Just as circus elephants can be "housebroken," the figurative elephants in conversations can be broken with truth-telling. (Photo by Bisakha Datta on Unsplash)
Special to United Methodist Insight | March 31, 2026
When our first granddaughter was about one, our family introduced her to the 3-ring circus. As the elephants came out and did their tricks, I noticed a strange thing: no pooper-scooper behind them. Could it be true that elephants can actually be house-broken?
Yes they can! They are highly trainable to use a bucket. Who knew?
So I ask you: “How do you housebreak a (metaphorical) elephant?” My quick answer: “Until you name the elephant in the room, you have no chance to house-break it.” I believe naming that elephant is a primary task of healthy truth-telling.
Metaphorical elephants need more than a bucket. They need a straight-forward dose of naming whatever “truth-piece” they deposit on the floor. If we don’t name that truth-piece, we spend all our energy side-stepping it.
To illustrate, I want momentarily to explore Christian Nationalism and the Iran War. (I really don’t mean to use the elephant symbol as a substitute for anything MAGA. Though in this case, it seems to turn out that way. “Elephant in the room” is really non-partisan!)
So many MAGA leaders directly or indirectly embrace the tenets of the elephant called Christian Nationalism: Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, Markwayne Mullin Trump’s nominee for DHS Secretary, House Speaker Mike Johnson, to name four. For them and so many followers, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is the toxic organization behind a fierce determination to make the Iran War into a “Holy War”, another elephant.
The NAR is based on a 1960’s-1970’s movement called Dominionism. Its Christian political theology insisted that Christians take dominion or control over key sectors of society through the abuse of power.
In his blog “God’s Politics With Jim Wallis,” Wallis contends that “At its core, dominionism is not truly Christian, and stands in direct contrast to the gospel of Jesus which is grounded in love and compassion, and humility.” I quickly and deeply agree with Jim’s effort to speak this truth-piece about Christian Nationalism.
He wants to clean up the droppings of the NAR’s distorted view of how Jesus lived and taught his disciples – then and now – to live out God’s peace-full (complete) plan for all humanity.
Trump and too many others seem to be listening to what Wallis calls the NAR “power-brokers.” Some military commanders have described the war as “biblically sanctioned” (really?). They tie this to the fundamentalist thought of the “End Times” as described in the New Testament Book of Revelation. A mis-reading for sure.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and some military leaders think this war is a “biblical war.” One of my questions: how do troops, pilots, naval ship personnel, anyone militarily committed, react if they totally disagree that this war is biblically driven?
Is the Iran War an elephant in your room? How much bigger does the elephant become when we add distorted religious beliefs into the “mix” being left on the floor?
Is truth-telling helpful to you as you try to get a grip on how to respond to your own fear, anger, despair, and even hope?
How do you distinguish between competing “divine missions?” One that brings needless death and destruction to persons and their cultures? Another mission that brings hope, love, and a sense of just treatment (justice) to all persons?
Missions in conflict, to be sure! What truth-telling do you need to engage in – whether within yourself and/or in company – so your own internal compass is set on your own “truth north”?
What standards do you use so you can choose which mission you want to embrace and encourage?
Housebreak your elephants! Tell your truth – and with hope!
The Rev. Paul R. Graves
The Rev. Paul R. Graves is a retired and “repurposed” United Methodist pastor. Formerly of Sandpoint, Wash., where he was active in civic matters, he now resides in Hillsboro, Ore.