In many ways, 2025 has been a year of sharp, jagged stab wounds.

Don’t allow yourself to be a victim of the massive attempt by the government and its corporate accomplices to gaslight, divide and demoralize the American people.

Entire government departments have been eliminated or restructured to the point where they no longer bear any resemblance to what was once the envy of the rest of the world.

Programs and services designed to aid the least among us have been eliminated or drastically scaled back without regard to the human toll.

Migrants have been violently targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation, despite some of those targeted are legal citizens of the United States and have lived here for decades.

Scientific standards for research and medical care have been bulldozed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, who has zero qualifications to hold his post. Some states have responded by drawing up their own recommended vaccination schedules, based on previously issued Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

Medical, legal and other professionals who have worked for the government for decades have resigned for moral reasons, as they are being told to operate against their values and principles.

The arts and humanities have been on the chopping block, too. Funding for public broadcasting was slashed. The Kennedy Center, long known as a venue where only the best of the best perform and are honored with the highest of awards, has been turned into a caricature of what it was meant to be when our president took control of the center and board. Due to these changes, many artists scheduled to perform have canceled their shows, and attendance has plummeted.

All of the destruction to our democracy has culminated in the literal bulldozing of the east wing of the White House – the people’s house – without any notice and without going through the proper channels.

These cuts have happened without any sort of checks and balances whatsoever. The Supreme Court and the legislative branch, at least in their current form, have rubber-stamped much of what the executive branch has proposed, without regard to what their constituents have asked of them, much less what the Constitution lays out.

Perhaps the worst part of this is that millions of Americans are unaware of all that has happened. They either don’t pay attention to the news or they get their news from corporate media that have capitulated to the current president and his threats, and aren’t providing accurate reporting. In addition, the structure of this administration is such that anything resembling real transparency is a thing of the past.

This is where we are at the end of 2025, and based on what I have written, it all sounds pretty bleak. But whereas at the beginning of the year hope seemed impossible, many cracks in the administration’s attempt to control the narrative have begun to appear.

So, what does all of this mean from a spiritual point of view?

Choose softness. Choose civility.

Be soft with yourself, so that you can be soft with others.

Don’t allow yourself to be a victim of the massive attempt by the government and its corporate accomplices to gaslight, divide and demoralize the American people.

Ask questions and seek out legitimate news sources.

It takes will and effort not to become hardened by our anger and fear into a bitter and resentful people.

Many of us, including myself, are works in progress as we seek to channel our anger and frustration into constructive efforts to turn the tide the other way, back to a nation where we can disagree without violence and dialogue without contempt.

Finally, and this is most important, realize and remember there is a benevolent force that will long outlast any destructive entity that emerges in our world.

In the midst of all the chaos, it can be difficult to remember that this Divine Intelligence has sustained our planet and universe through billions of years of evolution, and especially since humans appeared.

And this Divine Intelligence has done so mindfully, methodically… and quietly.

When you are tempted to despair, remember that.

We are not alone, and we are guided and protected by this Divine Being in ways we do not know.

In the meantime, pray for the grace to distinguish fact from fiction and light from darkness.

Do good and seek the good.

It is far more prevalent than the darkness, and good will ultimately prevail over darkness and evil.

It always does.

• “Spirit Matters” is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.