Dear Secretary Hegseth:

I understand that you and I are brothers in Christ. We both trust Jesus. We have experienced him forgiving our sins and giving us hope for eternal life with him. And we both are in the process of having Jesus shape us so that we live out his character in our thoughts, decisions and actions.

I say we’re “in the process” because we both know we don’t always follow through on following Jesus, but we want to be more responsive. We also know that Jesus uses other believers to help us grow in living out our faith. 

If I were in the public eye—which admittedly is a hard place for Christians to thrive—I might need your counsel on how to follow Jesus better. As it is, however, you’re the one in the public eye, and so I’m offering some thoughts for you to consider as you represent Jesus in your work. Maybe there are so many trying to advise you that you’re sick of hearing it, but I hope you can receive it with the same grace with which I offer it.

First, I have the impression that being a “man’s man” is important to you, and so I assume that you think Jesus was that kind of man. Years ago there was a non-Christian poet named Swinburne who bemoaned the fact that all the glorious vitality and manly strength of ancient paganism had been drained away by that “pale Galilean” named Jesus, who turned men into meek and mild sheep. The atheistic philosopher Nietzsche agreed with him and so did Adolf Hitler. They promoted a return to the kind of manly virtues necessary for being a winner.

The German Christians who fell for this soon learned that this was a dead end. Other Christians have recently proposed a different route. They say, “Let’s not reject Jesus for being unmanly. Instead, let’s focus on a Jesus who’s very masculine and aggressive. More of a lion than a lamb.” This appeals to lots of men, and maybe you too. 

In my experience with Jesus, however, he is neither a wimp nor a macho guy. Rather, he is very strong — strong in his love for people in pain, outcasts, the poor, refugees, the downtrodden, children, and women. He strongly called his followers to be ambitious about showing compassion, making peace, and serving others instead of ourselves. And he didn’t just tell us to be strong in that way. He lived that out by going to the cross for our sake—as you know.

Did Jesus ever act forcefully like a tough guy? Yes. Everyone remembers the time he made a whip to chase buyers, sellers and animals out of the temple courtyard. It was a stunning action that even took his followers by surprise. Is this the same man who told us to love our enemies? Yes, it is.

Please notice, however, that Jesus’ s action was not done to defend the status quo of wealthy and powerful people running the temple. Rather, it was done to make space for people who were anything but wealthy and powerful. . . like worshipers getting gouged by the merchants. He also had a heart for non-Jewish people. They could only pray in the court of the Gentiles, but that space was occupied by the merchants. So Jesus kicked them out so the temple could be a house of prayer for all nations—as God intended. Jesus acted forcefully out of love. 

Another thing I’ve heard said is that you are against a “woke” culture that has been undermining our military. For you, being against “woke culture” partly seems to mean blocking the advancement of women and minority groups in the military.  But those are people whom Jesus was especially keen to include and empower. I personally like the idea of being awake as opposed to being asleep. Paul told the church to “wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning” (1 Corinthians 15:34). Jesus himself said, “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die” (Revelation 3:2). 

Some say that woke culture is about the various DEI initiatives that were happening in our country. But I don’t want anyone to hide behind an acronym. DEI stands for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. To me, those are good things for Christians to support. They sound like ideals that our country stands for. Do you think Jesus really wants a monoculture in which some people get to be “more equal” than others and the rest get left on the margins or on the outside? There may be, perhaps, some causes—which have attached themselves to Diversity-Equality-Inclusion initiatives—that you and I would find morally objectionable. But to dismiss others simply because they don’t fit with who you want to include does not seem to be the way of Jesus. 

As for your attempt to have a terrorist executed publicly, I was glad that did not go through. I understand the anger people have toward terrorists. How could they do the terrible things they do? But in my experience, when we hate evil-doers with the same hatred they have toward us, we are in danger of becoming just like them. I think that would be happening if we started publicly executing our enemies. As many have commented, it’s only dictatorial nations that currently execute evil-doers publicly. We don’t want to join their ranks.  

Some people might think a public execution makes the government look powerful and tough. But it only conveys the kind of iinsecure power that is built on fear instead of righteousness and love. Others will be so repulsed by a public execution that they will become sympathetic to terrorists, and perhaps join them. Still others will be entertained by it, as if it were a violent movie come to life. It’s better to say with the Lord, “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?. . . I have no pleasure in the death of anyone” (Ezekiel 18:23, 32). 

I’m sorry if I’m running on too long, but I also want to comment on the war against Iran. Obviosuly, I don’t know all the intelligence about what’s happening there, but I only want to put in a word for peace-making instead of war-making. Jesus said that’s where the blessing is found. I can understand why the disciples wanted to act violently when a military unit came to arrest Jesus; they wanted to protect him. But Jesus himself said, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:51). That saying, of course, stands in tension with Paul’s comment that the government “does not bear the sword in vain” (Romans 13:4). But surely those who trust in Jesus want to lean in the direction of putting away swords instead of rattling them or using them. 

I’m sure you and I could have a lively conversation on these matters, and maybe even be tempted to talk over each other, instead of listening to each other. But I’d like to close by offering a prayer for you.

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank you for creating Secretary Hegseth and his desire to do the right thing. Give him wisdom to discern what that right thing is. In these polarizing times, grow the fruit of the Spirit in his life, so that he can exude love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control—not just in his personal life, but in every situation. Give him the courage it takes to stand for what’s right, and the courage it takes to admit when he’s wrong. We pray in your name. Amen. 

Thanks for listening. 

In Christ, 
David Landegent