Resources for spiritual strength and ministry: This post provides links to meetings and resources provided by interfaith and ecumenical nonprofits that are working to protect human rights and safety in the United States.
In his Nov. 7 statement on the U.S. Presidential Election, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe called on Episcopalians to “remember that God has called us in The Episcopal Church to seek and serve Christ in all persons. No matter the party in power, we are one church, and we will continue to fulfill our baptismal covenant by proclaiming in word and example the Good News of God in Christ, striving for justice and peace among all people, and protecting the dignity of every human being. We commit to working with the new administration to advance policies that follow the teachings of Jesus by supporting the most vulnerable among us.”
He went on to spotlight the vulnerability of immigrants, women, and LGBTQ+ people, and to exhort us to combat misinformation and fear disseminated by domestic terrorists and foreign adversaries. For example, African Americans–some as young as middle school students–received racist, harassing texts in the days after the election in several states including Ohio, prompting an investigation by the FBI.
National, statewide, and local groups have held post-election webinars and in-person meetings, and sent pastoral letters of their own offering spiritual support and encouraging concerned citizens to work together. These include Faith in Public Life, the Ohio Council of Churches, the Hunger Network in Ohio, and The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations, whose environmental justice advocate, Susie Feria, gave a briefing to the Province IV and V Creation Care Networks on Nov. 11.
Faith in Public Life’s national Zoom call Nov. 8 began with spiritual counsel. As we struggle with overwhelming feelings, the Rev. Jeanné Lewis of Faith in Public Life Action called on each of us to be a psalm! The psalms express the full range of human emotion, she explained, “but they ALL end in faith and hope.” She went on to recite the lyrics to the Gospel song Total Praise, based on Psalm 21.
Given President-Elect Trump’s stated policy goals on immigrants, Presiding Bishop Rowe highlighted the Episcopal Church’s role as an official resettlement agency for refugees. Groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to local non-profits like Heartfelt Tidbits in Cincinnati have developed response plans ranging from litigation in federal court to emergency response for families facing deportation.
We’ll continue compiling ways for concerned Episcopalians to join collaborative work to protect people in danger, but here’s a start:
- Faith in Public Life weekly strategy calls (nationwide), Tuesdays at 1 pm ET: These calls will be a space for faith communities to coordinate during this critical transitional period. Please email info@faithesrn.org to be added to the calendar invite. Please feel free to share this invitation with other trusted faith communities.
- Interfaith Justice Table: Fourth Thursday of the month hybrid meeting (Central Ohio churches plus a Zoom option) organized by Faith in Public Life and the Hunger Network in Ohio. This is a forum to discuss issues and brainstorm solutions in Ohio. Email the Rev. Nick Bates, Executive Director of Hunger Network in Ohio, at nick@hungernetohio.com be added to the list. The diocese provided Hunger Network with a Faith-in-Life grant this year.
- Advocacy in Advent, Dec. 10, Ohio Statehouse: The ecumenical Hunger Network in Ohio and other nonpartisan human services advocates will assemble in Columbus to advocate with Ohio legislators as they finish work on bills in the Lame Duck session, the last chance to pass or defeat bills before the new General Assembly takes office in January. We are following bills related to voter access, human services, environmental justice, and the treatment of trans people. Meet with your legislator, then stay on for the Stronger Together Legislative Reception at the Statehouse from 5-7 pm. Register here.
Faith groups are converging on several key messages that harmonize with the Presiding Bishop’s:
- Remember that God loves everyone.
- Don’t despair: have faith! “My biggest fear is that we forget how big God is,” says Miriam McKenney, diocesan Director of Dismantling Racism. “We have to stop being afraid.”
- Continue our mission to love God and neighbor.
- Listen to those affected, and work together for just, practical policies.
“These election results are going to require so much of faithful people who know that the definition of neighbor is not defined by national borders, citizenship, or immigration status,” says the Rev. Tom Fehr, Priest of Ascension, Middletown. “ It is going to call us to new levels of advocacy for every group of people marginalized in society. It will require us to stand face to face with others who have another definition of neighbor from that of Jesus. It will take a community effort.”
“We are not God. We can’t fix this alone,” said the Rev. Breanna Illéné of the Wisconsin Council of Churches during the Faith in Public Life national Zoom Nov. 8. “We need to create networks. lean into who we are and who the Others are: beloved of God. Remember to be curious, open to complexity, to ask ‘tell me more.” Remember who you are. If you have privilege, it’s time to use it. If you are vulnerable, protect yourself.” She also urged us to set boundaries: “take time. Choose your reaction time to events based on vulnerability. Offer grace where you can, ask God for it when you need it, especially when we are imperfect.
The Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Executive Director of the Ohio Council of Churches,” described the choice facing American Christians: “I expect those anchored in honesty and tethered to accuracy will admit that our past is plagued by incalculable acts of hate, violence, and dehumanization – sometimes sponsored by the state and sanctioned by organized religion. Students of historical truths who embrace facts will also admit that our country has a long and storied history of people whose loving, risky, and bold actions countered hate with respect, violence with peacemaking, and dehumanization with a blueprint for justice.
“These people, motivated by their deep faith and an abiding sense of the common good, helped heal the land by building social and moral infrastructures that increasingly affirmed the dignity of all people while seeking to secure democratic participation for people of every zip code, precinct, ward, and borough. By their selfless and courageous acts, immeasurable in numbers, these people saved the nation.
“Friends, there are people who at this hour are aspiring to let the clock run out, or turn it back altogether, on advancements in social justice, inclusion, and democratic participation. Of course, we pray for them, asking God to equip them to do things that make for peace, justice, and goodwill for all. Yet, the reality of this hour calls for us to decide where we go from here. Which part of our past will serve as the prologue of our future?”
The communications team of the diocese extends our gratitude to Ariel Miller from Ascension and Holy Trinity, Wyoming, who has been dedicated in writing “Advocacy Update” posts for our diocese for a number of years. This is the last of those separate blog posts in this format as we shift toward lifting up resources and justice stories as part of our main communications channels, aligned to our emerging mission and vision. Ariel continues as an occasional writer for the diocesan blog and newsletter. Thank you, Ariel!! – Canon Katie
