. Truly, it’s impressive how you manage to balance your perfectly coordinated church outfits, your curated social media posts, and your unwavering devotion to the men in your lives who have so graciously decided what your value is. It must be exhausting work, being the moral backbone of the nation while ensuring that nothing as unsightly as self-awareness creeps into your busy schedule.
I’m writing to you because, let’s be honest, you’re the audience for this moment in history. You are the women who have supported Donald Trump, the man whose life and choices read like a list of everything Jesus warned us to avoid. Somehow, you’ve managed to twist yourselves into spiritual pretzels, voting against your own rights and the well-being of others while still holding your heads high as “good Christian women.” That takes a level of commitment I can’t help but marvel at.
I mean, look at you. You’re the Proverbs 31 woman, right? A virtuous wife clothed in strength and dignity, or at least, the veneer of it. But tell me, where exactly in your long list of virtues does it say to enable the powerful while they crush the powerless? Is it in the part about fearing the Lord, or does that come after ensuring your husband’s dinner is served piping hot while the family down the street struggles to afford a loaf of bread?
You must be so proud, voting for a man who’s made it his mission to strip away not just your rights, but the rights of your daughters and granddaughters. But I suppose that’s not your concern, is it? After all, you’re protected. You have your husbands, your wealth, your social status, everything you need to shield yourself from the consequences of your choices. Who cares if other women suffer under the weight of laws you helped put in place? You’ll still have your Bible studies and brunches, your charity galas and Pinterest-worthy potlucks.
And let’s not forget your unparalleled talent for compassion. Oh, how you weep for the poor and the sick, how you pray for the downtrodden, all while voting for politicians who gut healthcare and social safety nets. It’s almost poetic, the way you can perform concern for the less fortunate while ensuring their suffering continues. Bravo, ladies. Jesus Himself must be applauding from the heavens.
But here’s the thing: Jesus isn’t clapping. He’s weeping. He’s looking at the women who claim to follow Him while cheering on a man who embodies greed, cruelty, and deceit, and He’s shaking His head. Because He knows what you don’t seem to understand: that your image of piety means nothing if your actions betray it.
You tell yourselves that you’re standing for “family values,” but what kind of family values celebrate a man who boasts about assaulting women? Who mocks the weak and exploits the poor? Who lies as easily as he breathes? Are these the values you want your sons to learn? Your daughters to endure?
The truth, dear sisters, is that you’ve been sold a lie. A comforting lie, wrapped in the trappings of faith and patriotism, but a lie all the same. And instead of questioning it, instead of standing up for what’s right, you’ve embraced it. Because it’s easier. Because it’s safer. Because it lets you keep your comfortable lives intact.
But let me ask you this: what happens when the walls of your comfort start to crumble? When the men you’ve trusted to protect you decide that your worth doesn’t extend beyond your ability to submit? When the rights you’ve taken for granted vanish one by one? Will you still be so proud of your choices then?
Jesus told us that we would be known by our fruits. So far, your fruits are looking pretty rotten. But it’s not too late to change that. It’s not too late to stop hiding behind your privilege and start living out the Gospel you claim to believe in.
The world is watching. Your daughters are watching. And the people you’ve cast aside? They’re watching too. Jesus may forgive, but don’t think for a second that they will.
So, what will it be? Will you continue to cling to your image, your comfort, your excuses? Or will you finally, finally do the work of following Christ, not in word, but in deed?
The choice is yours, ladies. I hope, for your sake and for the sake of those you’ve ignored, that you choose wisely.
Yours (begrudgingly) in Christ,
R.L. Lawrence