Faith Pushback

Only together can we create a faith pushback to defend the vulnerable and democracy.

Last week we hosted a retreat for national faith leaders across the country. We were gathering just two days after the inauguration of Donald Trump. Clearly, a new era of American politics has just begun.

A friend and I were sitting together, and she noticed how those walking in the door looked very down. But when these leaders saw each other they quickly started smiling and didn’t just hug, but almost grabbed each other and hung on.

We all needed sustenance, which we found in worship, prayer, music, and fellowship time together. We no longer felt alone in trying to respond to the trauma that was already coming to many in our communities that we are called to serve. We met even though many of us weren't really sure what to do.

But we also really needed strategy. So over three days we gave ourselves to that. We focused our time on four pressing issue areas– bringing in experts in each area to resource us followed by breakout groups to identify action priorities.

Defending the vulnerable became the central commitment of the retreat. That is, of course, core to the gospel. No matter who anyone voted for, all Christians are called and clearly obligated to care and protect the ones Jesus called “the least of these.”

We started with the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants with ICE raids already happening even as we met. Despite saying they would start with detaining people with criminal records, it is already clear that the administration is arresting and detaining many people who have no criminal record. Of particular concern to this group was the Trump administration’s rescission of the sensitive locations memo– which directs ICE and CBP to not conduct raids or detentions in, amongst other locations, places of worship.

The commitment we made was to collaborate on faith-based non-cooperation with mass deportation in coordination with existing local groups and other new groups already forming around the country.

The retreat also focused on the moral tradeoff going on in Congress around the fundamental choices the nation will be making on the budget, taxes, and poverty reducing programs. The President and many in his party would like to pay for the huge tax cuts for the wealthiest among us by cutting health care and food programs from the poorest among us– including both Medicaid and SNAP. The new administration is also attempting massive cuts to organizations and programs like Meals on Wheels and Head Start that serve millions of people in need. Long standing financial aid to the poor is under threat including to many faith-based organizations with an added insult from Vice President J.D. Vance who accused Catholic Charities of only serving refugees for the money they receive for the work.

But at the retreat, sixty faith based organizations committed to act together to protect poor and marginalized people from being brutally impacted.

A focus on policing and the criminal justice system also offered scrutiny to the increased dangers to Black and brown people. Great attention was given to the potential attempts to erase the civil rights progress made over the last sixty years, with DEI and multiculturalism now under attack. Solidarity between Black, brown, and white churches is already being engaged in our circles and networks with more to come. A commitment was made to explore renewing the training of faith communities in nonviolent direct action.

We also discussed the distorted theology and political power of white Christian nationalists who believe the election result gives them a mandate to take further action on their false ideology. We are prepared to offer sharp theological and practical challenges which go beyond politics.

Throughout the retreat we reflected deeply on the role of the church “in a time like this”. We addressed the need to combine our local action organizing with strong voices to impact the national narrative. Media, and the lifting up of social media in particular, was seen as essential. We committed ourselves to together offer a faithful church voice that confesses Christ in the face of policies and rhetoric that are antithetical to the teachings of Jesus.

A text raised during worship on our retreat deeply resonated with me, Galatians 6:9 tells us:

Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for if we do not give up, we will reap our harvest in due time.

Despite everything we face, we must not give up. Together we will create an active, sustaining, and strategic network for a faith pushback to what is directly contrary to the meaning and integrity of our commitment to follow Jesus.

If you resonate with the four commitments in the critical areas above and want to connect with others to implement them, you can:

1. Connect with the local faith networks forming in many local communities now forming to protect undocumented immigrants and those who will be subject to the proposed massive funding cuts to the poor.

2. Reach out to your national church and denominational organizations and networks for leadership and guidance.

3. Speak truth and challenge injustice through every means- be it from the pulpit, in an op-ed or letter to the editor, in your social media, or interactions with friends and family.

4. Sustain and inform yourself through content like God's Politics and many others (which you can see in my recommendations list).

5. Join the Center for Faith and Justice mailing list to be kept up to date on the events, activities, resources and gatherings–many of which will also be virtual.

Only together can we create a faith pushback to defend the vulnerable and democracy.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9