Sept 26, 2025
Dear church,
Yesterday, I gathered with 300 other clergy out of a shared sense of urgency. We – Christian pastors, Imams, Rabbis, and leaders of Buddhist communities – came together because we know we have to do something to respond to, and to disrupt, the authoritarianism that is taking over our country right now. It is not right, nor is it inevitable. And so we gathered to name the truth of what’s happening, and to claim the power we have to organize ourselves and to act together with great moral courage.
A local pastor stood up and said (this is not a direct quote, just my summary of what he shared):
It feels to me like right now, in this moment, there is one light shining. It’s like being on my deck at night with one light on, and all the bugs and critters flock toward that one light. There is one voice that is speaking for those of us who are Christians, and yet we know, we have a light to shine, too! We follow a God who has called us to feed the hungry, love our enemies, put down the sword, and welcome immigrants among us. Friends, we have to let this light shine! Now! And we need to find a way to shine it, so that others in our country can see that there are Christians who are willing to stand up, tell the truth, and fight for a more just and loving world.
It was so heartening and encouraging to be in that room yesterday, and to learn of the concrete actions that are being put together by religious leaders across our state. I was reminded again that so many of the movements that have shifted history toward justice have been initiated and sustained by people of faith. We find ourselves in a historical moment when that, again, is needed. I’m so thankful for the work that is happening to form a movement so that, with other people of faith, we can come together and shout “no more!” to authoritarianism and white Christian nationalism.
I will share more concrete opportunities to get involved as they become available. I mostly wanted to write to y’all today to let you know that Pastor Reed and I are showing up in these places and conversations. We are both committed to using our voices and our power as pastors to advocate for those who are the most vulnerable right now. And we are also committed to equipping the community of Grace to join in the work alongside us. Every single person matters in this work! Thanks for being a community that so passionately welcomes, advocates, and cares for all of God’s children. That is one way we are trying to shine our light in the world right now, and it matters! Keep it up, church.
With hope for what is still possible,
Pastor Sarah
Every Friday, we send an email to the congregation and any others who would like to learn more about the Grace community. The last four Friday emails are posted below.