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Once again, countries are dropping bombs on each other. Once again, people are afraid of nuclear war. Once again, human beings are being killed out of fear. Once again, world leaders are attempting to convince their people that the people will be protected only by a show of strength and aggression. Once again, we are being told that peace will only be found through preemptive violence. Once again, families are being told that their loved ones will never come home again.
When conflict breaks out, Christians often consider what side Jesus or God would be on. Many people automatically assume that God/Jesus would agree with their own personal opinion regardless of what scripture might say. Indeed, if one turns to scripture, they will find both pro- and anti-war sentiments throughout the Bible. The Bible is a collection of writings written by various people-groups over thousands of years. It is more accurate to see all of scripture as a conversation over centuries about various peoples’ understanding of God. That said, the major themes that scripture returns to again and again are clear:
- PCUSA Constitution Part 1: Book of Confessions 9.45 When I read this confession last summer as a part of our 2024 summer sermon series, my jaw about hit the floor. I was dumbfounded by one of the documents in the PCUSA’s Constitution stating that we are supposed to pursue peace, reconciliation, and relationships event at the risk of endangering our national security. Moreover, to see it plainly stated that conflating the will of God with the actions of a nation is a betrayal of our faith. In other words, if you are wondering where God is as bombs continue to be launched, know that God is on the side of the injured, the hurting, the hungry, and those who cry out against the aggression of empires and the powerful. And we are called to be peacemakers who deescalate anger and aggression, to increase understanding, cultivate compassion, and be daring in our reconciliation. Blessings, Pastor Chris For the past two weeks, I have gone to bed disturbed by the news: U.S. citizens exercising their right to speech, assembly, and protest are being met by the National Guard and U.S. Marines; military tanks parading down U.S. streets when we are not at war; nations launching rocks at each other and killing civilians; and politicians being assassinated in their homes. I try to steer away from talking about current events week after week. Instead, I am going to clarify the definitions of words that are being tossed about so that you all can be accurate when discussing these matters in the days and weeks ahead.
Fascist, Authoritarian, and Dictator are often tossed about in our modern culture as if they are interchangeable. Colloquially, we know that these are the words to describe the “bad guys” and people are offended when someone on their side of the political aisle is called one of these words. But they are different with distinct definitions:
We remember from history class that the Fascists rise to power coincided with demonizing “the other,” limiting education through book burnings, and ultimately, the rounding up and execution of “the other”; but the details matter here, too. Which books did they burn? Marxist and Socialist writings, gender studies (including initial research into sexuality and trans identities), feminist writings, and books with non-white authors. When people were rounded up, ghettoized, and exterminated, this didn’t just happen to the Jewish people. Marxists/communists, Socialists, and trade unionists were included; people who were mental/physical disabled were included; gay, lesbian, and transgender people were included; and immigrants/the racialized other, like the Roma people, were included. The fact that the military and national guard is being deployed against US citizens, and against the wishes of the state’s leadership, in order to continue rounding up the racialized other (Mexican and Latino immigrants), who are blamed for destroying our once-great nation should disturb you. A military parade as a show of strength should be disturbing. Masked men arresting people without due process and taking them to unknown detention centers should be disturbing. Congresspeople being denied entry into detention centers to visit their constituents should be disturbing. The Bible states over 200 times that we are to look after, care for, and protect the immigrants among us, for we were once immigrants too. There is not caveat given for how they got to be among us: only that we care for them. And lastly, we are told that we will be judged when we stand before God for how we treated those who have nothing, for that is how we treated God (Matt 25). Blessings, Pastor Chris
While we often like to think about Jesus as if he did no wrong, many people in this story were collateral damage to Jesus’s healing actions. By some people’s perspective, Jesus is the villain of the story: he damaged people’s property, killed livestock, and put people’s jobs at risk all to help one man on the outside of town.
Post-modernism is a field of thought that explores the idea that stories, news, research and even facts are imbedded within a worldview and the perspective that will guide and change how a narrative is told. When people look at the “good ol’ days” of the past with rose-tinted glasses, postmodernist thinking is the one that asks, “Who were the 'good old days' good for?” When people reminisce about the days when Walter Cronkite gave the nightly news, postmodernist thinking is the one that asks, “What stories were considered not newsworthy?” The same postmodern tools allow people to put forward their personal truth and alternative facts. For good or for ill, postmodern thinking has taken firm root in our culture and it has become increasingly difficult to agree on what can be considered truth. Along with the question of what is opinion, what is perspective, and what is true, is the additional question of “which opinion, perspective, and truth is one the correct side of history?” This upcoming Sunday, we will be exploring what is on the rubric for being “on the right side of history” and how to judge how well we are doing. I won’t be talking about current policies directly, but I will be discussing how to assess their benefit and collateral damage. Hopefully, we can do it without harming a single piggie. Blessings, Pastor Chris “I’m surprised to see some many people and organizations here,” my sister remarked to me on Saturday as we made our way down 9 Mile for Ferndale’s Pride festival. As a social worker, my sister, Katie, has spent her professional career advocating on behalf of those who fall through the cracks of society. From working with domestic violence shelters, families with CPS cases, foster care kids - and more recently - she had been running support groups and counseling/coaching sessions for fellow social worker. That is, she was until the funding for her work evaporated due to concerns about her job centering on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). While she was able to secure another position, her ability to talk about many issues that affect social workers or the foster kids that those workers manage has been curtailed. The workspace now feels hostile: one worker keeps reporting her for discussing matters of a foster kid’s race and gender, even while it is relevant to their identity and care. Due to these experiences, she had feared that less people would be willing to be seen publicly at Pride. Even more, she was curious how many corporate sponsors would be at the event given the current hostility towards DEI programs (sexuality and transgender identities fall under the heading of “diversity” for most organizations with DIE programs). To the surprise of both of us, we had to park a half mile away from downtown and entered a bustling street full of color, glitter, families, and vendors. In recent years, there was a trend of corporations turning their logos to rainbows during the month of Pride and having a float in the Motor City Pride parade. Ironically, many of these corporations contributed to the campaigns of people who promoted anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. Articles were written about the “corporatization of Pride” and what it would mean to return to the revolutionary roots of Pride. This year, many corporate sponsors didn’t make an appearance in Ferndale. A level of respect was given to the companies and organizations that showed up this year because they decided to be visibly pro-LGBTQIA+ when it was not only not trendy, but risky to their public image to do so. I kept my eyes peeled to see what religious institutions were there. I saw two synagogues (Congregation Shir Tikvah being one), four churches (First Pres Birmingham & Greenfield Pres included), and one religious organization I could not identify. All of this made me wonder what it would look like for Northminster to show up with a tent for Pride. It would be showing up because we cared, not because it was trendy or because it is a good place to snag new members. What message would we share at our booth? What message do the people attending need to hear? Would we be willing to put in the effort to show up, put up a tent, and have volunteers there for the length of the festival? I know that Pride festivals and parades are often depicted as frivolous parties to those outside of the LGBTQIA+ community - but I saw how much it mattered to my sister on Saturday that people were still willing to show up for her community. It mattered to see people dressed defiantly and audaciously. The joy mattered. Presence mattered. Happy Pride Month, Northminster. Thank you for the ways that you have showed up and made room over the years. Thank you for the effort you have put in to make sure our rainbow flag hangs proudly for all to see. Thank you for creating a community where people of all backgrounds can find a home here. Blessings, Pastor Chris  |
AuthorPastor Chris Hallam earned her degree at Princeton Theological Seminary and moved to Michigan to become a pastor. Also trained as a studio artist and graphic designer, with an interest in pop culture and social science, her passion is thinking creatively about the future of the church. Archives
January 2026
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