Bearing Witness (Erin Jean Warde)

I need to bear witness to what is going on around me. These are not random organizations or strangers to me—this is my Church, these are my people.

Bearing Witness

Friends,

I come before you today with an apology: today’s newsletter is not about Wintering by Katherine May. Ironically, I’m halfway through the book! But I can’t really seem to write about it right now.

I can’t seem to write about anything except the overwhelming anxiety and fear I am feeling right now, given how things are going in the United States.

There are so many things I am unqualified to write about, which is why this won’t be about policy change, or written as if I have a Poli-Sci degree. No, I’m not a politician. But I am a person existing inside these circumstances.

And I am a Christian. An Episcopal priest. Someone guided by Scripture. And it is because of these parts of myself, about which I have every right to speak, that I will share my thoughts and anxiety today.

I probably don’t need to tell you that Washington Episcopal Bishop The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde preached a sermon at the Washington National Cathedral that caused quite a stir. I hope it doesn’t surprise you to hear that I believe her sermon offered a very, very basic understanding of Christian beliefs, based on Scripture.

The Bible is full of images of leadership, many of which are specifically about kingship. One of the juxtapositions we find in the person of Jesus Christ is that he is a leader who turns our understanding of leadership on its head. He is called King, but he does not act like an earthly king. He does not wield power over the lowly, instead empowering those who are lowly in the world’s eyes by reminding them that the kingdom of God doesn’t run on the rules of an earthly king. No, he is not a King of Power—he is a King of Peace.

So then, it is entirely appropriate for a preacher standing in front of a person who wields power over a nation to bring to mind how Scripture understands a different way of leadership. Because, as Bishop Budde more eloquently stated, in the kingdom of God rulership isn’t about power, it’s about mercy. Jesus is not a King of Power—he is a King of Peace.

And yet, as a preacher, I know that our words offered from the pulpit often receive criticism. And that is good, we could all use a healthy dose of that. Yes, people will disagree, and I very much understand that, especially now. I was not shocked by the fact that she received criticism.

I was shocked that there is a resolution before Congress that states, and I quote: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the sermon given by the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde at the National Prayer Service on January 21st, 2025, at the National Cathedral was a display of political activism and condemning its distorted message.

Make no mistake: Yes, this is a political attack against her, but this is also an attack on women’s ordination. This means there is literally a resolution in front of Congress condemning the prophetic voice of a woman. We have every reason to believe this gives all the Christian nationalists and others who already hated women preachers an even steadier foothold. While I don’t think protection for those of us who are ordained women is the highest priority—my highest priority would be protection of immigrants, BIPOC beloveds, and all LGBTQIA+ beloveds—I do think it is worth mentioning.

Speaking of my care for the protection of immigrants, yesterday I read and shared the following letter from The Rt. Rev. Dr. Jonathan H. Folts, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota:

Feast of the Presentation / February 2, 2025

Last week, a priest in our diocese was unlawfully racially profiled. When he answered a knock on his door, a man, without showing any identification or stating who he represented, threateningly asked, "You aren’t from around here, are you?" The priest responded politely and removed his cap. The man recognized him and returned to the passenger side of an SUV with tinted windows and no license plates. The SUV and its passengers then drove away.

Additionally, it was shared in a diocesan clergy meeting last Thursday that three members of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without cause. The tribal identification cards they produced upon being stopped were not recognized as valid forms of ID, and they were taken into custody until they were eventually released. Furthermore, Native Americans in different parts of the United States are facing racial profiling by ICE and being illegally detained.

Biblically, morally, and legally, we reject and condemn this fear-mongering behavior. We stand with tribal leaders in support of Native Americans who are being targeted; we stand with our Dinka siblings who worship at Holy Apostles in Sioux Falls; and we stand with all those whose skin color is reason enough in the eyes of some for them to be detained and questioned. Racial profiling is inherently racist and sinful and does not represent behavior worthy of God’s kingdom.

I am hereby directing all our clergy to become as informed as possible on these matters and offer all the pastoral support they can. It is crucial that their parishioners and community members know where to obtain the necessary forms of identification and know what to do if they are illegally detained by ICE or anyone else in authority. I also encourage anyone who experiences this behavior to report it to their local or tribal authorities for documentation. Additionally, our diocese will create a dedicated website page offering resources and information on a person’s rights should they be unlawfully detained.

Jesus repeatedly told his followers, “Be not afraid.” I strongly echo Jesus’ words because the aim of oppressors is to instill fear in the oppressed. At the same time, I encourage our Native American and Dinka siblings, as well as everyone who is being targeted because of their skin color, to stay informed and be vigilant. You are not alone, and we will fight this fear with you.

One of our own priests was targeted at his home – so let no one say, “It can’t happen here.” It can. It has. It is. And rest assured, we will not remain silent or passive in responding.

I share this with you, because it’s important to me that I know what’s going on in this country right now, especially these acts of hate. I also share this because I’m grateful for Bishop Folts’ gospel witness to this reality in the diocese where he is serving these beloved people.

I think this also felt like it punctuated the sadness and anger I was already feeling over the fact that new executive orders profoundly impact immigration in the U.S., to the point that an Episcopal ministry I have long appreciated—Episcopal Migration Ministries—which has a long-standing history of helping refugees resettle in the United States, has had to lay off 22 employees.

As reported by Episcopal News Service, “EMM was one of 10 agencies with federal contracts to resettle refugees on behalf of the State Department, but that work ground to a halt last week when President Donald Trump suspended the refugee program as one of his first acts after taking office Jan. 20.”

I also learned that Elon Musk and Mike Flynn made claims that Lutheran Family Services is a money laundering scheme, when in fact, Lutheran Family Services offers services and support that includes refugee and immigration care, but also adoption, foster care, and behavioral health.

I’m saying all of this, because I need to bear witness to what is going on around me. These are not random organizations or strangers to me—this is my Church, these are my people.

It’s also not lost on me that by virtue of my Christian faith, I consider anyone who is marginalized to be “my people,” because if that’s who Jesus hung out with, that’s who I want to be hanging out with too.

I am deeply grieved. And still, I cannot look away. I worry constantly about what is to come—and I haven’t said a word about the economy yet. Yes, I worry about the economy, but in the deluge of terrors, my utmost fear is for the people who are being profiled, targeted, and the people they are trying to erase.

When it comes to standing on the right side of history, I know there are times in my life when I did not. But by virtue of the breath still in my lungs, that means there’s time for me to try to be better. To try to do the right thing. To commit to not ignoring this.

As a recovery coach and as a person who helps people change their coping strategies, I do not want you to hear this as me saying, “you need to always be logged on!” because we might not survive this if we are always logged on. I mean, I took January off social media!

No, I’m not saying stay logged on—I’m saying: I want to stay locked in. I want to speak up about the things I feel the need to speak up about (like what I have shared today). I want to make sure that, as my faith compels me, I preach the actual gospel I claim to believe.

Believe me when I say my voice is shaking, alongside the rest of me, but I’m going to try to speak, in the ways that feel right to me. I won’t speak to try to convert anyone or proselytize (I’ve never been good at it), but to bear witness. To express my heart and soul. To help others struggling right now know they are not alone. To—when it feels appropriate—try to offer us some hope when hope feels impossible.

I hope you’ll receive my words with the care that is behind them. Because that’s what I do, for good or ill: I care. And I care right now.

I care about immigrants.
I care about Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
I care about LGBTQIA+ people.
I care about everyone facing lay offs due to executive orders.
I care about all who are scared right now.
And I care about you.

Thank you for being here with me. I appreciate you. We are not alone.

With love & care,
EJW

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