In my work with trauma, I often remind people trauma doesn’t only affect individuals but also can affect communities and even nations. Events like September 11 and the COVID-19 pandemic left lingering effects on how we function and interact with the world around us.
However, there is another form of collective trauma many would rather avoid naming altogether: The Epstein Files.
One of the reasons the release of the files is so important is they serve as a witness and testament to the ethics and scruples of the nation’s leadership. At stake is not just criminal accountability but a deeper psychological and spiritual question: Are we being governed by protectors or by predators? The public fixation on these files comes from a desire to believe the nation’s leaders, however flawed, are not fundamentally hostile to the innocent.
Kiah Wakefield
We already know there’s a different set of rules for those with power and wealth. That the elite play by different rules isn’t a new invention; for thousands of years, the wealthy and influential often have escaped consequences that would destroy ordinary citizens. This is neither a modern phenomenon nor uniquely American.
However, what makes the Epstein Files so destabilizing is that they collide with the democratic imagination. The concept of democracy is founded on the belief that we live in a generally moral and ethical society in which evil is punished. The Epstein Files completely shatter the narrative that society is just or moral. Epstein haunts the public imagination because it threatens the public perception that leaders actually care for people.
People don’t expect perfect leaders; they understand, by now, that politicians and leaders are humans with flaws and a history of mistakes. However, what they don’t expect are leaders who facilitate, cover and even benefit from the sexual abuse of minors. That revelation completely unravels public trust.
“When society no longer cares for its most vulnerable members, it violates deeply spiritual principles.”
When society no longer cares for its most vulnerable members, it violates deeply spiritual principles. For this reason, the Bible repeatedly advocates for the protection of children, the elderly, the disabled and the vulnerable. Jesus demonstrates this protective nature when, during his ministry, he says this of those who harm children: “It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to sin” (Luke 17:2). Jesus also warns against the abuse of children by stating, “Their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
Jesus placed children at the center of the kingdom, not at its margins. He warns that harming them will result in massive retribution.
The vastness of the Epstein ecosystem only deepens public distrust. Apparently, the list is long. It involved politicians, movie stars, financiers, CEOs, executives and many other influential people who used their positions to circumvent the laws. Scripture speaks clearly about leaders who exploit people rather than protect them. The weeping prophet, Jeremiah, states, “What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people, the shepherds of my sheep, for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for, says the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:1).
Very few people believe a utopia is possible, but there’s still hope and yearning for a society that protects the innocent. The Epstein Files destroy that hope and cause us to question: Are we ruled by guardians or wolves?
The Bible acknowledges the collective heartache people feel when wolves are in charge. It says, “When the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh” (Proverbs 29:2). People want rulers who punish evil, not orchestrate it. Although the Epstein Files are heavily redacted to protect the reputations of those in power, God, who sees everything, will, in time, render justice rightly and without partiality.
Kiah Wakefield is a writer and pastoral counselor who holds a master’s degree in pastoral counseling and a master’s degree in theological studies.