Good Friday Reflection

“Is not this the fast that pleases me: to break unjust fetters, to undo the thongs of the yoke? To let the oppressed go free and break all yokes? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and shelter the homeless poor?” Isaiah 58:6-7

My calling in life has been to help people of faith and conscience in our democracy push for changes in government policy that are important to people in poverty. So I’m keenly aware that the repentance of Lent has a political dimension - letting the oppressed go free and feeding the hungry.

In recent decades, we have witnessed great progress against poverty, so we know that we can make further progress. But we are currently headed in a different direction, that includes harsh policies toward people in need in America and worldwide.  

Jesus’ journey toward the cross began when he “set his face for Jerusalem” (Luke 9:16) where he would confront and be executed by the religious and political rulers of Judea. They served Caesar, while Jesus offered a reign of love and justice.  

The forgiving love of God invites us to turn away from our shortcomings and live in the Spirit. Through advocacy, demonstrations, and active participation in elections we can also pull our nation into better alignment with God’s coming kingdom.  

So, we pray: Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

How Nonprofit Leaders Can Help Reduce Poverty

Dr. Rob Harter and David Beckmann (screenshot)

I appreciated the opportunity to speak with Dr. Rob Harter on the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast about how we can reclaim progress against poverty, and especially the role nonprofit leaders can play.

In our conversation, I argue that nonprofit leaders with a vision bigger than their organization can help change the policies that contribute to poverty. When they speak to members of Congress about what they see in their communities, it matters. And when they connect with other leaders, they begin to see how their missions are linked. For example, reducing the impacts of climate change can also reduce poverty.

In my forthcoming book, Poverty Abolitionists, I write about this kind of collaboration. Efforts to reduce war, poverty, environmental destruction, and spiritual problems all help to heal the brokenness of our world. 

I hope you’ll listen to the full conversation. We cover advocacy, charity, elections, and more—issues that matter if we want to get progress against poverty moving again.

I was also grateful that Rob asked about presales of the book (see the clip below). Early orders matter more than most people realize. When a book is preordered, it signals to publishers and retailers that people are paying attention. Those early sales are often counted together in the first week after release, which can help a book reach more readers. It also makes it more likely that booksellers will feature the book, recommend it, and keep it in stock.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/f23f10_960bfd7fee6546a0b8880c5d570463b5/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Preorder Poverty Abolitionists: Faith, Activism, and Hope for Difficult Times on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your favorite online bookseller. Sign up for the newsletter here.

“No Kings” is a Biblical Theme

Millions of Americans will again gather tomorrow in “No Kings” demonstrations.  

Resistance to kings and emperors has roots in the Bible. 

It was Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who resisted God’s call through Moses to let the Hebrew slaves go free. 

When the people of Israel later decided they wanted a king to govern them and strengthen their defense against foreign aggression, the prophet Samuel warned them that a king would take their sons to be soldiers, make them pay heavy taxes, and take their lands and labor to maintain his officers and make himself wealthy.

The books of Kings and Chronicles report the history of the kings of Israel and Judah. With a few exceptions, it’s a report of disobedience to the law of Moses, oppression of the people, and fratricidal struggles among royalty. The main message of the prophets was criticism of idolatry and injustice among the people and their kings. The historical and prophetic books of the Bible both say that these internal failures led to the conquest of the two parts of Israel by the empires of Assyria and Babylon.

Prophets then rose up among Jewish exiles in Babylon—Jeremiah, a second Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The book of Daniel reports visions of the rise and fall of kings. Daniel and the book of Esther tell stories of faithful Jews under the emperors of Babylon.

Cyrus of Persia is the only emperor who is praised in the Bible. His policies toward conquered people were relatively liberal, and he allowed Jewish exiles to return to Judah and rebuild Jerusalem.

The New Testament takes place during the Roman Empire. The Romans used local authorities to impose heavy taxes on the peoples they conquered. The religious authorities in Jerusalem collected Roman taxes in Judah. They urged Pontius Pilate, the Roman prelate in Jerusalem, to execute Jesus, because Jesus’ main message was that God’s kingdom is coming into the world—a kingdom of love and justice, very different from the kingdoms that earthly kings and emperors impose. 

The High Priest and Sanhedrin said to Pilate, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor.” That convinced Pilate to order crucifixion, a form of punishment reserved for people who stood up against Roman authority.

Many of the early Christians suffered persecution, partly because they refused to worship Caesar or other Roman gods. The last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, ends with a vision of the final fall of empires and kings and the coming of a new Jerusalem, when God makes his home among us.

President Trump has seized more power than any prior U.S. president. He has used it to enrich and glorify himself, to serve the interests of wealthy people, bully other nations, and make life harder for people in need.

It’s an old story. The Bible teaches us to pray for all those in authority and stand up against their abuses.

David Beckmann is the author of Poverty Abolitionists: Faith, Activism, and Hope for Difficult Times, available May 28, 2026. Pre-order your copy at your favorite bookseller.