Pastor’s Corner 1/18/2026

Dear Church Friends,

This past week has weighed heavily on my heart. The murder of Renee Good in Minneapolis and the shootings by Customs and Border Patrol in Portland are frightening displays of state violence. The response by federal law enforcement to protests in Minneapolis has been chilling and I am particularly disturbed by the story of a father simply attempting to drive home with his six children, only to have police throw flashbangs and tear gas – three of the children were hospitalized, including a six month old baby who stopped breathing.

How are we to respond to this news? Where do we find hope in the face of state violence?

Two things are giving me strength in this moment and I hope they might bring you strength as well.

First, what is happening now has happened in places all over the world, for as long as people have claimed to have power over one another.

Most of scripture was written during times like these (or about times like these). The letters to the early church were written to our earliest Christian ancestors as they faced state violence for holding tightly to the teachings of Jesus, with the hope of encouraging them to remain faithful.

On Monday, we will commemorate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Those involved in the Civil Rights Movement were met with state violence. It was Dr. King's assassination and the subsequent riots that helped pass the Civil Rights Act.

In many ways, this moment is not new.

Second, we must remember that hope is active. It is not just something we feel, it is something we do. We are hopeful when we continue to live into the teachings of Jesus – to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned. We are hopeful when we pray for one another and for justice in the world. We are hopeful when we stand together against injustice.

I suspect this year will continue to offer challenges for our country and our community. But I am also constantly inspired by your faithfulness to the way of Jesus and I am hopeful that we will respond to these challenges together. And I am reassured in knowing that the Spirit of Life which accompanied our ancestors through difficult moments in history is also accompanying us through our moment.

May we create hope together,

Pastor Dez