How should communities of faith, and specifically churches, respond to the current political conflict in Wisconsin?

I’ve had as a motto, ever since Sojourners Magazine first introduced it, “God is not a Republican or a Democrat.” I believed it then, and I believe it now (just as I also don’t believe God cared who won the Super Bowl).

But God does care about justice and mercy: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). To disenfranchise people, whether they are citizens of Egypt or of Wisconsin is wrong. To undo the rights of citizens, to fail to protect the needy, the poor, the widow and the orphan, is not just a political decision. It is an affront against the vision of society proclaimed by the Torah of Moses, the prophets, and Jesus.

I also know that people of good will and deep faith can disagree on matters of politics. We must be able to come together in prayer, confessing our sins, asking God’s forgiveness, and sharing in the Eucharist. To that end, we are making Grace Church available as a space of prayer and respite in these days of conflict, uncertainty, and turmoil. Many of us are worried about what is happening. We know our own perspective, the narrowness of our vision; we can also recognize the narrowness of our opponents’ vision; let us pray that God grant us the wisdom to enlarge our vision as well as that of those with whom we disagree, that together, we might create a more just and merciful society.

For another perspective, read this.