On Resisting The Evil Agenda

Recent events in my home state of Minnesota and neighboring community of Minneapolis have provoked many responses over the last few days. Regardless of your politics, theology, or preferred modus operandi when such atrocity occurs, I need to write my thoughts for my own emotional well-being and sanity. These are my personal opinions and may or may not reflect the beliefs of the ELCA of which I am a pastor.

As a father of two and someone who leaves the house on a regular basis, I thought that perhaps it would be appropriate to share my thoughts should the unthinkable occur to my children as it did to the three who were inexplicably orphaned on Wednesday, January 7th at approximately 9:30 a.m. when their mother was shot and killed in her car by an agent from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

I do not consider myself as "woke" as some of my detractors over the last few years have accused and assumed based on my occasional proclivity of speaking out against injustice from the pulpit, my writing, and in conversation. I just consider myself as someone who has a conscience and the common decency and respect for the sanctity of human dignity. I'm also an avid reader and student of the Gospel, which is "good news" because it lifts up the poor, the persecuted, and the downtrodden.

In the past, I didn't like letting anything slide past without confrontation. However, the fruits of such bold words and deeds as a pastor in suburbia were few and far between. The silent majority would give me a clap on the back or a thumbs up, but those who have taken offense would tear into my flesh with the white hot rage of a volcanic eruption. The burn marks and memories are still fresh. I've since walked back and taken in the whole picture and chosen my moments carefully, being mindful of the ambiguity and many sides to every story.

The reality in the case of Renee Good is that there are not as many angles to consider or ambiguities to study that necessitate a moderate, hanging back approach. As a writer with a platform like this blog, I felt moved to say something. I'm not as quick as comedian Ronny Chieng of The Daily Show who quipped about the video, "some people see a peaceful protester being murdered, and the other people are fascists," but I can offer up something nevertheless.

Given so many Americans' obsession with "Murder Porn" (a term--do not Google it--denoting the exorbitant amount of viewers watching detective and homicide dramas), I am shocked that anybody can watch that video footage and honestly think that Good was using her vehicle as a weapon or be possibly found guilty of "domestic terrorism" or that the agent shooting into the car window as it drove away was in any way justified. The glovebox was over flowing with stuffed animals, not hateful fliers, drugs, or guns. Toys for her young children.

So this post is dedicated to my children and any others out there who could use a tip sheet in navigating our uncertain times, especially with ICE in town.

The Evil Agenda is my way of referring to a human's or nonhuman's (i.e. the demonic) intention to: 1) provoke fear 2) control the narrative 3) to dominate at will.

This is not a situation that Minnesotans, or any other American citizen for that matter, ought to ignore or think they can merely pray away with wishful thinking. This is a sign of the times, here and now. So maybe you might be thinking the next words I ought to write are: "So you better be afraid." Wrong. That's The Evil Agenda. And here's how I resist it:

1) "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

It's time to resist evil by being courageous, first and foremost. As one meme put it, "fear is a reaction, courage is a decision." Decide you are going to be courageous no matter what happens. That you have nothing to fear--nothing--before you're confronted with something dangerous or threatening. Don't take my word for it, take the hundreds of Biblical references encouraging fearlessness. But please, please, don't hear my call for courage as encouragement for recklessness, or that courage is the equivalent of inciting violence. The most courageous acts I've ever seen were accomplished by nonviolent protesters.

Refusing to be afraid is the most faithful (by far not the easiest, mind you) way to oppose the evil agenda. Once a person is afraid, they are much, much more susceptible to being manipulated. Once a person is afraid or manipulated, then the one causing harm or sowing the seeds of fear is empowered.

2) Ask questions and control your own narrative rather than delegating it to someone else.

Secondly, I believe that resisting the evil agenda calls for curiosity. Wondering about something takes tremendous courage, because in our society today, somehow not knowing something has been interpreted and perceived by many that you are weak. Weakness is the absence of thought, not the other way around, in my humble opinion. Being curious is a wonderful way to stall for time and get one's bearings.

There's such a temptation to jump in and give a response to something immediately to control the narrative--but in the process miss details big and small. Responding without curiosity is often known by another term: judgmentalism. I know it's been referred to ad nauseum, but Ted Lasso (and the brilliant writer behind that episode) were so spot on in the spirit of Jesus with that phrase, "Be curious, not judgmental."

When a person acts with courage and curiosity they are much less likely to take someone else's word for anything without conducting their own due diligence. So in this instance, curiosity looks like wondering the following: How was Renee Good, based on the video evidence, attempting to run over anyone? Help me understand how she is guilty of domestic terrorism by being a constitutional observer. Help me understand how this mother of three had any other "plan" in those tense moments other than getting the hell out of there unscathed. I'm listening.

3) Extend compassion when life is difficult, threatened, or silenced.

Finally, resisting the evil agenda is accomplished by being compassionate, not hateful or harmful. You already know plenty of examples of Jesus being compassionate if you pay any attention to a good preacher. So I will share instead the words of Brian Hemphill, the president of Good's alumni Old Dominion University (where she graduated from in 2020 with an English degree):

"May Renee's life be a reminder of what unites us: freedom, love, and peace... My hope is for compassion, healing, and reflection at a time that is becoming one of the darkest and most uncertain periods in our nation's history."

In conclusion, if you have a voice, use it by nonviolently protesting, by asking questions, getting informed, and by standing/speaking up for the human dignity of others around you who are marginalized or oppressed. Consider attending a vigil, rally, or nonviolent protest to show your compassionate solidarity for the community of Renee Good and countless others who are struck down by the violent agendas of those attempting to control the narrative by instilling fear and sowing violence and chaos.

But first, we just have to stop being so afraid. If you are afraid, don't try to fake courage. Instead, treat your fear as an opportunity to be curious as to WHY and to extend compassion to yourself until you're past it, and encourage others to do the same.