Some might ask, “Is it ok for Christians to protest?” A better question is, “Why and how should Christians protest?”
Minnesota is facing a human rights crisis. Good church people have many views on immigration, pathways to citizenship, border control, and amnesty, so we could debate policy all day. But one thing is not up for debate: Christians must speak out when our neighbors are being harmed.
We are seeing:
• An elderly man hauled from his home in his underwear after they pointed guns at the family
• Teenagers restrained at their Target jobs while trying to retrieve their papers, then abandoned miles away in tears
• A disabled woman dragged from her car after receiving mixed instructions
• A man pinned beneath four agents while one knees him in the head repeatedly and another worries more about being filmed than stopping the violence.
Jesus did not stay silent when things weren’t right. His entry into Jerusalem on a donkey with palms waving was an act of public witness: a protest against the brutality of empire and a declaration that peace rules.
Martin Luther, the spark of the Protestant movement, protested because he loved the church too much to let it deny grace to the poor. “Protestant” comes from the root word “protest.”
John Wesley, founder of our Methodist tradition, preached in public locations that personal faith must be tied to social responsibility—care for the poor, the imprisoned, the vulnerable.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave us a modern roadmap for nonviolent action that exposes injustice by confronting systems of power. He did this out of love for God and neighbor.
These folks spoke up very publicly because they witnessed things they could not ignore. So what would you have to witness for your heart to be stirred enough to stand up and say something? You’d likely stand up if harm was done to your own family or a close friend. Would you if it was a church friend or neighbor? How about a fellow US citizen or even a stranger?
To be clear, while Christian protest and secular protest share many strategies, important differences exist. As a Christian protester, you might find yourself right next to secular protesters, saying and doing the same thing. You might also find yourself at odds with some tactics of secular protesters even though you believe in the same cause.
Christian protest is rooted in:
• A moral calling to defend the oppressed
• The belief that every person is made in the image of God
• A desire to elevate the marginalized and soften the hearts of oppressors
So what does that look like?
Instead of a sign that says, “ICE sucks,” a Christian might carry one that says: “Jesus is not ok with this,” “Love your neighbor,” or “Love can change your heart. You don’t have to do this.”
Instead of shouting derogatory words that demean woman, we might raise our voices to plead for mercy. You may have even noticed how much singing is happening at some of the marches. These singers are from all traditions of faith.
Sometimes Christian protest is simply showing up, bearing witness, listening, refusing to look away.
Not everyone will intentionally go to a place where a detention is happening, but you might stumble upon one. Have you thought about how you will respond?
Not everyone will attend a massive protest, but you might stand on a familiar street corner. Or go to a community event.
Not everyone will carry a sign, but you might tell friends out-of-state what is really happening here.
These are all acts of Christian protest.
People with power will try to make protesters out as stalkers or dangerous rioters, but we are simply using our constitutional rights to shine the light on their inhumanity because we are stirred to act, even when our own life or family is not on the line. What's more Christ-like than that?
Well spoken, Kelly!
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