Trump Tries to Punish Harvard, Supreme Court Blocks Christian Charter School, Commencement is Contentious at Columbia, NYU, CUNY, GW and more.
Plus: American Religion in 2024, Poems and Prayers for a Pivotal Week
Friends! Praise God that the Georgia student who was detained is now back at home. We continue to pray against her deportation. Praise God that Mohsen Mahdawi walked out of detention and across the stage at Columbia. We pray that Mahmoud Khalil comes home soon, to hold his baby not in a prison. Logan Rozos who protested at NYU still has not received his diploma and CUNY Law students walked out this afternoon. Times are contentious at the intersection of faith, higher education and politics. God is faithful and wisdom in community can keep us grounded.
Please join us for Jesus, Justice and the University: 5 Year Reckoning After George Floyd on June 4 at 12pm EST and Prayers for People in Power on June 6 at 12pm. We can mourn, rejoice, learn, pray and work together toward a more just and loving world.
Here are 5 things we believe are worth your time:
NYU, GW, CUNY and More Graduates Protest for Palestine
SCRIPTURE AND PRAYER
Poems and Prayers for Pivotal Week
We must stay grounded in a world that is increasingly chaotic, fear-driven, and so self-preserving. The Lamberts live in Austin, Texas and compiled a diverse set of prayer and poetry that I found particularly helpful this week. This prayer particularly: God, Keep my anger from becoming meanness. Keep my sorrow from collapsing into self-pity. Keep my heart soft enough to keep breaking. Keep my anger turned towards justice, not cruelty.Remind me that all of this, every bit of it, is for love. Keep me fiercely kind. Amen. I pray it grounds you too.
STATISTICS
There are lots of headlines from lots of niche faith communities in the United States. I believe that this report is one of the most comprehensive. The Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and education organization based in Washington, D.C. PRRI specializes in conducting public opinion polls and in-depth research at the intersection of religion, culture, and politics in the United States. Robert P. Jones, Ph.D. is the president and founder of PRRI and a leading scholar on religion, culture, and politics in America. Sharp generational, age and educational divides animate the charts. Lots of great data to mine!
STORIES
Trump Bars 10,000 students from Harvard, Harvard Sues
The Trump administration told Harvard yesterday that international students would be barred from enrolling and DHS Secretary, Kristy Noem warned other universities that likewise action could follow for them if they resisted. And this morning, Harvard sued. Now begins a likely long-term battle and could be costly for parties. ¼ of the Harvard community is international students and Trump is losing court cases around the country as many of his executive orders are resisted from attorneys general, non-profit CEO’s, and more. As of this posting, a judge has sided with Harvard but students are still filled with fear and confusion. If you haven’t seen our webinar on international students, now is a great time to watch it! .
Commencement is Contentious around the country
Last week, NYU withheld a diploma from Gallatin’s valedictorian and this week the backlash continued as Columbia’s acting President was heckled incessantly, demonstrators at George Washington University and the commencement speaker has been banned for opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The opposition will surely continue as CUNY law students walked out today and the state of Israel doubled down on keeping aid out of Gaza. We pray for a ceasefire, the end of the genocide and all prisoners and hostages to be released. Lord have mercy.
Supreme Court Blocks Christian Charter School
The Supreme Court issued a rare 4-4 decision blocking Oklahoma from creating the nation’s first taxpayer-funded religious charter school.Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case without providing a reason. The Court’s unsigned, one-line opinion upholds the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling, stating that taxpayer-funded religious schools would violate both the state and U.S. constitutions. Oklahoma has a recent history of trying to get Trump Bibles in every classroom by Fall 2025 and pursuing an agenda heavily influenced by Christian nationalism. This follows a troubling nationwide trend toward removing the separation between “church” and state.
Pride, Narcissism and Hurry: Which one is it for you?
I believed a quote by Pope Leo XIV that wasn’t true and saved it for a repost later.
Y’all, last week, I posted a homily here that I had to revise because it was not Pope Leo XIV. The algorithm hooked me with a photo, a post and a video. Don’t forget to reflect on where you’re at, be present to yourself, God and those around you. And stay grounded in the God who does not change even while it seems so much is uncertain. He is faithful and will hold us up and together at the intersection of education, politics and our faith.
In Christ and for His Glory,
jonathan
PS. Pre-order your copy of “Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair” to be released on November 11, 2025.
