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Dear Siblings in Christ,
Yesterday, I met with a Lutheran pastor from Indianapolis (Carmel area), and he shared with me a deeply troubling flyer (see attachment). This is no joke—it is an alarming reminder that the forces of racism and hatred continue to spread their poison, emboldened by a societal climate that tolerates such evil. As the Whitewater Valley Presbytery of the PC(USA), I fear we have been too slow, too cautious, and too silent in confronting this blatant wickedness.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." Friends, the time has come for us to act and to speak boldly, prophetically, and without fear. The voices of hate and division are not afraid to spread their lies and their venom; why, then, are we hesitant to raise a resounding voice of justice, truth, and love?
This kind of evil thrives on our silence, on our reluctance to confront it head-on. It preys on the fears of our families and poisons the minds of our neighbors. It seeks to roll back decades of progress and undermine the image of God in every person. We must remember the prophetic words of contemporary theologian Dr. Willie James Jennings, who reminds us that "the church is called to break every wall of hostility, for every wall is a scar upon the body of Christ." How, then, can we remain silent when walls of racism and hate are being rebuilt in our communities?
The election of recent leaders may have emboldened these groups, but their existence did not begin there. Racism has long been a disease in our society—a sin that thrives on complacency. As Christians, we are called to love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). That means naming evil for what it is, resisting it in all its forms, and proclaiming that the kingdom of God is a kingdom of justice and peace, where no one is excluded, and no one is forgotten.
Theologian James Cone challenges us to see that the Gospel demands solidarity with the oppressed. He reminds us that "God’s liberation is at work wherever people resist the forces of death and dehumanization." Let us join in this divine resistance. Our families need to know that the church stands with them, that we are not afraid to challenge the lies of white supremacy and the systems that perpetuate them.
Friends, we must raise our prophetic voice. We cannot let fear of offending others paralyze us when our silence allows evil to grow unchecked. Jesus drove out the money changers in the temple with righteous anger; should we not confront racism with the same courage and urgency?
Let us do something—now. Let us organize, preach, and act boldly. Let us name racism as sin and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, which brings liberation to the captives and justice to the oppressed. It is time to reclaim the prophetic voice of the church and speak against this evil in the name of Christ, who calls us to love our neighbor and seek the flourishing of all people.
With courage and in faith,
Rev. Martin Garcia
Pastor,
Amistad Church
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