When the lights go out in Washington, the darkness stretches far beyond the marble halls of government.

A federal shutdown is not just a bureaucratic failure. It is a moral mirror. It shows who we have become as a people when paychecks stop coming, safety nets strain, and those who serve our nation find themselves standing in food lines.

America, the land of plenty, now watches her own servants waiting for groceries in church parking lots and community centers. That should make each of us pause.

This is not only a political crisis. It is a spiritual one. It exposes the sickness that has spread quietly through our schools, our entertainment, our politics, and even our pulpits. We have forgotten that man is not his own master.

We have replaced reverence with rebellion and conviction with convenience.

Across the nation the shutdown has revealed how fragile our confidence is when it rests on worldly systems.

Federal workers, families, and small businesses are waiting in lines for food, not out of laziness but because their hope was tied to an institution that failed them. God often uses our need to remind us where our real provision comes from.

What is unfolding in Washington is not just gridlock. It is a war between good and evil. America has spent decades drifting from her foundation in Jesus Christ. We have taught our children that truth is subjective. We have celebrated sin and called it freedom.

We have preached tolerance so loudly that we no longer know how to stand for what is right. Over tolerance has become our idol. It has turned conviction into cruelty and truth into what many call hate speech. We must find our backbone again.

The backbone of this country was never political ideology or cultural conformity. It was faith in the living God.

Into this moment stepped a movement that has awakened the younger generation. Charlie Kirk’s leadership through Turning Point USA has helped draw young people back into the public square and, in many cases, back to faith.

His message that courage and conviction still matter has reached campuses and churches alike. Through conferences, podcasts, and student chapters, he has reminded millions of young Americans that faith, freedom, and service are not outdated values. They are the foundation of a moral nation.

In Alabama, Republican leaders have reminded Washington that service to the people must come before politics.

House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, and Senators Greg Albritton and Arthur Orr wrote, “The bottom line is that Alabama, like every other state, relies heavily on federal funding to serve its citizens, and these are not chips Congress should be bargaining with.”

U.S. Senator Katie Britt has also spoken plainly: “This is the right thing to do; to fund the government, to give us more time to actually work through these appropriations bills.”

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville echoed that frustration: “They’re holding the American people hostage because they want leverage. You can’t get blood out of a turnip.” These voices call for conviction over chaos and for leaders who put principle before posturing.

Godly leadership is what this nation is starving for. It is time for men and women in power to seek wisdom before authority, humility before fame, and prayer before policy. Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”

America needs leaders who kneel before God so they can stand before the people.

Yet as politicians argue, our soldiers and their families are caught in the crossfire. The very people willing to defend this nation are the ones now tightening their belts. Some military families are waiting on back pay, skipping essentials, and visiting food banks near their bases.

It is shameful to see those who stand guard over our freedom standing in line for food. A country that can fund every luxury project yet cannot feed its defenders has lost its moral compass. We are starving the very people who protect our right to argue, to worship, and to live free. That should grieve us deeply.

While government fails, ordinary Americans have stepped up. Christian-owned businesses all over the state have offered free meals to furloughed workers. Grocery stores and local restaurants have donated to food drives.

A construction company in Montgomery quietly paid its subcontractors to keep families afloat. Churches across the country have opened their doors not just for worship but for relief, proving that compassion does not wait for permission.

This is what godly leadership looks like—faith in action. It does not ask, “What do I gain?” It asks, “Whom can I serve?”

Every American now faces a choice that goes beyond party or politics. We must decide whether we will live by the Word or by the world. The world promises comfort and applause, but it leaves us empty. The Word promises struggle and sacrifice, but it leads to life. We cannot hold the Bible in one hand and bow to the culture with the other.

Let’s get back to an America that humbles itself before God, honors family, values life, defends the innocent, and speaks truth with love. The shutdown may end soon or later, but the deeper question remains: will America reopen her heart to Jesus Christ?

If we choose to return to Him, then every closed office and every empty paycheck will serve a greater purpose. God allows the lights to go out so that we remember who truly brings the dawn.

Laura Johnston Clark is a wife, mother, and businesswoman. She grew up in the Wiregrass and now lives in Birmingham with her husband, retired Air Force Col. David Etheredge. She is a member of the Alabama Republican Party.