7 Scripture-Guided Steps for Hope, Grounding, and Faithful Courage

When the news feels like a daily tremor—when we worry that leaders may disregard what is sacred to us: truth, justice, the dignity of our neighbors, even the rule of law—we are not the first of God’s children to feel this way.

Scripture gives us language for what we feel: lament when what is wrong is happening, courage when pressure rises, and hope that does not depend on who holds power. 

1) Start where the Bible starts: God is present, and we are not alone

• “God is our refuge and strength… therefore we will not fear.” (Psalm 46:1–2)
• “Fear not… I will strengthen you, I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:10)
• “The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:5)
• “Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)

Grounding practice:
Be seated with your feet on the floor. Imagine roots descending from your spine and arms down to your pelvic area , legs and feet.  Visualize those roots descending through the ground, deep into the earth, through rocks, dirt, water tables, and finally down to the earth’s core. You are anchored there. Now, place a hand over your heart. Inhale slowly and pray, “God is with me.” Exhale slowly and pray, “I will not fear.” (Philippians 4:5; Psalm 46:2).  Not because nothing is wrong—but because God is still God. Breathe in for 5 counts, hold for 4 counts, and exhale for 5 counts.  Repeat several times until you feel grounded.

2) Tell the truth to God: lament is faithful

• The Bible doesn’t shame us for grief or anger; it teaches us to bring it to God honestly.
• “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13)
• “I pour out my complaint… when my spirit faints within me.” (Psalm 142:1–3)
• “Let justice roll down like waters…” (Amos 5:24)

A short lament prayer:
“God we confess our fear and sorrow. We are troubled by harm done, by contempt for truth, by the suffering of people made in Your image. Do not let our hearts harden or our love grow cold. Teach us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with You.” (Micah 6:8)  

3) Remember what God says about rulers who do evil

Scripture is plain: God holds leaders accountable—especially when they use power to harm.

• God rebukes unjust rulers who fail to defend the vulnerable (Psalm 82:1–4)
• “Woe to those who make unjust laws… to deprive the poor of their rights.” (Isaiah 10:1–2)
• God condemns leaders who exploit others and “build… by unrighteousness.” (Jeremiah 22:13–17)
• God opposes shepherds/leaders who “feed themselves” and neglect the people. (Ezekiel 34:1–10)
• “When the wicked rule, people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2)
• “To acquit the guilty and condemn the innocent… the Lord detests them both.” (Proverbs 17:15)

This matters because it means that your moral clarity and sense of resistance is not rebellion against God. Scripture itself insists that oppression is not “just politics”—it is a spiritual offense.

4) Unity, Prayer, and Obedience: Hold truths together, remembering we are all one and that unity is diversity embraced, protected and maintained by an infinitely generous love. May the Spirit make us one

We are one:

• John 17:20–23 — Jesus prays that believers “may all be one.”  We are ALL made in the image of God.
• Ephesians 4:1–6 — One body, one Spirit, one hope; humility and patience preserve unity.
• 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 — Many members, one body; all baptized by one Spirit.
• Romans 12:16–18 — Live in harmony and with humility.
• Genesis 1:27 — All humans bear God’s image.
• Malachi 2:10 — “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?”
• Proverbs 22:2 — Rich and poor share the same Maker.
• Galatians 3:28 — In Christ, status distinctions don’t determine worth (“neither Jew nor Greek… slave nor free… male and female”).
• Colossians 3:11 — In Christ, human divisions are not the measure of identity or value.

God calls us to pray for our leaders, that they will do justice, love mercy and walk with humility (Micah 6:8)

The New Testament calls Christians to pray for leaders and seek the common good—not because leaders are always righteous, but because God cares for people under their decisions.

• Pray “for kings and all in high positions” so we may live in peace. (1 Timothy 2:1–2)
• Seek the welfare of the place where you live. (Jeremiah 29:7)
• At the same time: “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
• Daniel’s example: steady faith under unjust decrees (Daniel 6)
• The apostles: courage when commanded to silence truth (Acts 4:19–20)

A focused prayer:
“God, give our leaders wisdom and restraint; turn hearts away from cruelty and deception. Protect those most at risk. And make us courageous—never hateful, never numb—faithful to live as Christ commanded, with love for one another.  Send your light and Spirit across our nation to heal us all and make us one. Help us to repent of the things we’ve done – individually, communally, or as a nation – that have harmed others and help us to right whatever wrongs we can.”

5 practical rules for tense seasons:

• Pray before news (even 60 seconds). (Psalm 46:10)
• Limit doom-scrolling; set a boundary so fear doesn’t overwhelm you. (Philippians 4:8)
• Bless others through one act of mercy each week (food pantry, checking on a neighbor, supporting a local family). (Matthew 25:35–40)
• Stay in community—anxiety isolates; love reconnects. (Hebrews 10:24–25)
• Speak truth without contempt—firm, loving, honest, non-oppressive. (Ephesians 4:15)

6) A reading for anxious hearts

Leader: When the world feels unstable—
All: God is our refuge and strength. (Psalm 46:1)

Leader: When fear rises in the body—
All: The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5)

Leader: When power is misused—
All: The Lord loves justice. (Psalm 37:28)

Leader: When we are tempted to despair—
All: We will not grow weary in doing good. (Galatians 6:9)

Leader: When we don’t know what to do next—
All: Show us the next faithful step. (Micah 6:8)

7) Closing blessing

May God steady your heart, strengthen your spine and guide your voice.
May Christ guard your compassion from cynicism.
May Spirit give you wisdom, courage, and peace.
And may your life become a small, bright refuge for others—
a living testimony that love is stronger than fear.
(Psalm 46; John 14:27; Romans 12:21)

Federal retrenchments in health, education, and family support are leaving states to fill widening gaps. Cuts to Medicaid, narrowed Title IX protections, stagnant childcare investments, and uncertainty around reproductive rights all raise the stakes for Oregon families. 

Women and children often bear the brunt, but fathers, caregivers, and communities as a whole are also affected. Oregon must respond boldly with equitable healthcare, family care, childcare, and educational support that shields every household—especially the nearly 70% of Oregonians earning under $100,000—from destabilization.

Healthcare for all Oregonians: Building Toward Universal Coverage

In 2022, Oregonians approved Measure 111, making health care a constitutional right. In 2023, SB 1089 created the Universal Health Plan Governance Board (UHPGB) to design a comprehensive plan for delivering affordable, equitable care. By 2026, lawmakers will review proposals to unify coverage and financing.

Oregon already operates OHP Bridge, providing premium-free coverage for adults who are at 138–200% of the federal poverty level. Pairing this with federal 1115 Medicaid waivers and 1332 reinsurance mechanisms can channel federal funds into a single, sustainable system. Lessons from Colorado, Washington, and Massachusetts show that expanding coverage is possible, but only if cost growth is disciplined and affordability benchmarks are enforced (Colorado Health Institute, 2024; Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, 2023; Washington Health Benefit Exchange, 2024).

To make this more than an insurance program, Oregon should reward providers for better health outcomes—like improved chronic disease management, widely adopted preventive care, and reduced avoidable hospitalizations—and offer Oregon cities incentives for providing and funding community clinic spaces and support for new medical and nursing graduates in primary care roles.

Family Care: Paid Leave That Works for Everyone

Oregon’s Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) program now guarantees up to 12 weeks of paid leave (14 for pregnancy-related needs). Since launching in 2023, it has delivered over $1 billion in benefits to more than 150,000 people. Yet delays in processing and limited awareness—especially among fathers, self-employed workers, and small business employees—undermine its impact.

To strengthen PFML, Oregon should:

• Streamline applications and improve processing for faster benefit delivery.
• Expand outreach to fathers and caregivers in non-traditional roles.
• Integrate PFML with universal health coverage so families’ wages and health needs are jointly protected.

Childcare: Affordability as an Economic Imperative

Oregon has the highest infant care costs in the nation—nearly $18,000–$19,000 annually. Public investments have reduced “childcare deserts” from 27 counties in 2018 to just 9 in 2025. But demand still far outpaces supply.

Legislation such as SB 5514 ($225M for subsidies), passed in July, 2025, and HB 2593 (still in Committee; goal of bill is to reduce waitlists) should be implemented. State leaders can also expand support for childcare businesses and explore municipal childcare grants for cities that invest in facilities, or workforce training.

Education: Schools as the Core of Family Safety Nets

Schools are more than a place to learn—they are frontlines for child safety, mental health, and family resources. Narrowed federal Title IX protections risk undermining these roles. Oregon should maintain strong state-level Title IX standards that protect all students, including boys who underreport harassment and girls who face systemic barriers (Oregon Department of Education, Title IX Guidance, 2024).

Education funding should also be coupled with child wellness services in each community:

• Expand SafeOregon tip lines and mental health counselors in schools.
• Fund afterschool and early-learning programs as child-protection tools.
• Encourage partnerships between schools, healthcare providers, and social services so families can access multiple supports under one roof.

A Unified Vision for all Oregon Families

Oregon has a historic opportunity to weave together universal healthcare, strong family leave, affordable childcare, and robust educational supports into a cohesive safety net. Doing so will not only protect low to average income households from federal shortfalls, but also improve long-term community resilience.

The path forward is clear:

• Guarantee healthcare as a right—and make it affordable.
• Strengthen PFML so all parents and caregivers can use it.
• Cut childcare costs and expand supply statewide.
• Keep schools as safe, equitable anchors for every child.

When the federal government falters, Oregon must stand tall. By building systems that value health, caregiving, and education for everyone in our communities, Oregon can ensure her families have the stability to thrive.

A well-informed and deeply invested community is central to the work of Brandon Slyter and Nick Konan, both running in this May’s election for Chehalem Park and Recreation District board. Both men are campaigning to serve on the board because they see value and promise in the parks and public spaces available to Newberg/Dundee residents.

They hope that their voters will learn all they can about some of our community’s biggest assets. Its flourishing park system. Its state-of-the art recreational center, and multiple sports fields that are used year round. Its thriving pickleball club, as well as multi-generational activities too numerous to mention here. 

Brandon and Nick believe that what is known about CPRD’s decisions can sometimes seem a bit unclear, and that community members aren’t always informed about what CPRD is doing, nor what CPRD can offer the community. They are campaigning with the intent to provide more transparency and more communication in the board’s actions, which will translate into more accountability about how resources are allocated by the board.

“I don’t feel like the community knows what CPRD is doing unless they go to all the meetings,” Brandon said at a Saturday meeting. “And even then, there’s a lot of questions. People don’t know where their tax dollars are going. They’re not educated on what parks we even have sometimes. They could see how amazing our district is if the district put in that effort to tell everybody.”

As a parent and long-time Newberg resident, Brandon knows first hand how communication can make a difference. He cites a land exchange in his neighborhood, and the relinquishing of land in Friends Park to a private owner, as an example of when communication might have helped. According to Brandon, many in his neighborhood were “confused and frustrated” and did not know what was going on. “Nobody was communicating with us,” he said. 

Brandon continued, saying “I took it upon myself to do the research, to appeal the county lot line adjustment to force people to the table to say, ‘What’s going on? How can we work together and understand what’s happening?’”

“After we learned some details, we decided that as a neighborhood we wanted CPRD to hear our voice…We don’t want the lot line adjustment to happen,” Brandon said. He emphasized that people want their walking path to be safe from roads and they want shade from the trees that are at risk.

All this could have been avoided if communication had been better from the start. “So for me what’s important is that CPRD talks to the neighbors,” Brandon said, explaining that it felt like CPRD did the bare minimum required for communicating. He would like to see much more robust engagement with the community. 

One idea Brandon has proposed is QR codes available at every public park, directing users to a website with more robust information. He sees this as a simple way the district could communicate with residents, letting them know how their parks are being maintained, and–more specifically–how their tax dollars are being spent. 

Brandon already has substantial investment in his hometown. He serves on the CPRD Budget Committee, and has been certified through a district board training program. According to the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet, Brandon has a “decade of experience leading disaster relief teams and managing complex logistics,” and is running on the principles of “transparent decision-making, supporting the dedicated staff, and prioritizing the long-term sustainability of our parks and programs.”

Nick has also been involved in the Newberg/Dundee community, and has a long history of working with parks and recreation districts, starting with his first job as a park technician in the Beaverton area. Now, he serves on the Pickleball Advisory Committee, and–like Brandon–attends CPRD meetings to learn more about the board’s work.

He is convinced that public spaces have value: that they bring people together, and are important investments for the physical and mental health of those in communities. And it’s for that reason that Nick believes the board should communicate clearly with its constituents about decisions being made that can enhance their health–or not.

“I just in some ways felt that decisions were not being made for the masses,” Nick said of the current board. “It’s critical that the board should benefit as many people as we can with the decisions that are made.”

“This motivated me to want to be a part of CPRD and help set policy that ensures that our park district is going to be available and accessible to all of our citizens,” Nick added. “The money CPRD is spending is coming from community members, from all of our tax dollars, and decisions of how our tax dollars are being spent need to be thought through and need to be really intentional.”  

Fundamentally, both men are running because they care about our parks and care about our kids, and about how local resources can be best used to serve the entire community. 

“Being present in a local, non-partisan park position is important,” Brandon said, noting that this election might be decided by a few votes. Making informed decisions about the future of our community’s public spaces is important for Newberg and Dundee to thrive.