Who Will America Turn To?

Who Can America Turn To?

America stands at a crossroads of conscience. The noise of politics, profit, and pride often drowns out the quiet voice of truth. Many ask, “Who can we turn to?” But perhaps the real question is: “When will we return to God?” Our greatest strength was never our wealth, nor our weapons, nor our worldly power. It was our soul — the belief that every person bears a spark of divine worth. Yet when that truth is forgotten, division becomes easy, and compassion feels costly. 

We can no longer wait for heroes or saviors to rise from the political stage or from any stage for that matter. The renewal of a nation begins not in Washington, but in the unseen corners of the human heart — in the mother who forgives, the teacher who uplifts, the neighbor who listens, the citizen who speaks truth without hate. These are the quiet keepers of America’s moral light. Spiritually, we must turn upward again — toward the Divine, toward that sacred presence that humbles the proud and strengthens the weary. Whether we call it God, conscience, or love, it is that higher reality that reminds us we are not our own masters. A nation that bows to nothing greater than itself slowly bows to nothing at all. 

So, what will it take to get God back into people’s lives?

We can listen again to the ancient call that still whispers: Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly. If we return to that path — not just as a slogan but as a way of life — the soul of America can still be saved. Yes, we all experience stress and anxiety in some form or another, but we must see it as a distraction from our goals. I know it’s tough; I go to therapy, practice Tai Chi, and do mindfulness. It’s easy to get distracted. Find something calming that isn’t drugs or alcohol. I’ve tried alcohol but refused drugs; neither works.

Look around. Youth are succumbing at a higher rate than older individuals. They are not experiencing fulfilling lives due to stress, confusion, and misinformation. They are unable to endure the pervasive darkness enveloping the nation, which is concealed under the guise of religion. The Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees, equivalent to contemporary evangelicals, are collaborating with political bigots, discriminators, and divisive figures under the pretense of preserving Christianity. Birds of a feather flock together.

What’s problematic with a woke society? Overlooking social awareness might make us blind to real injustices and suffering that need our care. A better approach could be to listen carefully: hold onto what’s true and compassionate, and let go of what’s driven by ideology or pressure. The real issue is falling for lie after lie, often used to degrade those opposing justice, equality, and civil rights. Consequently, following the ways of Jesus Christ.

Will There Ever Be Peace in Gaza?

I’m pleased to see that the Jewish hostages have finally been released and are now back home with their loved ones. After such a long time away in a prison, where Hamas held them, this moment of freedom and being reunited with their families helps ease the pain they've endured. I wonder if this peace will last forever or just be temporary. The news mentioned that the peace agreement hasn’t been finalized yet, and that Hamas and Israel haven't agreed on the details. The person who brokered the hostage release seems to bask in the praise as the “greatest friend that the state of Israel has ever had in the White House,” but honestly, he’s been known to stretch the truth quite a bit, making it hard to trust every word he says. Will there really be Peace in Gaza?

The Palestinians are in urgent need of food, medicine, and other essential humanitarian aid, which has started reaching Gaza. Efforts are also in progress to release around 2,000 Palestinians held by Israel. The Gaza we once knew has been devastated. Over the past two years, more than 10% of Gaza’s population has been killed or injured, approximately 90% of residents have been displaced, and about 78% of buildings have been destroyed or damaged. Additionally, 95% of hospitals are no longer operational, and 90% of schools have been damaged or destroyed. Thousands of displaced Palestinians are now walking through the heartbreaking ruins of their neighborhoods and homes, trying to find safety and hope amid the destruction.

Rebuilding Gaza will require billions of dollars and many years. Given how challenging this situation is, President Trump’s plan seems to resemble a hostage-release deal —a temporary ceasefire with an uncertain future —and some hope. The vague mention of a “pathway” to Palestinian independence reminds us of past negotiations, where the promise of an eventual Palestinian state often served as a cover-up for a harsh, unfair, and tense situation; sadly, this has sometimes led to the significant violence we've seen in recent years.

While many Americans view the situation in Gaza with concern—some even seeing it as genocide or war crimes—Trump has seldom shown sympathy for Palestinian civilians or acknowledged their suffering. His initial approach to Gaza involved a plan that did not consider the needs of its people. 

The 20-point Trump peace plan lacks many details and clear principles. It raises questions like who will oversee Gaza in the meantime, and where the billions needed for rebuilding will come from if a lasting political solution isn't reached in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The plan states that Israel will not “occupy or annex Gaza,” and that Hamas “will not have” any direct or indirect role in governing Gaza, offering some reassurance amid the uncertainties. How is it that Trump is being praised for “joining the Israeli hostages with their families when the Palestinian prisoners will not go home but will be sent to another country. Meanwhile, Israel is still holding several thousand Palestinians in prison. Trump has evaded the blame for separating immigrant children from their parents in America! Where is the scorn for that? But being a hero on foreign soil, to me, doesn’t say much about what he’s doing here in America. MAGAs are all over the world, including Christians and Jews.

Spider Webs!

The spider web gently teaches us an essential lesson about deception. It shows us that not all dangers are loud or obvious; some are hidden in stillness, blending seamlessly into the scenery. The web’s perfect design is its clever disguise; its symmetry and delicate appearance are alluring, even though its primary purpose is to trap. Similarly, deception often appears to be the truth — smooth, convincing, and carefully crafted. The spider doesn’t rush or chase; it patiently waits. Its power comes from patience and careful planning, much like someone who creates illusions rather than confrontations. But here's a little irony: even the spider becomes caught in its own web, never truly free from what it has spun. The same goes for those who weave lies — they often end up caught in their own stories, held together by the very fragility of their deception. In this way, the web serves as both a symbol and a reflection of itself. This is a silent reminder that what traps others can also trap ourselves. 

The spider web as an analogy for deception has been around for thousands of years, drawing from various cultures, mythologies, and philosophies. It didn't happen at just one moment; rather, it developed naturally as people watched spiders and connected their intricate webs to ideas of cleverness, patience, and hidden threats. I watched the spider weave its web outside my bathroom window and thought about how patiently it weaves its web.

The symbolism of the spider and its web has roots in both African and Greek mythology. In West African stories, the trickster character Anansi is often depicted as a clever spider who uses wit and trickery to get by, linking the web to cleverness and cunning. Similarly, in Greek myths, the story of Arachne, a mortal weaver turned into a spider by Athena, connects the web to pride, creativity, and deception. Arachne’s story shows how her skill, which deceived the gods, came with a moral lesson. Spiders are, of course, arachnids, which ties into this symbolism. In the Book of Job 8:14-15, the spider’s web is used as a metaphor for false confidence and trickery, saying that the “hope of the godless shall perish, whose trust is a spider’s web.” This makes it one of the earliest examples of the web being used as a symbol for fragile and deceptive appearances. 

During the Middle Ages, moralists and poets likened the spider’s web to a powerful symbol of sin, temptation, and worldly traps, creating vivid imagery. It also appeared in Christian stories, where the devil’s snares were compared to webs that ensnare the unwary soul. Moving into the Enlightenment and Romantic periods, the web transformed into a symbol of complex systems of influence and control—whether political, social, or psychological. Thinkers and writers like Nietzsche, Emerson, and later existentialists often used this imagery to explore how truth, illusion, and moral choices can become tangled and intertwined.

Although we can’t determine an exact birthdate for the analogy, its core idea, that deception can be concealed within beauty and structure, has been around for over 3,000 years. The connection to the spider web is quite fitting since the web is both a trap and a disguise, symbolizing how hidden dangers can be cloaked in beauty or innocence.