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Grieving Lindsey Graham & Ali Khamenei

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Jul 12, 2026 · 21:19

<p class="button-wrapper"><a class="button primary" href="https://thecrux.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=0652c030"><span>JOIN THIS COMMUNITY FOR $8/YEAR</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OTPb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b56140b-67b6-410f-b751-c91a3c1da45c_1071x1074.jpeg" target="_blank"><div class="image2-inset"><source type="image/webp" /><img alt="May be an image of text that says 'Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC If we nominate Trump, we will get destroya.....and we will deserve it. May 3rd, 2016 at 9:03 PM D0E INDIVISIBLE'" class="sizing-normal" height="1074" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OTPb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b56140b-67b6-410f-b751-c91a3c1da45c_1071x1074.jpeg" title="May be an image of text that says 'Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC If we nominate Trump, we will get destroya.....and we will deserve it. May 3rd, 2016 at 9:03 PM D0E INDIVISIBLE'" width="1071" /><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image" tabindex="0" type="button"><svg fill="none" height="20" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="1.5" viewBox="0 0 20 20" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image" tabindex="0" type="button"><svg class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2" fill="none" height="20" stroke="currentColor" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="pullquote"><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not represent those of my employer, any affiliated organization, or any institution with which I am associated.</strong></em></p></div><div class="callout-block"><p><span>Lindsey Graham&#8217;s death and the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remind me that when people pass away, we must examine the fruit of how they lived their lives. Sadly, most of us never see how most people live. We only see what they choose to show us. And because of media &#8211; especially social media &#8211; what the powers that be choose to platform and amplify narrows what we see and understand. So that makes grieving truly difficult. </span></p><p><span>Every person is made in the image of God, was loved by someone and loved others deeply. And so it is this reality we must remember when whoever it is &#8212; dies or is suffering. May God comfort all those who mourn and show how and why we should weep too. Grieving may be one of the most sincere signals of how deeply we love because our empathy embodies the stubborn refusal to dehumanize and degrade. The ability to mourn is a signal that we are still human.</span></p></div><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>A NOTE ABOUT MY WORK</strong><span>: On July 1, I started two new roles! I joined </span></em><a href="https://bit.ly/Support-CBR-ArochaUSA">AROCHA USA as a Senior Associate and Lead for Northeast Partnerships and I am establishing the Center for Beauty and Resistance</a><span>.</span><em> </em><span>Click </span><a href="https://bit.ly/Lets-WorkTogether">here</a><span> to learn more about how you can pray, give, learn and serve to nourish whole people and fruitful communities and care for God&#8217;s creation and teach others do likewise. If you </span><a href="https://bit.ly/Support-CBR-ArochaUSA">DONATE</a><span> you will be made a founding member. Thanks for your prayers, support and generosity.</span></p><p class="button-wrapper"><a class="button primary" href="https://thecrux.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p></blockquote>
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