Dear friend,
There is one verse in the Bible that frightens me more than almost any other.
It is not about war. It is not about the end of the world. It is about grandchildren.
You will find it in Judges chapter 2.
The generation that saw.
Joshua had led Israel into the promised land. The walls of Jericho had fallen. Battle after battle had been won. And the people who lived through those years never forgot.
Verse 7 says the people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua, and of the elders who outlived him. The ones who had seen all the great things the Lord had done.
They had seen it with their own eyes. And so they stayed faithful.
Then comes verse 10.
After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel.
Read that again.
Another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done.
Not a generation that rejected God. A generation that never knew. Nobody told them. Or if somebody did, it never took root.
And verse 11 tells you what happened next. They turned away. Everything their parents had fought for was lost in a single generation.
Why I cannot stop thinking about it.
When I was a boy in New York, my mother used to sit me down at the kitchen table and tell me what she had lived through. What her parents had sacrificed. Why our faith mattered. I did not always want to listen. But I remember every word.
I wonder sometimes how many grandchildren in America are hearing those stories today.
Think about what this generation has lived through. A country that was nearly lost. A man who was investigated, impeached, charged and shot at, and kept standing. Judges appointed who protected the unborn. A fight for faith in the public square that many of you joined at real cost.
You saw it. You lived it. You prayed through it.
But this president’s time in office ends in January 2029. And one day, all of us who watched these years will be gone.
What will your grandchildren know?
Will they know what was fought for? Will they know why? Or will they be the generation of Judges chapter 2, who grew up knowing neither the Lord nor what He had done?
The question you keep asking me.
Many of you have written to me with the same worry. What happens after him? To the country. To the Church. And most of all, to the grandchildren.
It is too important a question for one short letter. So I wrote a full guide on it, called What Comes After Trump: The Bible And The Years Ahead. It looks at what Scripture says about the years after a leader like this one, and what you can do now to make sure your family does not become the generation that forgot.
You can find the guide by clicking on the image below:
Alternatively, you may find it here: https://fatherthomasletters.com/products/what-comes-after-trump
And if you would rather listen, I spoke on my podcast this week about the forgotten men and women of this country. It is about five minutes long: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vxZ5bHmGwehARWm4i0n7B
The generation of Joshua saw great things. They simply forgot to pass them on.
Do not let that be the story of your family.
God bless you, friend. You are not forgotten. Make sure they are not either.
With you in prayer always,
Father Thomas
This week I want you to do three things:
One. Read Judges chapter 2 verses 6 through 12. Then ask yourself honestly which of your grandchildren knows your story of faith, and which does not yet.
Two. Listen to this week’s podcast episode, using the link above.
Three. Reply to this letter and tell me who told you the stories of faith when you were young. A parent, a grandparent, a priest? I would love to hear.
One last thing.
If this letter meant something to you, please forward it to two people you love. A friend from church. A brother or sister. Someone who feels as alone in these times as you sometimes do.
Many of you found these letters because someone shared them with you. Thank you for doing the same.
Was this letter forwarded to you? You can receive them yourself, free, here: https://fatherthomasletters.com/subscribe
P.S. If you want more from me, here is where to find it:
My guides: fatherthomasletters.com/products
Become a Friend of Father Thomas.
Listen to my podcast: Father Thomas Podcast