Keeping faith amid a trade war

In times of difficulty, people seek comfort in their faith and core beliefs about the nature of life. For Muslims, this means taking guidance from the sacred Quran during times of adversity.

When it comes to the current economic and political situation, at my church we talk and pray about these kinds of things regularly.

For instance, at our weekly prayer meetings and on the monthly prayer lists we distribute, we regularly pray for political leaders and situations. We do this because we take seriously the instruction the apostle Paul gave: “that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

We also address issues at our weekly Bible studies in a discussion format. On U.S. election day, for instance, we began a series I called “Geopolitics and World Mission.” In the first two studies we searched the Scriptures as well as historical documents to help us put the American election in historical and biblical perspective.

For the rest of November, we expanded our scope to look at other topics (colonialism, Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, etc.). In my sermons, I also regularly reference global situations. Sometimes I’ll cite it directly, but more often than not it will be oblique. This makes it possible for the application to serve a broader purpose.

Hey—there’s a lot going on out there right now, isn’t there?

I recognize that at any given point there are spaces in the world experiencing turmoil. But in my North American and Canadian context, the atmosphere is stressful, tense, and frustrating at a level I have not really experienced much in my own lifetime.

Front of mind, we have the tariff battle playing out with the United States as their head of state adds that to the multitude of things that harm not just other nations, but his own as well.

We also have comments about the annexation and acquisition of not only Canada, but also Greenland and Gaza.

We are in a consequential moment. This is a time of tremendous political upheaval, leading to considerable economic and social turmoil. This is a time for courage in the way of Jesus.

We are seeing the empowerment of Christian nationalism in the United States, centering a narrow understanding of Christianity within political power structures.

One result of this is the overturning of long-held norms in international relations, norms which, however imperfect, have provided stability throughout the world.

These realities are having a significant impact on many around the world who are most vulnerable to harm.

I have been thinking a great deal about Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s contention that the followers of Jesus can confess sins of their society/nation that they themselves have not engaged in. This prayer dances on the edge of that idea.

Don’t be anxious about what you will eat or what you will wear. That’s what Jesus says in Matthew, chapter six. That’s easy for Jesus to say! He wasn’t living in Canada in March 2025 with threats of tariffs rising and falling every other day.

When I look back at my sermons from 2015 to 2020, more of them subtly point to a certain American president than I care to admit. And now, with Donald Trump in the White House again, I have an opportunity to write about him again.