Holy ground turned into a battle ground

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BY REV. ABBY MOHAUPT

June 2, 2020

Has this devotional grounded your resistance to Trump in Scripture and empowered you to act for the common good? If the answer is "yes," then please help us reach more progressive Christians. Become a Patron today .

Protestors peacefully protest minutes before riot police moved to clear the demonstrators out of Lafayette Park and the area around it for President Donald Trump to be able to walk through for a photo opportunity in front of St. John's Episcopal Church (at right), during a rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Washington, U.S. - Ken Cedeno/Reuters

"They turned holy ground into a battle ground': Clergy members say police expelled them from the grounds of St. John's Episcopal Church for Trump's photo op" - via MSN

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full." - Matthew 6:5

Soon after Trump staged his photo op, he was asked if the Bible he awkwardly held up was a family Bible. He responded that it was "a Bible." Trump, who during his presidential campaign erroneously claimed to be a member of my Christian denomination, is not a person of faith. He uses people of faith and religious symbols as props to make it seem like what he does and says is righteous, moral, and acceptable.

But he stands on the street corner not even praying, but making a faith statement simply to be seen by others. He is a hypocrite. His inauthentic faith is for show.

It takes all of my own real faith to offer Trump any kind of grace and any kind of attention. God help me: you alone know the heart of Trump.

He seeks to draw attention to his ego and his white male body, attention that we need to keep trained on the protests and demands of Black lives.

Black lives matter. They have not yet been heard. They have not yet been seen.

Black lives matter. In protests and in every day: Black lives matter.

And so what will we do in public and in private to work for Black lives? How will we authentically live out our faith in a God of liberation and justice?

If you are white: try these actions (in addition to attending protests if you can):

+ For Our White Friends Desiring to be Allies
+ Antiracism Resources for White People
+ How Do I Make Sure I'm Not Raising the Next Amy Cooper?

As a white writer and human in this world, I cannot and will not tell my BIPOC siblings in the world what to do.

God our help, move those of us who are white to confess our complicity in white supremacy. Help us dismantle the systems of oppression that have created racism and have hurt black lives. Help us declare that Black Lives Matter. Help us live our faith not to be seen by others but to live authentically to follow your call to love abundantly. Amen.

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