“Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” — Matthew 25:45
Let’s begin with what’s always been true: our people know how to survive storms. We are the most spiritual group in this country, not just in ritual, but in relationships. According to Pew Research, nearly 80% of black Americans say religion is very important in their lives. Nearly 9 in 10 believe in God with absolute certainty. We’ve called on the divine in every dialect, under every system, in every era. We’ve trusted in a God who sees us, who walks with us, even when no one else would.
Our greatest victories didn’t come from legislation. They came from faith tied to action. From the hush harbors to the voter lines. From the pulpit to the protest. From kitchen prayers to courtroom courage. We have always known that spirit is strategy. And that the most powerful force on Earth is a people aligned with each other and with God.
But alignment takes clarity. And that’s where the fight is now.
This moment, this bill, is not just policy. It’s packaging. The headlines say Medicaid reform. But the truth is, this legislation quietly strikes at the core of black life, our health, our families, our future. It’s designed to look harmless, even helpful. But beneath the surface, the bill fragments care, strips protections, and sets the stage for millions to lose coverage, especially black caregivers, children, and elders. It threatens HBCU funding, restricts Pell Grant access, and chips away at voting rights through redistricting and ID laws. This is the big, beautiful lie. And it passed while the world was distracted.
And the deception isn’t new. Scripture warned us: “For Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14) Today, that masquerade doesn’t show up with horns. It shows up in bipartisan language, in quiet budget meetings, in policies that sound like progress but function like poison.
But here’s the good news: we are not without tools. We are not without tradition. And we are not without each other. While they legislate from fear, we can organize from faith. While they divide through policy, we can heal through presence. While they operate in shadows, we carry the light of memory, discernment, and collective power.
You don’t need a full plan to start living like you matter. And you don’t need permission to act with purpose.
Matthew 25 reminds us what God is watching for: not just belief, but behavior. Not what we claim, but how we care. And that’s not a threat. That’s an invitation. A return. Did you feed them? Did you visit them? Did you clothe them? Did you make space for the ones the world tried to erase? The answer doesn’t come from the statehouse. It comes from us.
This is a call to remember who we are. To stop waiting for someone else to define the moment. To reclaim what we’ve always had, a deep, world-shaking spiritual fire that knows how to move.
But you might still be wondering, “I feel this. But I’m just one person. What can I really do?” That’s not a small question. It’s an honest one. And you’re not the only one asking it. The truth is, most of us were never taught how to organize or how to lead. We weren’t given blueprints. But you don’t need a full plan to start living like you matter. And you don’t need permission to act with purpose.
Every time you speak truth to your children, you’re planting seeds of memory. Every time you pause the noise and center yourself, you’re reclaiming your spirit. Every time you call someone back into community, you’re already organizing. Every time you choose to see clearly, you’re resisting confusion.
This moment doesn’t need superheroes. It needs steady, grounded people. People who remember. People who listen. People who do what they can, where they are, with what they have. This isn’t about perfection. This is about presence. And your presence, your clarity, is more contagious than you think.
We’ve done this before. And if we remember what’s in our hands, we’ll do it again.
M o r e:
The War for Your Mind is Being Televised
AI and Black Influence
The Quiet Dismantling
Inner Leadership: Becoming the Black Men We Need Now
To Unmake a People
Cloaked in Our Right Minds
The Real Fight Is Inside
• • •• • •
Dr. Tim Goler is Associate Professor of Sociology and Urban Affairs at Norfolk State University. He also serves as the Director of Research at NSU’s Center for African American Public Policy. A native Clevelander, he hails from the city’s Glenville neighborhood and is co-founder of PolicyBridge.
