Dear Siblings in Christ,
Today I am writing to the collective body of Christians who believe that the direction we have been going as a country is not the way of Christ — nationalized cruelty, increased wealth disparity, decimated healthcare, global warfare, and the acceptance, normalization, and encouragement of dismissing, dehumanizing, and destroying anyone or anything that is deemed less than or other.
This movement, often led and reinforced by those who claim Christianity as their guide, is not the version I believe in — and I know that many of you do not either. If we are not careful, their realization of a spiritual apartheid in this country will soon have anyone who thinks differently, lives differently, or believes differently increasingly targeted for control, repression, and erasure.
We are seeing it in education, immigration, healthcare, and more, so this is not hyperbole or "the sky is falling" thinking. I know it is often our human instinct to bend over backwards in the hopes that this authoritarianism is not coming or to claim some intellectual neutrality in the face of the unimaginable. I get it, we don't want to believe that other humans are willing and capable of perpetrating systematic horror upon others. While we tend to hold onto the general goodness of humanity, in this season, it is becoming clear that a freight train of evil is headed our way, and that our neutrality, no matter how much we hope it will help the world stay even-keeled, will not protect us.
Decisions about how our descendants will view our complicity in what our world is becoming lay painfully before us — the LGBTQIA+ community continues to be under attack for being who God created them to be, ICE is out of control as they racially profile, brutalize, and kidnap people from the streets, the wealthy are being rewarded for being wealthy at the expense of everyone else, the educational system is being warped into a system of censorship by theocracy, we continue to abandon the health of world while simultaneously bombing by proxy and on purpose, ruling after ruling from the US Supreme Court gives legitimacy and permission for the terror to continue, and the private prison system ravenously feeds on it all as it incarcerates humans into invisibility.
Now is the time to be the radically, publicly disruptive, empire-challenging Christ that many of us have preached about and called our people to follow in the face of injustice. Yes, we have been a faithful presence in the mainstream marches of our day, much like Jesus was the humble servant who participated in the celebration with palms waving as he entered Jerusalem. These are not bad gestures, especially in the small towns where any acts of collective justice-seeking are a risk, but he also risked himself by publicly standing with and for individuals and situations that challenged the empire of the day — he met the woman at the well, he defended the woman charged by the hypocrites of the day, he called for non-violence, he walked with people who struggled, he served when he was not supposed to, he loved, he calmed, he fed, and person after person, he healed. These are not merely feel-good stories to proof text our faith, but in these days, they are compelling arguments for us to step out of the protective enclaves of our privilege and meet people where there is need.
It is time for our activism and public witness to shift from the ease of celebrated mainstream marches to publicly disruptive movements. Quite simply, we need to show up where people are being targeted and play a more public role in protecting members of our communities who are under threat, and organize more effectively with the larger communities we claim to support.
This past week, as I participated in a rally in support of Guillermo Median Reyes (No relation), a young man I have gotten to know over the past year, I was once again reminded of the importance of communities caring for their own. After being part of a small accompaniment team during his last ICE hearing, which we thought went well, just a few days later, he was ordered to return and was told he was going to be detained. The community was not having it, and so we gathered: a broad and diverse group of people showed up as a manifestation of the community's love for a person who has done so much for the community itself.
This was a public action and community gathering fueled by love, not fear.
It was also encouraging to see so many faith leaders present. Faith leaders are often invited to participate and have been a visible and vocal expression of our commitment to follow the loving and just God that our traditions call us to follow. That said, it is often the same faith leaders who show up, and while I love me some OG faith-based activists, the movements need more of us. A committed few cannot shoulder the weight of the calling to be present at public actions. The need for public witness only grows, so as we do in so many other aspects of ministry, we must share the load.
But I cannot risk being arrested . . .
For those who have engaged in civil disobedience in the past and/or are contemplating doing so again, you have my most profound respect. As one who has faced similar risks before and may face them again, I know that today's risks are unlike any I have encountered in my lifetime. The current administration's complete disregard for due process and the seemingly unrestrained actions of ICE and Homeland Security could lead to physical harm and/or federal jail time. If this is a path that you are feeling called to, please connect with others, get trained in non-violent civil disobedience, and surround yourself with a community that will support you and your loved ones should anything happen.
Showing up at public actions does not mean you have to risk arrest. There are roles for everyone: red, orange, green, safety, de-escalation, sound, creating art, singing, passing out water, or simply bearing witness by being present.
While some have legitimate reasons NOT to show up at public actions (immigration status, family situations, etc), too many of us have manufactured an overestimated level of fear as a way to justify staying on the sidelines and letting others do the heavy lifting of public protest. We have bought into the propaganda that public actions (especially those populated by Black/brown people) turn violent and we have been convinced that law enforcement can be trusted and need no public accountability. The most shameful result of our absence is that is these public actions are often made up of the very people who are also being targeted by empire: folx of color, LGBTQIA+ siblings, people with varied immigration statuses, those who are struggling to survive, and those who have every reason not to trust law-enforcement.
As I ask the question of my commitment to my Christian faith, I do wonder where Jesus would stand. Where would Jesus show up? It is pretty straightforward. Jesus would be where there was pain and struggle, especially when it was brought about by injustice. Sure, there would be some risk, but time and time again, we are shown that the hesitancy of those around him was unwarranted and stemmed from fear for their safety and status. Jesus proves them wrong over and over again, showing them that hope and healing should always be the expectation. In our turn toward self-preservation and retreat into our sanctuaries of privilege, we have turned away from the One whose radical calling we have proclaimed from the pulpits of our actual sanctuaries. I fall into this all the time, and then I am reminded of what a waste of energy and a disrespect to my faith it is to believe that what I do in the world should be driven by the preservation of my position and privilege, rather than the promise of a collective hope and healing for us all.
My friends, colleagues, siblings, and strangers in Christ, it is time. I hope that you find the courage, conviction, community, and calling to join movements that were not previously part of your plan.
Jesus showed up. We should too.
If you do not know where to start, talk to your friends and colleagues who are more connected to public movements and actions, do some research on organizations that are trusted and regular organizing partners, and commit to showing up in any role that you are ready for at the moment.
Peace,
If you are in California, I encourage you to join the email list for the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity to stay informed about faith-based actions and organizing opportunities. (Disclaimer: I am on the board.)
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