Yesterday the First Lady stood before parents of service members who are engaged in the Iranian War—women and men who are currently deployed, several of whom have engaged in active fighting over the past weeks. Yet despite this moment of somber honor, a time when the President of the United States was to express appreciation to the families, to honor the sacrifices made, and to reiterate why this conflict was necessary, there was a moment of laughter—not the good kind.

What could be the instigator for such a surprising moment in a setting like this?

Empathy.

The First Lady made a brief comment about the hidden empathy of the president—saying, “His empathy transcends the role [and shape?], a caring leader who constantly remembers each and every American soldier is someone’s child.” This idea was so incongruous with the actions and words of the President that even these parents who are no doubt deeply concerned for the health and safety of their children, couldn’t help but let out audible laughs. The First Lady can’t hold back her smile at the fiction of it all. Even the President joins in, seemingly accepting the critique and joking along. Why is this so?

We have a president and a fiercely aligned president’s army that have waged war against empathy and compassion. Potentially the single biggest concern of this moment is that we have a large swath of the Christian church that has not only turned a blind eye, but that is willfully and proudly supporting this type of rhetoric and perspective. If this is you, please take a moment and prayerfully consider what you are doing.

Jesus’ identity rests largely upon his compassion. All throughout the Scriptures Christ is motivated by his empathy for his audience and he acts in ministry out of this compassion. As Christ’s body and mouthpiece today, we must embody this same foundation. We too must speak and act out of true and deep love for those around us—most so the vulnerable and needy.

The part of the church that endorses this president’s clear, consistent, bold, jovial attack upon empathy must repent and rejoin the ways of Christ. As long as we advocate for leaders and politics that are so clearly anti-Christ, we do great harm to the unity of the church and to the mission upon which Christ has sent us. This is no laughing matter. This is also no harmless, insignificant story. May the church awaken to our prophetic calling, may we throw off allegiance to empire, may we speak with conviction in such a way that our distracted and deluded brothers and sisters find their way back.

Grace and peace.