If Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has secrets, his Christian faith isn’t among them. One of his tattoos quotes Matthew’s Gospel: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Mt 10:34).
His faith has drawn renewed scrutiny since the United States and Israel jointly bombed Iran four weeks ago. He often quotes Scripture during the monthly evangelical worship services he hosts at the Pentagon and to eulogize soldiers who died in the ongoing war.
The New Republic noted his use of Psalm 144, for example: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. He is my loving God, and my fortress. My stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I take refuge.” He also quotes from Psalm 18: “I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.”
Mr. Hegseth is also comfortable praying publicly, saying at a prayer service after the war began: “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”
Despite identifying as a Christian and often calling upon Jesus, Mr. Hegseth has not demonstrated a proclivity for the New Testament (other than the tattoo, which refers to conflict). He is certainly not prone to quoting from the verses of the New Testament that refer to Christ’s Passion, which the church commemorates during Holy Week.
I thought of Mr. Hegseth this past Palm Sunday during the lengthy Gospel reading. One of Jesus’ followers (whom the Gospel of John identifies as Simon Peter) draws his sword to defend the Lord. Jesus says to him: “Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mt 26:52).
Some may accuse Catholics of paying too much attention to Christ’s Passion, but the writers of the Gospels are guilty of the same. A third of the Gospel of John, for example, focuses on the events of Holy Week.
The narrative of the Lord’s Passion we hear on Good Friday is from John’s Gospel, which stresses the divinity of Christ. The evangelist describes Jesus as knowing what is to come and submitting to it anyway. The Lord grounds his teaching of nonviolence—to “turn the other cheek” (Mt 5:39)—in his own body. Earlier in John, Jesus had said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (15:13). In his Passion, the Lord lays down his life. Peter, the one who drew the sword, denies Jesus three times.
Christians have meditated on these narratives for centuries. The Paschal Mystery is central to Christianity and has historically shaped Christian understanding of war. This understanding is in stark contrast to that espoused by Mr. Hegseth, an evangelical Christian.
Throughout its history, the church has maintained that nations should engage in war reluctantly and with great lament. War is a tragedy and should be a last resort.
Take, for example, St. Cyprian, who wrote in the third century that a Christian “must neither return evil for evil, nor bear hatred.” Or St. Augustine, who named “love of violence, revengeful cruelty and fierce, implacable enmity” as the evils of war. Much more recently, Pope Benedict XVI said, “Jesus has revealed to us that love and forgiveness are the true methods for building peace.” In comparison, Mr. Hegseth’s call for the utter destruction of those “who deserve no mercy” feels like a different religion.
In fairness, Mr. Hegseth is charged with specific duties as the defense secretary. He must assess threats, deter them and form strategic alliances with other countries. The Department of Defense must ensure the safety of the United States, a challenging task given the nation’s many enemies. Given the rapid development of military technology, his job is only getting harder.
Still, if Mr. Hegseth’s ultimate goal is in fact peace and not the sword, meditating on the Passion would help. Jesus does not meet violence with violence, but instead suffers it and overcomes it. From the cross, Jesus asks God to forgive those who crucified him (Lk 23:34). Jesus demonstrates his love for his enemies, and he calls us to do the same.
Defending the United States does not require an appetite for war or the dehumanization of people we consider our adversaries. Iranians are also made in the image and likeness of God. They, too, are God’s children. Mr. Hegseth is a Christian. He should recognize that.
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