American Holy War, Stolen Babies, A Pastoral Word on Politics
KTF Weekly Newsletter
Hey everyone,
Thank you to those of you who took the time to get out there and vote this past Tuesday! While we will need to wait to see the final outcomes of important runoff elections like Georgia, many analysts are viewing Tuesday’s results as a referendum on Trump. Moreover, it was encouraging to witness so many historical wins like Wes Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor; Robert Garcia, the first openly gay, formerly undocumented immigrant to be elected to Congress; and Andrea Campbell, the first Black woman to be elected to statewide executive office in Massachusetts. Leaving colonized faith looks like holding all voices as important and giving preference and support to vulnerable communities afflicted by institutionalized injustice. We celebrate everywhere this reality breaks through.
And now, this week's highlights!
Jonathan’s recommendations:
Lord Jesus as a shepherd of sheep in need of guidance, protection, and provision is my favorite image of Him in times of stress and desperation. And I have felt stressed, anxious, and in need this election season. So, for me, this pastoral word (0:53-5:06) from award-winning author, previous Shake the Dust guest, and my pastor Rich Villodas is a gift. Regardless of our political leanings, we should be welcome in the house of the Lord just as Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot both sat at the feet of Jesus. And we should all be challenged to submit our allegiances to the One who called us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly after God.
It is mind-boggling to me that the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is up for debate and possible destruction. The Supreme Court is hearing the case of a family in North Texas that wants final custody of a little girl against the wishes of her extended family, the Navajo people, and over 400 other Nations. As we have talked about in previous newsletters, ICWA was the legal response to the horrific practice of removing Native American children from their homes to place them in boarding schools and White homes. To divorce this case from the sordid history of forced assimilation, murder, and institutionalized violence towards indigenous people in this country is to continue the legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery. Followers of Jesus must lean into the complexities of our cultural narratives and heritages, especially when it comes to cross-cultural adoption so that we can say no to colonization and yes to justice. Signing this petition is a small way to do just that.
Frontline’s Michael Flynn’s Holy War is a documentary that explains clearly and succinctly what Christian nationalism sounds and looks like in action. It also illuminates in great detail why Christian nationalism is a threat to the stability of the United States and compromises the witness of so many American churches in our current day. Following the story of former U.S. Army General Michael Flynn, we witness the backstory of someone indoctrinated at a young age to merge faith and politics into an inseparable reality. We also see the run-up to January 6 and how the movement to control the government at all costs continues to fester and expand. It is a sober reminder that we need a discipleship that goes far beyond Sunday mornings and polite conversations over lobby coffee. There must be a concerted effort by believers to love our neighbors by being lovingly curious and, where appropriate, humbly confrontational.
Suzie’s recommendations:
This New York Times Magazine article provides a gut-wrenching look at the horror and heartbreak that occurs when the church aligns itself with a fascist regime. It chronicles the story of Ana Belén Pintado, one of Spain’s “stolen babies.” Towards the end of fascist dictator Francisco Franco’s time in power, many women reported that nuns in the maternity wards took their children. Some were told lies that their babies were stillborn or died shortly after birth. From early on in his reign of terror, Franco formed a strong alliance with the Catholic Church, assigning priests and nuns powerful roles in running the public education and health systems. Initially, the abductions were reserved for those deemed politically deviant but soon the forced removal of children by the state developed into a pattern of stealing babies from poor and often unwed mothers to be sold to wealthy, Catholic ones. In most, if not all cases, religious officials were complicit. It is a chilling chapter in history, and one we would do well to learn lest we allow it to be repeated.
Syria, a country that continues to be ravaged by a ruthless strongman, and Lebanon, a nation long held captive by a corrupt political elite, are now also battling the re-emergence of a deadly disease. Last month, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health reported the nation’s first case of cholera in almost three decades. This quickly escalated to 2,421 cases and 18 deaths in the past month, with roughly a quarter of those cases young children under the age of five. Across the border, U.N. agencies and other official sources also warned last month of a serious outbreak of the bacterial infection in Syria, with around 17,000 cases and 29 deaths reported in government and Kurdish held areas. May we demonstrate active support and prayer for the people of these troubled nations, remembering as well vulnerable communities across the globe afflicted by a rise in cholera cases driven by conflict, poverty, and the deadly repercussions of climate change.
In a previous newsletter, I highlighted historian and Christian activist Jemar Tisby’s Substack, Footnotes, which now also has its own podcast by the same name. In this recent episode, Tisby interviews Doug Pagitt, the Executive Director of Vote Common Good. Pagitt’s organization is committed to enabling Americans to vote according to values that encompass all of human flourishing. As a former pastor with a background in cultural anthropology, Pagitt is an incisive thinker and vivid communicator. He talks about how the goal of his work is not necessarily to change people’s minds, but “to provide an off-ramp” for folks who are already doubting their political affiliation. This is a particularly helpful episode for those feeling politically disaffected, and/or those who desire to encourage other voters in their political engagement. Pagitt’s model is inspiring, provocative, and worth your time.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
The KTF team