Don’t Expect Silence From Me
What I am not going to do in this time is stay silent. History will not remember me as a woman who stood by quietly while the things that matter most were under attack. All around social media, but even more poignantly in my own life, I’m hearing from BIPOC friends who are in shock. An entire country lighting up in red, voting for Trump 2.0, is not just a political statement — it’s a revelation of the soul of a nation. And while we can certainly agree that it was whiteness that gave him this major victory, let’s not ignore that others contributed too.
I believe the lack of holistic discipleship and the pervasive silence on issues that have historically shaped the church created the perfect environment for MAGA religious people (and no, I can’t call them Christians or Jesus followers at this point and yes I know some of you have a problem with me saying that, pero). This isn’t about partisanship. That’s a convenient excuse used to gaslight those of us who believe that Jesus and justice go hand in hand. Since 2016, politics hasn’t been “business as usual” — it’s been a circus. But the heartbreak for those of us who still hold onto a conscience and critical thinking skills is this: the church, more specifically, the Christian nationalist church, is the problem. And it must be burned to the ground.
Yes, I said that. Something that is killing us cannot be preserved. It must die. Like cancer that metastasizes, spreading through the bloodstream into every part of the body, Christian nationalism has grown into a deadly force. It has intertwined itself with every “ism” we’ve battled for centuries: racism, sexism, classism, you name it. And now, it’s not contained — it’s everywhere. The church, as we now know, which was meant to be a place of healing, has become a source of harm. People who once loved Jesus have fallen in love with idols instead. They’ve traded the original love of Christ for the idols of power, nationalism, and empire. Scripture is clear about what God says regarding idol worship: it offends the creator, and it destroys us. Isaiah 44:9 states, “All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.”
I’ve spoken with friends who moved to more affordable parts of the country, only to find themselves in communities where they don’t feel safe. Some of my friends share their friends have also been expressing this. Churches in these areas often espouse the values that make them feel othered and unwelcome. Others attend BIPOC-led churches but find that their pastors, often educated in white theological spaces, won’t address the elephant in the room ( no pun intended or maybe it is). Being BIPOC-led doesn’t mean a thing if those spaces are just puppets for empire.
This is not the time to go back to “business as usual.” Like the pandemic, where people were wondering HOW they would worship, people in Trump 2.0 wonder WHERE they will worship. And for those asking where they can worship in this new reality, let me say this: maybe it’s time to let go of the mental map that says worship must happen in a traditional church space. Digital faith communities are rising up specifically to break away from “church as usual.” If you find a safe and healthy traditional space, by all means, stay there. But if you don’t, this is the moment to explore these new spaces, born out of the conviction that the church can and must do better.
For Jesus followers wondering how to navigate this:
- Protect Your Mental Health: Limit your exposure to toxic conversations and environments. Prioritize rest and self-care.
- Find or Build Community: Seek out digital or in-person spaces that align with your values. Don’t be afraid to start small.
- Speak Truth: Don’t allow fear of being “divisive” to silence you. The gospel itself disrupts oppression. And as my friend Danielle Strickland recently reminded the folks at the HalftheChurch.net gathering this past weekend, “Fear is the currency of oppression!”
- Educate Yourself: Read widely, especially from BIPOC theologians and voices that challenge colonial perspectives.
- Study the Bible from a Decolonized Lens: Don’t just say we will study the bible; or be a part of a study that isn’t making this distinction. If you don’t know the difference, it is easy to sway you to overlook the things that matter to God for the things that only matter to you. Make sure you help or they help participants understand what this means. Studying the Bible from a decolonized lens involves approaching the text with an awareness of how colonialism has shaped traditional interpretations and seeking to rediscover the Bible’s liberating, contextual, and justice-oriented message.
- Practice Accountability: Hold leaders and communities accountable to biblical values of justice, love, and equity.
This is not about division; it’s about standing on the side of truth. Jesus flipped tables for less, and it’s time we do the same. For the sake of the gospel, for the sake of justice, and for the sake of our own souls, we cannot stay silent and please do not expect that from me!
