It is the things you forget even to teach that they learn. — G.K. Chesterton

On Jan. 20, President Trump put an immediate 90-day freeze on all USAID money. Though it only accounts for 1.2% of all U.S. federal spending, USAID is 75% of U.S. nonmilitary charitable giving around the world. 

It’s never a great feeling to know that your country, one of the wealthiest in the world, is withholding help to hungry and sick people, but I became even more troubled by the response from my home community. 

The good people who raised me taught me to love God, believe the Bible and live out Jesus’ teachings. So imagine my astonishment to hear these same people proclaim “Trump is doing amazing things” after cutting almost all U.S. nonmilitary foreign aid. 

When asked, “But what about the hungry children?” they reply: 

“Other countries need to figure it out. We can’t solve the world’s problems.” 

“They spend millions of dollars on transgender surgeries and abortions. We can’t support that.” 

“We can’t afford to fix everything.” 

“We have a lot of things here in the U.S. that need help.” 

I don’t want to sound patronizing, but honestly, these answers get an “F” in Jesus 101. 

The Jesus I was introduced to in the 1980s taught: Do unto others. Love your neighbor as yourself. Sheep versus goats. Minister to the least of these. 

Apparently, in 2025, my role models follow a Jesus who tells the hungry, thirsty and naked to figure it out for themselves. 

The people who taught me my basic concepts of right and wrong have gone back on their teachings. I feel betrayed. 

Why do I care what my past Sunday school teachers believe now? The cool teens I looked up to as an elementary kid? My parents, pastors, aunts and uncles, music leaders, youth leaders or other adults I observed as I grew up? 

It matters because these people were, in part, themselves the lesson. Yes, they taught me through sermons and Bible study. But, even more, they lived their faith and values.

A perfect example is the Mennonite Central Committee relief sale. This was one of the highlights each year for our community. Huge tents went up behind the high school. There was a flurry of sign-up sheets and announcements at church. People baked pies, built bookshelves and quilted quilts. There was hot food, auctions, games for kids, music and happy noise. 

The relief sale was our version of a county fair, except that while the fair existed for fun and capitalism, the relief sale was for others. 

The highlight for me was the Selfhelp Crafts store that sold items made by artisans from all over the world. Started by MCC, Selfhelp (now Ten Thousand Villages) was, arguably, the first fair-trade organization. 

For several years, my mom was in some kind of leadership role with the store, so we got to go the night before to unpack the boxes and set up the merchandise. Oh, the beauty and wonder that came out of those boxes! There were jute plant hangers and soapstone candle holders. There were carved wooden elephants and jewelry boxes inlaid with mother of pearl.

Looking back, I remember the respect and awe the adults had for the products and the people who made them. The objects were beautiful and exotic, but they also represented talented, hardworking people (usually women) trying to raise their children and support their families. We knew we were helping them by importing and selling their wares, but these weren’t nameless stereotypes of pity. These were humans, like us, working hard to care and provide for their families and community. 

USAID money goes for economic development, similar to Selfhelp. I can’t believe the adults I remember at the relief sale applaud that those programs have lost their funding. 

In South Sudan, World Relief, an evangelical Christian organization, has had to stop its program for severely malnourished children. In six countries in West Africa, Helen Keller Intl has suspended its work to treat and prevent blinding and disabling diseases due to lack of funds. 

Much can be debated about politics and events in our world. We don’t know if Jesus would want to shut down the Department of Education or impose tariffs on China. 

We do know how Jesus feels about helping the least of these. 

If you are excited about what the Trump administration is doing to downsize and restructure the government, that’s fine. But, as a Christian, for the literal love of God, at least also say, “But I’m concerned about the cuts to USAID and its impact on the most vulnerable in our world.”

Speaking from personal experience, the children are listening.