Friends,
In this moment of upheaval and change, the people of Minnesota are showing the world the effectiveness of resistance built on solidarity. The head of Border Patrol has stated that these well-organized protesters have made ICE’s operations far more difficult, meaning it is harder for ICE to disappear their neighbors.
We are hearing that ICE operations have begun to shift from the city into the suburbs, where community resistance is less organized. We see that there is no wealth, no atomized existence that will insulate us from what is coming to our own neighborhoods and towns.
We must adapt as the forces of Empire adapt—these times call on us to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Whether the federal government brings massive escalations in numbers and cruelty as seen in Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis-St. Paul, retaliatory investigations by the Justice Department into elected officials, or shifts in operations to other states such as Maine, we must persist in meeting the moment with solidarity and lovingkindness.
We are calling on clergy to lead their congregations toward disciplined and courageous lovingkindness and alignment with the forces of Creation. Help us to build a world that does not yet exist. Let us create communities that honor our interconnectedness and interdependence, built on our mutual thriving rather than the zero-sum game of exclusion and the hoarding of wealth and resources.
We are inviting all to continue rallying with us in prayer, and we pray that the Spirit protect all those working towards the Wellness of our World and avert further violence and harm.
—This Friday, January 23rd, please fast and pray in solidarity with the ICE Out of Minnesota Day of Truth and Freedom—when Minnesotans are asked to stay home from work, school, and shopping to instead participate in community, conscience, and collective action. Please also fast and pray in solidarity with clergy who have been asked to come to Minneapolis to amplify their demands
—Join us for a Zoom call on Sunday to join in prayer and share calls-to-action
—Share this prayer with your community and consider praying it during your Saturday or Sunday service
— Donate here: dismantlediscovery.org/donate (mark your donation with “Minnesota” from the drop down menu).
