Today I joined with friends and community members in Liberty, MO in a gathering of “Call the Beloved Community,” an organization based in opposition white Christian Nationalism. Most of the people who gathered identify as Christian but the invitation to walk and to join in community opposition to extremism is explicitly open. I joined with others where there were discussions about the dangers of white Christian Nationalism and how we must unite as communities, and as a nation to overcome this danger. For some it is a defense of governance that is meant to be representative of collective interests and which should not favor any establishment of religion. For many it is a spiritual call to defend against the twisting and weaponization of their Christian faith corrupted by a politics centered on gaining and retaining power.
I listened to members of my community speak about how their faith guided their lives, lives that focus on taking meaningful actions to follow the teaching of Jesus who compelled followers to feed the hungry, care for the orphans, love their neighbours, and to live lives guided by peace and gentleness. These guiding principles are betrayed by policies which favor the wealthy at the expense of millions of Americans who experience housing and food insecurity, and lack access to basic medical care, to say nothing of policy that favors force, violence, and subjugation.
Gathering in these spaces brings me joy and moments of peace, I am reminded that a future that is guided by the commitment to justice and peace is possible through community action. We are not helpless, or hopeless and world that our children will inherit will be shaped by the words we speak and the actions we take today.