I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m biblically and theologically conservative. That conviction shapes how I read Scripture, how I understand authority, and how I think about law, order, and the role of government. It also shapes how I grieve.
In recent days, I have found myself mourning the violence, division, and chaos unfolding in our country—particularly around immigration enforcement. Let me be clear at the outset: acknowledging grief over violence is not a political concession. It is a biblical response.
I’ve followed the stories closely, and I recognize that multiple realities exist at the same time. There are undocumented immigrants who are violent criminals—and they should be removed. There are undocumented immigrants who are good neighbors, working, contributing, and trying to survive. There are legal immigrants who have been unjustly caught in the crosshairs of enforcement failures.
Beyond that, there are paid agitators and opportunistic protesters who thrive on chaos. Politicians predictably play to their constituencies. Media outlets amplify the most extreme narratives because outrage sells. Meanwhile, immigration officers—and law enforcement in general—are often placed directly in harm’s way, navigating volatile situations involving protesters, rioters, and violent individuals.
And then there’s the public response. Liberals and conservatives alike swallow narratives whole—hook, line, and sinker. Sadly, it’s no better in the church. Progressives and fundamentalists share the same blindness: an inability to discern the work of the Holy Spirit. They see only in the natural realm, and their reactions expose it.
In the midst of all this chaos, people die who shouldn’t. We have seen that clearly in recent days.
Scripture does not ask us to suspend compassion in order to prove ideological consistency. Jesus taught us to pray, “On earth as it is in heaven.” What we are witnessing on the streets of our country today looks nothing like heaven.
A nation committed to law and order must also be a nation committed to human dignity. Those are not competing values. They rise from the same moral soil.
Law, Order, and Human Dignity
The Bible clearly affirms the legitimacy of governing authorities. Romans 13 is unambiguous: the state bears responsibility to enforce laws and restrain chaos. Borders matter. Laws matter. Accountability matters. A society without order is not compassionate—it is cruel. To deny this is to deny reality itself.
And yet, the same Scriptures insist that every person bears the image of God. Not citizens only. Not the documented only. Every person.
That truth does not evaporate at a border, nor does it disappear in the presence of law enforcement. When families are separated, when fear becomes a daily companion, when force escalates into violence, something has gone wrong—not only practically, but morally.
To say this is not to argue for open borders or lawlessness. It is to insist that enforcement itself must remain humane, measured, and accountable. A conservative vision of government does not give moral cover to unnecessary brutality. Strength that abandons restraint is not strength at all.
Compassion Is Not Political Surrender
As Christians, our grief should be reflexive wherever blood is shed. We do not have to resolve every policy debate before allowing our hearts to break. Jesus did not require a policy position before showing compassion.
Some will say that expressing concern over ICE-related violence sounds “liberal.” I reject that framing outright. Compassion is not progressive. Lament is not partisan. Grief is not ideological drift.
Scripture warns us about the greater danger: hardening our hearts in the name of righteousness. To be clear, I support the removal of violent criminals, gang members, drug dealers, and those who exploit others. But when order becomes an idol, people become expendable. When enforcement becomes untethered from mercy, the law itself is diminished.
Biblical conservatism should never require moral numbness.
The prophets routinely confronted nations that prized strength while neglecting justice. They did not call for the elimination of authority—but for its repentance. They reminded Israel that God judges not only whether laws exist, but how power is exercised.
When Politics Replaces Discipleship
If you hear something that challenges your political loyalties—left or right—and your immediate reaction is suspicion toward the person speaking, you don’t have a political problem. You have a heart problem.
Kingdom ethics and Western political values are not the same thing. If you cannot identify where they diverge, it’s time to return to Scripture.
Donald Trump is not a savior—no more than Barack Obama was. Neither Republicans nor Democrats hold the keys to the Kingdom. Spare me the “lesser of two evils” argument. We do not side with parties. We side with Jesus. Every time.
No one else can answer this for you, because no one else knows your heart. But if news commentary consistently ignites anger and outrage because it challenges your political ideals, then you are being discipled by the wrong voices. The Holy Spirit and Scripture should shape our instincts—not talking heads.
And pastors, your political rants on social media are accomplishing nothing. Pointing out deportation statistics as if they settle moral questions is not prophetic—it’s lazy. Do you honestly think someone reads that and says, “Well, that changed my heart”? Stop playing the world’s games. We are called to something higher.
Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
He is the way. Enough with the rest.
A Better Way Forward
As a pastor, I serve families who live in fear—and if they were being targeted, I would protect them fiercely, without hesitation. I don’t care what label that earns me. Call me what you will. Labels have lost their power over me.
I mourn with them because of the fear they carry daily. I also mourn with officers placed in impossible situations. I mourn with communities fraying under the weight of tension and mistrust. I mourn because too many Christians fight the same way the world fights. And I mourn because violence, wherever it erupts, always signals a deeper failure of leadership and love.
Christians should be the first to say: there must be a better way.
We can affirm the rule of law without sanctifying every tactic. We can support law enforcement while demanding restraint. We can reject chaos without excusing cruelty. And we can grieve without surrendering our convictions.
The Kingdom of God does not advance through force, fear, or humiliation. It advances through truth, justice, repentance, and costly love.
If our public witness loses the capacity to mourn, it will eventually lose the capacity to lead. And if your conservatism cannot make room for compassion, it is no longer biblical—it is merely political.
I refuse that trade.
So I will grieve. I will pray. I will speak truthfully. And I will continue to hold together what Scripture never intended to be torn apart: justice and mercy, order and dignity, conviction and compassion.
That is not liberal or conservative.
That is Christian.
Brian L Powell 