True courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the resolve to do what is right and just even in the presence of fear. It would not be prudent not to feel fear in this moment of grave danger for our country and our communities, but it is fiercely urgent that we not let our fear silence us or, worse yet, let our fear lead us to submit to and become complicit with evil. Not everyone can do everything, but we all must find our own ways to resist injustice in whatever form it may take. 

True courage is cultivated by love that empowers others even in the presence of fear. Radical love expressed courageously in speech and action is the only way to redemption for our society from the fear and hatred that are spreading so quickly.

In these perilous times, it is critical to find a community you can trust – not one that doesn’t accept you as you are. You should not have to pretend to be someone you are not to gain acceptance in community. Being in communities we can trust will be extremely important in cultivating the courage that we will need in the months and years ahead. We cannot do this alone. We need each other like never before. 

Take the courage not to be silent as the fascists are coming into power. Fascists feed off the silence of the masses who obey in advance, and fascists attempt to create the perception that the overwhelming majority of the populace supports them and thus frighten people who oppose them into submission.

History has shown us the danger of being silent in the face of hate and oppression and threats to human rights, and therefore we cannot be silent.  Borrowing from the baptismal vows of my faith tradition, Every person is called “to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” 

Far too often, our churches make us comfortably numb to injustice rather than fully alive for justice. In addition to those churches that are actively promoting Christian nationalism, there are also churches that want to stay neutral or above the fray. You might hear them saying things like, “No matter who is elected, God is still God,” or some will say things like “We are not called to be political activists. We are just called to serve God.”

Churches siding with fascism or being “apolitical” in the face of fascism has been tried before, resulting in devastatingly evil consequences. Choosing to be “apolitical” in the face of fascism is a political act, and it is called complicity. As Desmond Tutu reminded us, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

As we are now in the middle of transgender awareness week, it is important to always remember that there are many siblings within our community who are extremely vulnerable during this dark time for our country. It is critical that we have courage in our work to protect them from those who are actively seeking to do them harm. 

We need courage not simply for the sake of courage. It is so important that we see clearly what is at stake for humanity and for all of life at this moment. Autocrats around the world are now emboldened to take even more extreme measures to maintain and expand their power. Human rights for women, persons of color, and persons who are LGBTQIA+ that have taken so long to be recognized are under imminent threat. Preserving a livable climate hangs in the balance. Reproductive rights may be lost on a national level. True religious liberty is at grave risk of being engulfed by Christian nationalism. The power of oligarchs to shape and control our lives within society is becoming so strong as to almost be unbreakable. The institutions that we hoped would protect the integrity of our democratic republic are being corrupted and are failing and hanging by a thread over the consuming fire of fascism and authoritarianism. 

The dangers are real and the threats are deadly. False hope that everything will be alright in the end has simply become another form of cynicism that there is “nothing we can do.” There is much to fear, and that is why we need each other so much, more than ever, to find the courage to face these perilous times together. May we help one another become a community of courage that works for the fulfillment of love and justice in the world, no matter what. 

As Winston Churchill once warned about the lack of a serious response to the rise of fascism in his time, “The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences” (12 November 1936, House of Commons, London, United Kingdom).

And now that we are in the period of real consequences, especially for the most vulnerable among us, we must count the cost of preserving freedom and justice. We must count the cost of being followers of the way of love and justice in this world. May we find courage from one another in our life giving work for beloved community. 

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