Christians United to Defend Democracy
Opportunity to join a new FREE program to learn overcome division and hate and strengthen our democracy
A message from our friends at the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice. Our democracy is in danger and this election year will prove crucial to the next chapter of our nation’s story. Let’s come together and learn how we can work together to save our democracy and promote the thriving of everyone in our nation.
Join us for a new program to overcome division and hate and strengthen our democracy.
“And what does the Lord require of you?
To do justice and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”
- Micah 6:8
We are living through a decisive moment in the life of our nation. The teachings and ministry of Jesus remind us that we have a responsibility to care for one another and lift up those in need of love and healing. And yet, today there are too many using the Bible and our faith to divide and harm our communities, at exactly the time when we most need to come together to find common ground. In the Gospels, this kind of decisive moment is known as Kairos time – a critical moment when God calls on us to put aside our differences and take humble and courageous action together.
Today, such action could not be more urgently needed. Within our churches, communities, and public spaces, we are all witnessing disturbing rhetoric and actions that threaten to erode our deepest held values. We are watching as our history and scripture are twisted and our faith is reduced and shrunken by limiting it to the imperfections of one nation. Our faith does not call us to worship any one country or group of people. Nor does Christ permit us to withdraw behind the walls of our sanctuaries when those in positions of power are using the word of God to divide our communities and abuse the most vulnerable among us.
Today, civic institutions – including our churches, community groups, nonprofits, and volunteer networks – are lagging behind as those opposed to freedom and democracy are expanding their influence among our neighbors and fellow congregants. We have a critical window of time to take action and re-orient our communities around the values of religious liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance.
Christians across the political spectrum and of all backgrounds have an especially pivotal role to play in this precarious moment. The work of preserving and strengthening our democracy is not a partisan issue or a question of Right versus Left. With a diverse choir of Christian voices, we have the power to call out the cynical manipulation of our faith and work together to preserve our public life as a place where faith in its many forms can flourish. This is an essential moment for Christians to come together as salt and light to defend a society in which all people are treated with respect and afforded the dignity that has been made in the image of God.
That’s why we’re partnering across a range of Christian communities to launch "Christians United to Defend American Democracy”. This six-month training program will support Christians who are concerned about the distortion of our faith and rising extremism and intolerance in our communities. Through conversation, scriptural study, and fellowship, we will learn about what is driving the rise of vitriol and division, build relationships, and develop concrete skills to strengthen our capacity to defend American democracy against those who seek to undermine it.
WHAT: This program will equip participants with a deeper understanding of this moment and how we can work together to chart a better path forward. This will include presentations from a wide range of clergy, theologians, and organizers, Bible study and exegesis, skills-sharing, relationship-building, and opportunities for shared discussion and strategizing.
WHO IS ORGANIZING: This program is being hosted and administered by the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice in partnership with a group of Christian leaders concerned about the rise of division in our communities and the erosion of our democracy. We work and worship in a diverse range of communities around the country.
WHO IS THIS FOR: Participation is open to all Christians who are concerned about the health of our communities and our public life and who want to do something about it. This includes clergy, lay leaders, and community leaders of all walks of life, of any denomination or tradition, and across the ideological spectrum
WHEN: January launch! This program will meet 2x a month for 6 months. (see FAQ for exact dates).
WHERE: Zoom
COST: Free
Next Steps:
RSVP here to hold your space and we will in touch with more very soon
Check out this FAQ for more details and please share this invitation with others!
Have questions? Please contact: christiansfordemocracy@organizingallofus.org and put “All of US Training Program” in the subject line.
The Narrative Gap, as coined by Lisa Sharon Harper, is the distance between the stories that we tell ourselves about ourselves, including how we got here and what it will take to make things right. In our world today, competing narratives vie for our loyalty, dividing society and the church, therefore making justice impossible. Our mission is help communities shrink the narrative gap, by identifying core issues and building community capacity so they might work toward common solutions for a just world. Here on the Freedom Road Substack, we can converse together on ways to shrink that narrative gap and help ensure everyones’ stories are told.
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