My brothers and sisters in Christ,
From a very young age, I saw how people treated my mother once they learned she was a Cuban immigrant. She was called a communist, told to go back to her country, and questioned why she was here at all. This current moment is deeply personal for me because I see my own family reflected in the people that are currently being targeted. I grew up with the reality of how easily people label and dehumanize those they see as “foreign.”
I am disturbed by the escalation of violence in the form of the mass detainment of individuals, largely targeted at the immigrant community, ramped up more recently by the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and even the detainment of several minors including Liam Conejo Ramos – a 5 year old boy. There are credible reports of abuse, malnutrition, and a lack of medical care in some of these detainment facilities.
Throughout my life, I have experienced and witnessed how we as human beings easily “other” those who are different from us, whether because of an ideology, a personal grievance, insecurity, or fear. We are witnessing and experiencing an abuse of power by many in positions of authority. In my years working in law enforcement I was trained to understand that my duty was, first and foremost, to serve and protect all with dignity. Many of the tactics being utilized are a systemic affront to the justice system and antithetical to the training I received.
The Gospel reading assigned for this Sunday is Matthew 5, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. As I was preparing my sermon, I was reminded of a video I recently saw from the Department of Homeland Security quoting “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons of God,” layered over troubling imagery of ICE agents in action. The imagery in this video combined with this passage is a dangerous and vile twisting of scripture and in fact contradicts the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Teargassing civil protesters is not peacemaking. Detaining people based on how they look or how they speak is not peacemaking. Peacemaking that requires coercive violence is no peace at all.
Shortly after I became your Bishop, I wrote a letter to the diocese expressing my concerns about the extremist march in Charlottesville in 2017. For me, the thread that runs through that moment until now is ultimately a symptom and tool of white Christian nationalism. I believe this to be the greatest threat to the Church, to our communities, and to this country. White Christian nationalism does not pursue peace for the sake of the Kingdom of God but pursues power for the sake of a man-made empire. White Christian nationalism perpetuates rhetoric and actions that “other” and demonize those on the margins, and justifies violence by declaring, “they are the enemy.” Yet Jesus, in the very same Sermon on the Mount, teaches, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43-44)
Our baptismal vow to respect the dignity of every human being is not theoretical. It is tested precisely when fear is loudest and when power is most tempted to forget the humanity of those it governs.
Now, more than ever, people are asking me, "What do we do? Where do we begin?"
Pray for the hurting, the isolated, the frightened. Pray for wisdom and sound judgment for all those in leadership. Pray for our first responders and all those who risk their lives to protect us.
Stay informed and speak out. Call your representatives. Advocate for the rights and protection of the vulnerable in your community.
Understand and learn the needs of your community and work to address them. In doing so we address the symptoms of the larger failings in our policies. Maybe this begins with one act of kindness and solidarity for a neighbor.
If you are able, I invite you to give generously to The Episcopal Church's Emergency Migration Ministry fund which was commended by our Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Sean Rowe in a note sent out earlier this week.
My friends, let us stand shoulder to shoulder with each other in unity. Our baptism calls us to this work as the body of Christ, choosing the way of true peacemaking that begets love and dignity, and forsakes violence. May we move forward in boldness and in faith, trusting the Spirit to lead us.
Faithfully, | 
