Just a few weeks into the second Trump administration, chaos and confusion are running rampant in Washington, DC. Mass deportations and civil service layoffs are rolled out daily. Federal funding freezes are coupled with illegal moves to destroy government agencies and rewrite constitutional powers.
Human dignity and civil rights are tossed aside with diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. And tariffs are spurring global trade wars and fueling conflict with allies and competitors alike. Trump’s careless assertions that he wants to annex Canada, buy Greenland, develop Gaza into a resort, and retake the Panama Canal only serve to inflame international order.
Knowing that this is just the beginning of an ongoing and intentional onslaught designed to overwhelm and confuse, many of us are asking, how will we make it through this turmoil?
How will we stay centered amid the chaos and advocate effectively? How will we sustain ourselves for the long, hard road ahead?
We will have to discover and forge the answers as we go. But at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) we do know some things will not change.
We will continue putting our faith into action
For centuries, Quakers have been called to live our religious testimonies of peace, justice, integrity, community, stewardship, and simplicity in all that we do. This means witnessing to the world we seek through our everyday lives, as well as publicly advocating for a more just and peaceful world.
Early Friends risked their lives and livelihoods to speak out and act publicly for their beliefs. They often suffered for their witness, but they persisted in living their beliefs. For more than eight decades FCNL has advocated and witnessed for the world we seek, through many wars, crises, and changes in government. As it has in the past, our faith will continue to ground us for the work ahead.
We will uphold human dignity and love our neighbors, no exception
The Trump administration is manipulating facts and stoking fear while it seeks to dehumanize people. Mass deportations and sending soldiers to our borders are harming families. They will have dangerous economic impacts on our country.
The US has long prided itself in being a refuge for people in need, but the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress are enacting cruel and costly policies that destroy human dignity and the promise of America. In the face of these efforts, FCNL will continue to insist that US policy uphold human dignity and human rights. We are called to love our neighbors, and we will call on Congress to do the same—no exceptions.
We will build beloved community
Quakers understand the importance of listening to a variety of voices and perspectives as we seek to understand God’s Truth and put it into practice. We know that all the Light of the Divine lives within every person, regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, economic background, or country of origin.
While the Trump administration seeks to undermine fundamental principles of equality under the law and deny hard-earned rights for people of color, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities, FCNL will continue to center our commitments to build a more beloved community as we defend our democracy.
We will defend democracy
As the first registered religious lobbying organization in the US, FCNL was founded to engage people in the continual work of strengthening our democracy. We will call out and push back against the Trump administration’s blatant efforts to seize power and undermine constitutional authorities entrusted to Congress, including the power of the purse.
We know the role of the courts and Congress will be more important than ever in the months ahead. We will continue to mobilize more people to engage their lawmakers to be the guardrails against authoritarianism that our country and world urgently need.
We will speak truth to power
In an age of mis- and dis-information, and with an administration that has a long record of fomenting lies for political gain, FCNL strives to be a trusted source of information on what is really happening in Washington, D.C.
As a nonpartisan Quaker voice, we will continue providing facts, information, and analysis to lawmakers and the public, grounded by our moral values. This will help our constituents and Congress make sense of what really matters amid all the noise.
We will not hesitate to speak Truth to power, with respect and openness, when we must oppose policies and actions of the administration and Congress. And we will persist courageously in our pursuit of the world we seek.
We will persist with joy and hope
Finally, we will not stop practicing the joy and hope that our faith calls us to live out in the world. We are inspired by the resilience and joyful liberation struggles of many who have gone before us and who are leading change efforts today. George Fox advised us to walk cheerfully over the earth, answering that of God in everyone. Doing so is an act of both resistance and faith.
The world we seek may seem far away amid the chaos and cruelty we see around us today, but we bring it a little closer each time we embody the courage, joy, and hope that love provides.
So, how will we make it through the weeks, months, and years ahead? Quite simply, we will make it through together — grounded in our faith, active in our advocacy, and sustaining ourselves and one another in the beloved community we are still building every single day.
