A Pastoral Letter Regarding the Violence and Unrest in Washington on Jan. 6th
As you all know, Fr. Shawn has been on vacation, but in light of the events of the past week at the U.S. Capitol, he wanted to share some reflections in response. Please read his letter, and then take a look at some of the resources below.
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Rez family,
On January 6th, we witnessed a violent and deadly insurrection at our nation’s capitol. If you missed deacon Ryan’s sermon on January 3rd, I highly commend it to you. He did well to cast the Epiphany light of Christ on these troubling times, something I hope to contribute to in this brief letter. I know that some may have disagreements with what I’m about to express, or you may feel singled out or isolated based on these disagreements. I offer the following convictions with no pride or ill will, not to shame or call-out, but to serve you as best I can by pointing to Jesus and His kingdom.
Specifically, I feel the need to speak plainly about three major issues I witnessed on January 6th and the events surrounding it: Christian nationalism, white supremacy, and the erosion of truth.
Christian nationalism is, amongst other things, a misguided belief that a nation is an instrument of God’s saving power or that we can bring about God’s kingdom through governance. During the riot, I saw flags bearing the name of our Lord and heard chants that paired the saving power of Christ with allegiance to the president. Recently, Bishop Todd wrote, “fusing religious authority with political authority is idolatrous...The Kingdom of God as announced, demonstrated and embodied by Jesus, is an alternative political order which requires our complete allegiance. It leaves no room for nationalism.”
Another evil on display was white supremacy. Beyond its overt and visible symbols on January 6th, perhaps the most visible was the deference shown to this violent white mob. This evil has been promoted by many in leadership, and sustained by others' silence, deflection of blame, “what about”-ing, “both sides”-ing, and conspiracy theories. Our Christian witness defies white supremacy by acknowledging and honoring the image of God in all and by doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly before God (Micah 6:8).
Finally, both Christian nationalism and white supremacy operate on fundamental untruths. They are diametrically opposed to the aims of Jesus and His Kingdom. The way these evil powers bend the truth disproportionately harms the weak, poor, marginalized, and minorities. As our Canon Theologian, Esau McCaulley, asserted in his recent article: "Lies can only be maintained by violence."
We all seek and approach truth from our own view of the world, but truth can easily be eroded when we only acknowledge “truths” that fit our views and values and dismiss everything else. We often see this erosion of truth in entertaining conspiracy theories, in countless examples of bending truth to power, an unwillingness to acknowledge our own biases, and the dismissal of the perspectives of those unlike us, particularly our brothers and sisters of color. But truth is not a theory, or a social media handle, it is a Person, Jesus Christ (John 1:14). And we can recognize the truth of His reign because it is always cruciform, taking up a towel, becoming a servant, loving others, and protecting the weak.
Rez, there is so much more to say, and so much good and difficult work ahead of us as we navigate the events of this past week. And we will continue to engage these issues in the weeks and months to come. As you consider these three realities in our world, I want to leave you with the Lord’s invitation to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) We have everything we need to navigate the troubles of white supremacy, Christian nationalism, and the erosion of truth because we have real-world access to the Way, the Truth, and the Life--Jesus Christ. He is present by the Spirit in Word and Sacrament, attentive to our prayers, and discerned in the fellowship of brothers and sisters in the Church. Steeped in this Kingdom-reality, let us continue to become a community capable of listening and speaking to one another with wisdom and grace, repenting and lamenting where we find ourselves falling short, and courageously witnessing to the way of Jesus in a violent world.
Peace,
Shawn+
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We commend to you the following resources as opportunities to dig deeper into the realities Fr. Shawn named above.
Our bishop, Todd Hunter, penned this article on Christian Nationalism and published it the day following the events at the US Capitol.
Our friend and fellow priest, Tish Harrison Warren, wrote this article for Christianity Today on the events of last week, white Christian nationalism, and the church’s role and response.
Our Canon Theologian, Esau McCaulley, wrote this insightful article on the role of truth and power that has shaped the events of last week and the conversations around it.
For those who are looking to process these realities, you are not alone. We want to know how you are processing this all, even as we are processing it ourselves. If you have something to share or if you have questions, and you’d like to talk to a pastor, I invite you to email me directly, and I’d be happy to set up a phone call in the coming days and weeks.
Grace and peace,
Deacon Ryan
Image credit: Debbie Truong / DCist/WAMU
