When Love Wears Armor
A New Thought Minister’s Dilemma
Previously: In our first article, I unpacked the spiritual and ethical tension of supporting Ukraine's effort to buy weapons from the U.S.—not as an act of aggression, but as a plea for survival. Today, I bring this dilemma closer to home. This isn’t just a theory I’m toying with. It’s personal. This is what it means to carry these questions as a minister.
There’s a voice inside me that says, “No. Never. Not one dime for guns.”
And then there’s the other voice—the one shaped by decades of prayer, community, service, and sacred listening—that says, “If not now, when?”
This article isn’t a defense of violence. It’s a confession: that standing on principle alone can feel like abandonment. Especially when people are being bombed while we debate theology.
So here’s the heart of it: how does a spiritual leader, committed to peace, even think about supporting a weapons deal?
The Seduction of Spiritual Absolutism
It’s tempting to treat spiritual values like absolutes. No weapons. No war. No exceptions.
But that temptation is often a trap. Absolutism makes us feel clean. But it keeps us from getting close to the dirt—the pain, the grief, the injustice—that real people are living through.
In New Thought, we say, “Change your thinking, change your life.” But what happens when someone else’s thinking brings bombs to your doorstep? What affirmation stops a missile?
There comes a time when affirmations must lead to action. Not because we’ve abandoned our beliefs, but because we’re finally living them.
The Real World of Ministry
As a minister, I sit with people in pain. I don’t get to hover above it.
I’ve held hands with those grieving senseless loss. I’ve watched as communities try to pick up the pieces after violence. I’ve witnessed the exhaustion of those resisting oppression. And I’ve prayed with people who would give anything just to survive another week.
In those moments, what I believe about energy and intention still matters—but so does reality.
And in this reality, Ukraine is not posturing. It’s not political theater. It’s existential. Either they defend themselves, or they lose everything.
Supporting Peace Without Playing God
Here’s what I’ve come to realize: Supporting Ukraine’s right to defend itself is not playing God. It’s not deciding who lives or dies. It’s standing with the oppressed, even if the path to liberation isn’t pretty.
This isn’t about purity. It’s about presence. Showing up. Refusing to disappear behind spiritual jargon when the moment demands clarity and courage.
Am I comfortable with an arms deal? No. But I’m far less comfortable letting a nation be crushed while I recite “there is no conflict in Spirit.”
Next up: In our final article, I’ll zoom out and confront the bigger lie—the political theater of false pacifism. Trump’s history with Ukraine didn’t start with compassion. It started with corruption. So why is the far right suddenly pretending to care about peace? Let’s pull back the curtain.
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