A Statement On the Events at St. John’s Church
The following is a statement from Pastor Chris on the recent events at St. John’s Church in Washington D.C. For sources and context, please go here and here. Following the video is the full text of the statement. You may also download a PDF of the statement here.
Full Text of the Statement
Yesterday evening, Federal security forces attacked peaceful protestors in Washington DC. This operation was then extended to St. John's Church. Federal forces used concussion grenades and gas canisters to assault clergy and medical personnel, forcing them away from the church. This act of aggression and violence toward peaceful civilians, clergy, and medical personnel would be indefensible under any circumstances. However, the reason for this assault was to allow President Trump to pose with a Bible in front of St. John's Church for a photo op.
Let me be clear: the church is not a backdrop, nor is the Bible a prop. To drive clergy away from their church with grenades and gas to allow our President to be photographed with holy scripture is beyond repugnant; it is blasphemous. Scripture is clear: God is pleased when we pursue justice, especially for those on the margins, but is angry when we use our power to threaten, coerce, and harm others. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is antithetical to the words and actions of our President over these past few days, and to commandeer a church to try and legitimize his campaign of violence is unconscionable.
Today I stand in solidarity with the leadership of St. John's Church, the Bishop of Washington, and the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church; and I join in their condemnation of this outrageous act.
This past Sunday the church celebrated Pentecost; the coming of the Holy Spirit. In A Brief Statement of Faith, one of the confessions of the Presbyterian Church, this is in part what we proclaim about the Spirit:
In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
Today it is more clear than ever that we need to be about the work of unmasking the idolatries of violence and white nationalism in America. They are a poison to our nation and must be resisted and condemned. For too long have we turned a blind eye to injustice in our midst, accepting as normal the mistreatment of our black and brown siblings, or mourning it as an unfortunate, but unchangeable reality.
When I was a kid in school a frequent topic of conversation in our history classes was, "What would you have done?" What would we have done if the Underground Railroad coming knocking at OUR door? What would we have done if Anne Franke needed shelter in our house? What would we have done during the Civil Rights movement? Today, we get to answer that question. For what we are doing today is what we would have, and will have, done.
May God strengthen us for the road ahead.
Amen.
