One year ago today I sat at work beside myself as I witnessed insurrectionists storm the Capitol building on livestreams across the many social media platforms. It’s a day I won’t forget where I was or how I felt, right alongside my memory of September 11, 2001.
Let’s not kid ourselves as to who enticed and directed this mob. They were loud, proud, and unashamed to show their pride being so lost in their collective delusion. They even chanted his name while beating the same blue police officers they claim to back: “Trump! Trump! Trump!”
Yes, the GOP (the party of Gerrymandering, Oppression, and Projection) share a great deal of blame. It sickens me that none of these elected officials have faced any jail time for their involvement in inciting and planning this insurrection, but there is plenty of other blame to go around. The American Christian church is one such entity for losing its collective soul to gain the world in the form of political power by backing such a morally bankrupt, self-absorbed, openly non-repentant person in the form of Donald Trump. But I cannot cast blame on the church without also casting blame on myself.
I won’t be silent. #January6th #InsurrectionDay pic.twitter.com/xUAIXpfpNo
— Phil Kasper (@philkasper) January 7, 2022
I should have spoken out more when I first saw the insidious signs of Christian nationalism creep into my previous church. The ever-increasing patriotic services where we pledged allegiance to a piece of cloth as part of our liturgy. But I remained silent.
I should have spoken out when, days after the 2020 election results calling victory for then President-elect Joe Biden, I received a mass email from a congregant calling for prayer against a force which was “most recently blatant voter fraud being allowed that is destroying the very principles and basis of our democratic form of government.” But I remained silent.
I should have spoken out when I sat in Bible class and another congregant declared one Sunday after Election Day “we all know who the president is.” To which the leader of the Bible class replied “or so we think.” But I remained silent.
I should have spoken out more to my Christian family members who falsely claimed that “Antifa” were actually the thousands of people storming the Capitol, dressed to the nines in Trump memorabilia to overturn the election in order to put back into power the very person “Antifa” was standing against! After writing them off, I remained silent.
I remained silent while my previous church refused to talk about the real issues of nationalism, hatred, division, hypocrisy and system racism that plagues the United States and the American church. They refused to speak out against the atrocious acts one year ago today, and it sickens me to say that it’s most likely because a number of their congregation helped build up, develop, and support the events that unfolded on January 6th, 2021. The silence of pastors behind the pulpit about these issues is deafening as I continue to read and study the words of Jesus.
Well I’m going to do my best to not be quiet anymore. I will not remain silent.