Christian Smith, a former USAID officer, faces a challenging intersection of personal and family crises while navigating complex political and religious beliefs. Though Smith lives in Europe, the world’s increasing migration patterns keep the author intimately tethered to his mother. Today, she is in the United States, battling a return of cancer that metastasized to her bones. Yet, his mother’s illness looms large over him. This burden becomes doubly difficult with the loss of his father six months ago. The timing was excruciating. He passed away only two days after his mother emailed him the very article about Israel that caused them their biggest argument ever.
The death of his father continues to deeply impact Christian Smith. He now calls his mother almost every day, doing everything he can to keep their strong bond alive even through the distance. This effort is particularly poignant as he grapples with the grief of losing a parent while supporting a mother facing a dire health crisis. The emotional weight feels like a crush, especially in light of the radically different political and religious beliefs that frequently appear in their discussion with one another.
Smith’s relationship with his mother revolves around her disapproval of him and his disavowal of her homophobia, transphobia, respectability politics, and bigotry in all her forms. Just last week his mom posted this article. It contended that those who criticize Israel don’t really care about victims; they just have difficulty coming to terms with the fact that God is always on Israel’s side. This outside-in perspective has inspired curious and sometimes contentious conversations among each of them. Smith fervently implores his mother to see the humanity on the other side of an opposing argument. Every day, he taps the creativity and passion for justice she cultivated in him—the seeds she planted of universal love and compassion for the afflicted.
Yet, even through these profound ideological divides, Smith is determined to encourage connection and healing. He doesn’t stop there. He remembers the way his mother raised him to love each other and pay attention to the pain that’s in the world. And yet, he’s having a harder and harder time crossing that divide in what they believe. Their discussions often turn to arguments, and then it takes a third sibling stepping in to calm down the situation before blows are thrown.
Christian Smith’s fight goes deeper than a family feud. As most of you know, he lost his position professional earlier this year with USAID. The new administration has essentially closed down this organization, which the White House has characterized as doing wasteful work. As past municipal corporation counsel, this loss weighs very heavily upon me. It’s not merely a professional setback; it diminishes his work life fulfillment and happiness, making him feel like his country is escaping from under his grasp.
This intersection of personal loss and political disillusionment weighs heavily on Smith’s tone. He imagines the horror of watching both family discord and national catastrophe unfold ever more rapidly in a violent time. The dual crises of caring for ailing family members while grappling with job insecurity paint a grim picture, yet he strives to find hope amidst the chaos.
In recent months, Smith has gone through a period of profound contemplation about his experiences and faith. Though they may have their differences, love is what he believes to be at the heart of his relationship with his mother. Through this letter, he hopes to remind her and himself of the power of empathy and understanding in an all-too-polarized world.
Though Christian Smith undergoes tremendous personal struggles, he remains upbeat. He’s counting on compassion and a willingness to dialogue to bring him and his mother to a place of mutual agreement. He thinks that periods of despair can foster development and restoration. It doesn’t mean there isn’t always room to fortify their family vibe.