Here in the Northern Virginia area many of our parishioners are under a considerable amount of anxiety and uncertainty due to the efforts of the current administration’s efforts on “government efficiency” (DOGE). This vale of worry affects federal sector employees, contract workers, suppliers, and professional service and consulting organizations – and it is exacerbated by poor communications, what seems like random directions, and wondering about the intentions of people “making lists.” One group of counter-cyber security people in an interdepartmental training program who had just graduated, had job assignments (and many had shipped household goods) were suddenly let go. A parishioner told me that when she calls her mom she has found it necessary to begin each conversation with, “Mom, I still have a job.”