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This week, Americans are watching in real time as people of faith commit to opposing narratives about our country.
On Sunday, May 17, an organization called Freedom 250 invites “Americans of every background” to “Come Together in Prayer and Worship Ahead of the Nation’s 250th Birthday.” Freedom 250’s website promises a historic gathering with “Scripture, testimony, prayer, and rededication of our country as One Nation to God.” From worship in front of the U.S. Capitol to evening musical performances, the event “will be rooted in giving thanks for God’s presence in our national life throughout 250 years of American history and asking for his [sic] guidance for the next 250.”
Meanwhile, last weekend in Dallas, faith leaders from across the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church (the eight states in the South Central region of the United States) gathered at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology for a weekend of conversation about what a faithful response to the current political crisis in the United States might look like. This group of leaders were committed to a pluralistic America—one that actually lives into our founding vision of “liberty and justice for all.” They had conversations around important priorities like protecting our climate, caring for our immigrant neighbors, and rejecting Christian Nationalism.
They discussed the intersections of urgent issues, and stressed the important role people of faith play in both advocating for justice and connecting with our communities to identify immediate needs. They took time to build relationships and strategize about how people of faith and conscience can spend the next three years learning the stories of our communities and sharing those with our elected representatives, while doing the civic engagement work necessary to bring about the change our shared future requires. We look forward to hearing how those leaders are connecting with other clergy and lay leaders in their communities and judicatories, and connecting about how Texas Impact can resource their work.
We had a chance to speak with the group at the convening about the Covenant for Our Future—a national, multi‑faith coalition bringing together diverse organizations, leaders, and communities calling for the repeal of the Big HR.1 and the renewal of the federal government’s commitment to the common good. HR.1, otherwise known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” was the bill that cut healthcare, food, and energy assistance to fund a violent anti-immigrant regime and tax cuts for affluent Americans.
The Covenant for Our Future is a call for Americans of ALL faiths to recommit to our shared vision and values.
Texas Impact staff were honored to share the mic with friends and colleagues from around the country on Tuesday night’s national Zoom kick-off event for the Covenant, including GBCS’s Rev. Kendal McBroom; UUSJ’s Pablo de Jesus; National Latino Evangelical Coalition’s Rev. Gabe Salguero; Kairos Center’s Shailly Barnes; Jewish Earth Alliance’s Mirele Goldsmith; LCWR’s Sister Bridget Bearss; Covenant for Our Future’s Mia Coward; and GreenFaith’s Rev. Fletcher Harper.
If you missed the Zoom, good news: it was recorded!
After you listen to the recording, please take a few other timely actions:
As our friend Brian Kaylor of Word and Way explains, Freedom250’s event is not an historically coherent or appropriate way to honor the Constitution, which expressly protects every American from having the religion of any other American crammed down their throat.
Kaylor says:
The beauty of our Constitution is that it protected true religious liberty for all — which did not exist in most of the colonies — by forging a healthy separation of church and state.
Like with last week’s so-called “National Day of Prayer,” I don’t need the government to tell me when, where, or how to pray. I will pray on Sunday, but not because the Trump administration and its corporate sponsors think I should. But part of my prayer, on Sunday and throughout this year, will be that our nation’s leaders would stop hurting both the nation and the Christian witness by trying to perform a shotgun wedding of the two. What we really need is to rededicate ourselves toward building a more perfect union that separates church and state for the good of both.
Unlike what we expect to see at the U.S. Capitol this weekend, we left Dallas inspired at the faithful work of clergy and people of faith who care for their communities and work for justice. We are excited to see the movement of people of faith committing to work together on the Covenant for our Future. This work is not always glamorous, and you might not make it to cable news, but, to those of you who are doing justice work in your communities, and engaging your neighbors in civic engagement work, we see you. And, we are excited to be working with you to create a more just, loving, and compassionate Texas. |
