This Violence Is Not Christian: A Reflection On the Attack On The United States Capitol- Epiphany 2021

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Manuscript:

I would like to read the following speech to you:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

A version of this speech is present at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in the United States of America. It was given by Martin Niemöller, a German Lutheran pastor in the World War II era. He initially supported Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, but as he saw what Hitler really was and the evil he stood for, Niemöller became a leader of a movement of clergy opposed to Hitler.

These words have been on my mind constantly since I was first ordained in the summer of 2016. To be more precise, they haunt me. As Christians, we have a duty to speak out against violence and injustice in the world. Many of us in the church, including me, have a difficult time speaking out when it comes to partisan issues.

Today, however, there has been an attack by right-wing extremists on our nation’s Capitol here in the United States. This is in a city I love and in a city I served in as an AmeriCorps member with the organization City Year. This is also the day when we should be celebrating the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ in this world, particularly to the Gentile astronomers known as the Magi.

This attack is in protest to the recent presidential election. Protest in it of itself can be a noble thing. Even the Apostle Paul sought recourse from the Roman Empire in response to his imprisonment for being a Christian. However, violence, whether in protest or otherwise, has never been a Christian ideal. Jesus endured violence on His person to save the world from violence. Jesus spoke out against His Disciples who would violently protest His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Paul was chastised by our Lord for his violence against our people, and was forgiven and trained to be a leader in our Faith.

I cannot stand by and not speak out against the attack today. It is unChristian and it is wrong. What the perpetrators of this action have done is what we Christians know as a sin. Thankful for these people, there is still hope of forgiveness, as there is for all of us, but this is an action they will have to repent of.

Just so that I am completely clear, I am not a Republican nor a Democrat. My allegiance first and foremost is to God in our Lord Jesus Christ, and I believe the best service I can give to my country is to remain true to the values of my Faith and to teach them to others. I tried to do so by calling us to a peaceful transfer of power before the election. I do so by condemning these extremists and terrorists now.

I am angry by what I have seen today. This is the response of that anger, not any violent action. I hope your response will also be one of non-violence. I want to thank my fellow Christians and leaders who have spoken out and have offered time for prayer and reflection today, including Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of The Episcopal Church. I ask that you listen to their words and pray with them. I ask that you speak out against violence and hate, no matter the form and no matter the political party. Most of all, I ask that you listen to our Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone. He took violence on Himself so that we wouldn’t have to. Listen to our Lord’s message of hope and love and condemn violence in all its forms.