Editor’s Note: This week’s post focuses on the atrocious misuse of government power and resources in Minnesota and the community’s loving and courageous response. A note from my wife’s niece, who lives and is active in the Twin Cities, sums it up: “It is indeed a traumatic time here. What continues to strike me is the tragic confluence of beauty and evil. On Saturday, all across the Twin Cities, neighborhoods met the call to join at their street corners in silent vigil and in song to grieve those killed by ICE and those whose lives will never be the same. You could look down any block and see candles lit on people’s stoops. Amid such intense sorrow, we are meeting each other, embracing each other, and coordinating the logistical tasks of taking care of each other (that is, grocery deliveries, funding rents for those who can’t work, paying childcare fees for those who cannot send their children to daycare but need to keep the child’s space at the center, etc.). The emotional whiplash would be too much to bear if it weren’t for these moments. Thank you all for bearing witness and for your support from afar. What’s happening in Minnesota is merely a test–I don’t know what comes next, but I hope that anyplace that experiences something like this has the soulful wherewithal to weather it together the way we have.” 

How do we respond faithfully to the out-of-control abuse of power and use of violence in Minnesota, our nation, and the world? The urge to turn off the news and ignore everything is strong. Yet history offers endless examples of how that reaction aids and encourages oppressors and perpetrators of injustice. To make it more complicated, many of us have friends and relatives who actually see the current situation and the attack on human rights as good for them—and for America.

Yesterday was a snow-bound day in Maryland, like much of the country. Staying home offered me the opportunity to participate in two Catholic Masses on Zoom and to hear two sermons. At our regular Catholic community, Father Tuck pointed out that John the Baptist went into the desert to fast and pray for forty days before beginning his preaching, which included baptizing Jesus. Jesus, whose ministry lasted only three years before he was killed, also began with forty days in the desert.

The point was that both leaders took time away to examine themselves, their lives, and their mission—what was theirs to do. Later that evening, we attended a second Mass specifically to hear Father John, pastor of St. Cecilia’s parish in Boston. A friend introduced us to his online preaching during Covid, and we find him inspiring. His sermon challenged and encouraged discernment.

Father John spoke about the cost of discipleship and emphasized the need to listen and pray to know what ours is to do—both individually and as a community. He was clear that the Jesus whose ministry centered on healing, forgiveness, and love is not a Jesus who condones attacks on our neighbors based on flawed immigration policies—policies ignored when politically convenient and vigorously enforced when politically expedient.

There is so much noise and so many distractions today that listening is not easy. It requires commitment and practice. For years, I believed I couldn’t sit still and meditate. I was challenged to try twenty minutes a day, and that is now a regular practice. Setting aside forty days is radical, yet many faith traditions include a season each year for introspection and realignment with what we understand God’s will to be. In Twelve Step spirituality, we are encouraged not to pray for specific outcomes, but for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out.

Discerning God’s will is tricky. Rationalization and delusion can obscure discernment. Yet consistent asking—combined with prayer partners, faith communities, and accountability friends—makes clarity more possible.

I regularly receive invitations to join local and national efforts working for justice and against oppression. Without a filter, I would quickly end up burned out and cynical. Through listening and prayer over the years, I have learned who I am and where my gifts are best used. I am a writer and an organizer, and I listen for how to use those gifts. I increasingly feel called to direct service with people who are marginalized and oppressed and am becoming more open to how to respond.

There are others whose call is to be in the streets and on the front lines. Usually, that has not been mine, though there have been exceptions, such as the demonstrations after George Floyd’s murder. It is also possible that now is a time when many—or all—of us are called to take to the streets and to work to reclaim our government in whatever nonviolent ways we can. 

Once listening and prayer help me discern where I fit in the larger work for good, I find it helpful to network and learn. I am always reminded that much is already happening and that there are strong organizations and wise leaders offering guidance. A few trusted resources supporting immigrants and refugees include ICE Out of Minnesota or its national organization ICE OUT, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), Jesuit Refugee Service USA, and Indivisible.

The final step is action. Day by day, I ask: What is mine to do today? I try to stay open to the next right thing and resist the need to know the entire strategy or master plan. Strategy matters, and there are people called and equipped to lead it, but I don’t need to do everything—or be everywhere—to make my contribution.

These are very difficult times. Sadly, we have seen these tactics of power and privilege before. Today, we are more informed and have more choices. May we each listen, pray, learn, and act as our inner guides direct. Discernment is not withdrawal; it is how we prepare to act wisely. The force for Good seeks a more just and compassionate world—and each of us has something particular to do to help bring it into being.

There are a lot of financial needs caused by what is happening in MN. For those able, here is a link provided by our niece of ways people from outside Minnesota can be supportive. Thanks for doing what you can. https://www.standwithminnesota.com/