Reflections from Rev. Erin Gilmore
In the last 10 days, almost every conversation that I’ve been in has included some mixture of grief, horror, anger, sadness, and fear. With these strong emotions comes this pressing question of “What is mine/ours to do?”
In the hallway of our former conference office, we had posters of Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ letter entitled, “We Were Made for These Times” hanging on the wall. Her words were the basis for our 2018 Annual Celebration. I have found myself being drawn back to them this week, my soul somehow knowing it needed to hear these words. I encourage you to read the whole piece when you get a chance. I believe that, as people of our faith who have been formed and shaped by the love and grace of God, we too were made for these times. Not because any one of us is solely prepared for these times, but because we are in it together.
In the middle of her letter Estes writes,
I would like to take your hands for a moment and assure you that you are built well for these times. Despite your stints of doubt, your frustrations in arighting all that needs change right now, or even feeling you have lost the map entirely, you are not without resource, you are not alone. Look out over the prow; there are millions of boats of righteous souls on the waters with you. In your deepest bones, you have always known this is so.
There is so much that I do not know, but I am certain that community is essential. We need each other, and we need one another’s gifts. One of the primary purposes in rebooting our RMC Slack space is to create an online platform for us to be able to connect directly with one another and to be able to resource one another as we navigate the road ahead. As we receive resources from the National setting or other conferences on different issues that we are facing, we will be creating channels for you to join as desired. We also encourage you to post questions, offer resources, and create connections with others in the conference.
Again from Estes:
One of the most important steps you can take to help calm the storm is to not allow yourself to be taken in a flurry of overwrought emotion or despair – thereby accidentally contributing to the swale and the swirl. Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely..
To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these – to be fierce and to show mercy toward others, both — are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do.
Grace and Peace,
Erin
Immigration Resources
We have had several people asking about the new Department of Homeland Security policy giving immigration authorities permission to enter places of worship, schools, and healthcare facilities to conduct arrests and what they should do in case Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers show up at their doors.
Below are some resources that have been shared across conferences in the United Church of Christ. We will also post these on Slack.
What Churches Should Know & Do
- Churches should make a plan NOW as to how to respond to ICE at the church. The plan should include training of workers/volunteers who are likely to be at the church, and include an analysis of the church’s private and public areas. It should also include some practice at role-playing, because it is difficult to say “no” when faced with authority figures in police gear.
- Church workers should know that ICE cannot go into the private areas of a church without a judicial warrant (different from an administrative warrant). UCC General Counsel Heather Kimmel explains this issue this way: “Public vs. private space is a ‘facts and circumstances’ inquiry that will be different for each church and it depends on how each church uses its building and invites the public in. If a church has an unlocked door and a lobby that is accessible to the public generally, that’s likely a public space. Offices that are marked private are likely private. But, attempts to mark everything private when it is actually public (i.e. putting private signs on a church’s front door when it is generally unlocked/open, or marking parking lots private when there’s no way to stop anyone from driving in) aren’t going to be helpful. If a space cannot be entered by the public without being accompanied by a church worker, those are probably private spaces. Bear in mind that the designation of a space as public or private is not magic and won’t automatically keep ICE out if they have a judicial warrant covering the space or decide to enter without a warrant. In the latter event, the public/private space argument will most likely be made in court, after the fact . . . if the case gets to a courtroom.”
- Church workers should know that no one is required to talk to ICE.
- Churches should connect with local immigration advocacy groups, solidarity movements and legal resources who can be called upon if needed.
Resources
- UCC General Counsel Heather Kimmell: What Churches Need to Know
- UCC Webinar: Sanctuary: Legal Considerations for Faith Communities
- National Immigration Law Center: What To Do If Immigration Comes To Your Workplace.
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