NOVEMBER 2025
ISSUE 20
EVERYONE WELCOME
A LETTER FROM PORTLAND
AS A PALESTINIAN PASTOR . . . DOING BLACK THEOLOGY WITH ELLEN WHITE
THE FIRST CASUALTY IS TRUTH
YOUR BIBLE SPEAKS COMMUNITY
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Portland Oregon
Where Love Reveals Itself In Action
Thursday, October 9, 2025
The Honorable Donald. J. Trump
President of the United States
Mr President,
As pastors and leaders in God's church, we are compelled like the prophets of old to speak truth to power when injustice is perpetuated and when human dignity is undermined. Today, we raise our voice to you not from a place of partisanship, but from the conviction that flows out of Scripture, which calls us to justice, mercy, and humility before God.
The deployment of the National Guard to the city of Portland represents not strength but the very kind of coercive power against which the Word of God warns Revelation 13 speaks of powers symbolized as “'beasts,” nations and governments that persecute God's people, demand allegiance through fear, and seek control through violence and compulsion Throughout the Bible, we are warned about governments that send troops into cities to silence their citizens. We ask: when will your use of force be enough? Must we expect, even by writing this letter, to have a National Guard presence in front of our own church building? You are not making us safer. You are not making America great again. You are making America resemble the very beasts of Revelation. And God knows how to handle them Babylon does fall
We are commanded to love the stranger as ourselves (Leviticus 19:34). Yet, because of your administration’s immigration policies, our church’s ability to minister has been directly hindered We recently conducted an evangelism series intentionally designed to serve our neighbors who speak Spanish. Many were afraid to come because of ICE raids and fear of deportation In this way, your policies are not simply hurting immigrants they are harming the church itself, restricting our mission, and undermining the witness of Christians.
Your efforts to dismantle federal assistance programs cut deepest against the very ones Christ calls us to protect We have members in our church who can no longer afford their medication Others must choose between groceries for their families or the cost of gas to attend worship and fellowship with believers. Seniors
on fixed incomes, who should be honored in their later years, are instead forced into impossible choices You adorn the White House as though you were a Babylonian king, surrounding yourself with opulence while the most vulnerable are left to suffer. Scripture warns: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights" (Isaiah 10:1–2)
Mr President, you stand under the judgment of Almighty God A government that crushes the poor, oppresses the stranger, and silences its people cannot escape divine accountability. You may command soldiers, sign orders, and wield executive power, but you cannot command the throne of heaven The Judge of all the earth will do right (Genesis 18:25). Revelation assures us that beasts which exalt themselves against God and His people are brought low Babylon does not stand Every kingdom that has raised itself against justice and mercy has fallen, and America will be no exception if it refuses to repent.
TheMandatetoChangeCourse
Therefore, on behalf of Your Bible Speaks Community Seventh-day Adventist Church, we demand immediate action:
That you immediately cease the brutalization of peaceful protesters at the ICE facility in Portland Stop threatening to deploy federal troops and refuse any future attempts to override the will of the courts or local authorities This includes sending the use of federal agents as instruments of intimidation and violence against citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights.
That you end the indiscriminate deportations and family separations that tear apart communities and deny the justice of due process. While criminals should be held accountable under the law, it is not justice to treat every immigrant as a criminal That is injustice
That you repent of policies and practices that strip away protections from the poor, the elderly, and the vulnerable for these are the very ones Christ Himself identified with when He declared, “Whatever you did to the least of these, you did also to me” (Matthew 25:40).
This is not merely our request; it is heaven’s mandate. God requires rulers to execute justice, to defend the cause of the poor and needy, and to show mercy (Jeremiah 22:3, Micah 6:8) Failure to do so will not only bring judgment upon your presidency, but upon this nation itself.
Still, we extend to you an invitation to dialogue We are willing to sit with you, or with those you appoint, to discuss pathways toward justice, mercy, and peace. True leadership is not found in domination, but in humility, in listening, and in courage to change course when confronted with truth
In Christ’s service wage peace,
The Board of Your Bible Speaks Community Seventh-day Adventist Church Pastor Reginald Richardson, Jr.
EVERYONE WELCOME
Across the road from my office at our church publishing house in Warburton, Australia, is our local Adventist church and its sign board with moveable letters, on which the message is changed most Tuesdays This sign sometimes advertises upcoming events or quotes occasional Bible verses but most often announces that week’s preacher and/or sermon title with an invitation to attend
I am intrigued by the various expressions of welcome that the sign employs from time to time There are those that seem a contrast with the sermon title perhaps “Sinners Are Condemned/ All Welcome” or something similar and seem likely to be an unsuccessful invitation. The most common formulation is probably “[INSERT SERMON TITLE HERE] Everyone Welcome” But, having not contacted me for the week’s sermon title, my most recent preaching appointment at this church was billboarded in this way: “This Week’s Preacher: Nathan Brown/ Anyone welcome ”
I was left reflecting on the distinction between “Everyone Welcome” and “Anyone Welcome” In this instance, “everyone” and “anyone” can probably be used interchangeably, but “anyone” seems a lesser welcome and risks a negative connotation Perhaps one way of expressing it would be to distinguish between welcoming anyone who chooses to come on an individual basis rather than extending the sense of welcome to everyone who happens to see the sign that week, whatever their response
It is inherent in the nature of any human organisation or group that it will seek to define who is included and who is excluded.
kingdom of God. Beginning with the Jews, these same ripples reach the Samaritans of the “Good Samaritan” infamy then gentiles and ultimately to peoples beyond Jewish imagination. In the process, so many others are caught up in this expanding reality, including women as disciples and leaders, eunuchs and others outside acceptable understandings of holiness, persecutors and oppressors, soldiers and jailers, governors and kings
Much of the tension among the early church leaders came from the fact that their theology could not keep pace with the expanding inclusivity of the kingdom of God and the action of God’s Spirit. Those who were coming to know God, both through their preaching or apart from it, challenged their Jewish assumptions and sensibilities.
In her provocative book Pastrix, Nadia BolzWeber points out that the story of the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch (see Acts 8:26–40) might be better understood as the conversion of Philip Through this story, Philip is the one repeatedly described as being directed by the Holy Spirit and his appeal comes in the question from the eunuch, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” (verse 36) In Philip’s theology, there were good reasons why this man should not be baptised (see Deuteronomy 23:1). But God was doing something new and Philip responded to His leading
This kind of scandalous inclusivity in the reach and response to the gospel caused larger tensions, which came to a head in the Jerusalem council of Acts 15, which functions as a culmination of the first half of the Book of Acts. As well as Philip’s meeting with the Ethiopian, there had been Peter’s rooftop vision and subsequent ministry to Cornelius and his household, and the initial success of the missionary work of Paul and Barnabbas The church had grown rapidly from a small Jewish sect to an international, multi-cultural and majority-Gentile movement
It is inherent in the nature of any human organization or group that it will seek to define who is included and who is excluded In a sense, this is what makes them a definable group And,
of course, particularly from some in Jerusalem, there were the calls that these new believers had to become Jewish to become “like us” to be fully recognised as members of this new community.
While the mission reports seemed compelling, James one of the leaders in the church in Jerusalem and probably the brother of Jesus resolved the debate by drawing on the Old Testament teaching in Isaiah 45 He urged that Jesus’ followers should expect that God does new things and that the church of Jesus must grow deeper, broader and more inclusive James expressed it succinctly: “My judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God” (Acts 15:19)
Of course, there are core beliefs and practices that are what it means to be a community of Jesus and the Jerusalem council wrote to the new churches to encourage their faithfulness in such matters but the conclusion of the council was that, no, we don’t all have to worship, look, live, practice or even believe exactly alike to be full members of the faithful community of Jesus. And that it should not be difficult to turn to God in the context and culture of our church communities As author Rachel Held Evans has put it, “What makes the gospel offensive isn’t who it keeps out, but who it lets in ”
More than a billboard sign, the gospel mandates that everyone must be welcome. The experience of the early church was that wherever they felt the boundaries were settled, the Holy Spirit pushed them further. First- and second-century commentators lampooned and criticised the Christians for their scandalous inclusiveness It was a marker of the reality of the work of God among them and beyond them.
“Everyone Welcome” must not be merely a sign we put up, it must be a core practice of our faith in Jesus and our life together as His people today. If we are truly worshipping Jesus, anyone and everyone are always welcome to join us
Whom you would change, you must first love.
A CERTAINTY
You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.
Beverly Sills
He who is outside his door already has a hard part of his journey behind him Dutch proverb LEAVING COMFORT
Only a mediocre writer is always at his best. W Somerset Maugham EXCELLENCE
GOD THOUGHTS Anne Lamott
I’ve already shared my God thoughts as there are only a few: Not me. Look up. Be kind.
LUMINOUS
PERSPECTIVE
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because I see everything by it.
C. S. Lewis
Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.
Daniel 12:3, Message
I do not want the peace that passeth understanding. I want the understanding which bringeth peace
Helen Keller BRINGETH
Martin Luther King Jr
AS A PALESTINIAN PASTOR, I CAN’T CALL THIS “PEACE” PLAN JUSTICE
In Palestine, we welcomed the news of a ceasefire with hope a fragile, trembling hope After months of unbearable horror, we allowed ourselves to exhale. For the people of Gaza, it meant a pause in the killing, a night of uneasy quiet, and the possibility of sleep without bombs. For the first time in months, aid convoys could move, families could begin to search for loved ones beneath the rubble, and the living could start to count the dead.
But almost immediately, our reality of living under occupation intruded again The arrest of Layan Nasser, a young Palestinian Christian activist who was recently detained by Israeli security forces for the third time, reminded us that nothing has fundamentally changed Even as hostages are released, Israel continues to place more Palestinians under administrative detention Even as politicians congratulate themselves on achieving “peace,” the machinery of occupation continues its cruel rhythm.
As a pastor and a Palestinian living in the West Bank, I write with gratitude and grief I am grateful that, for a moment, the people of Gaza can breathe. I am grateful for every life spared, for every child who can wake up to silence rather than explosions. I rejoice for those released from captivity Palestinian and Israeli and I mourn for those who did not return I grieve deeply for the thousands who remain imprisoned, displaced, and exiled, denied even the dignity of mourning.
But I cannot pretend that this ceasefire, or
the so-called “peace” plan that follows it, represents anything close to justice The weekend after the ceasefire, Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, which killed close to 100 Palestinians and wounded over 200 more Israel claimed that this breach of the ceasefire was a retaliation for Hamas attacking and killing Israel Defense Force troops in Rafah. But reports indicate that the two IDF casualties were not a result of a Hamas attack, but due to a bulldozer running over an unexploded ordnance. As reported by Al Jazeera, Gaza’s media office alleges that Israel has broken the ceasefire agreement 80 times in the first two weeks after it took effect on October 10. Still, despite violent rhetoric from both US and Israeli officials, Hamas told BBC that it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement. The killing of Palestinians continues in large numbers
I cannot pretend that this ceasefire, or the so-called “peace” plan that follows it, represents anything close to justice.
These are dark and troubling times We live in an age where war criminals are celebrated as peacemakers where those who starve children,
flatten buildings, and bomb refugee camps are praised for their “restraint.” It is a tragic irony that those who commit atrocities can be hailed as heroes the moment they pause the killing.
To make matters worse, the architects of past catastrophes people like Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister who supported the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which resulted in nearly one million people being killed are being invited once again to oversee “reconstruction” and “stabilization.” The same logic that destroyed other nations is now being applied to rebuild Gaza
What politicians are selling to the world is not peace; it is submission. It is the illusion of peace; it is a coercive peace where the powerful impose their will, dictate terms, and call it “stability ” There is no mention of justice, no acknowledgment of war crimes, and no talk of reparations or accountability The message is clear: Might makes right. The powerful rule, and the rest of us must accept.
Gaza is now being transformed into an investment opportunity President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan promises to make Gaza one of the “thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East ” The same nations that armed Israel during its campaign are now preparing to profit from rebuilding what their weapons destroyed Companies and investors are being invited to line up to benefit from the ashes of Palestinian homes, to turn genocide into a business venture The rich will grow richer, while the poor will rebuild their lives under the same occupation that tried to destroy them.
Meanwhile, Palestinians in the West Bank remain under siege as they are subjected to daily raids, expanding settlements, and settler terrorism. Yet in the political discourse, Palestinians are told that we must be the ones to “reform ” As if our oppression were our own fault As if the colonized must prove their worthiness for freedom.
Our humanity seems negotiable When it comes to genocide, the world says, “Never again,” but this seems to only be applicable to some Global leaders rush to ensure that Israeli suffering is never repeated, yet remain silent as
Palestinians are bombed, starved, and erased. The interests of the empire outweigh the cries of the oppressed Once again, Palestinians are asked to die quietly for someone else’s peace.
I am not trying to be cynical or pessimistic. But truth must be spoken plainly A ceasefire is not peace A pause in the killing, while apartheid continues, is not peace. A plan that ignores justice and accountability is not peace
Real peace begins with the recognition of historic injustice with naming what has been done to the Palestinian people for more than 75 years: ethnic cleansing, dispossession, and apartheid Without truth, there can be no reconciliation. Without justice, peace will always be an illusion
And yet, amid the ruins and a fragile ceasefire agreement, I hold on to hope. Not a naïve hope, but the stubborn, biblical hope that insists light can rise from darkness We must honor the pain and loss of this war. We must tell the truth about the genocide that unfolded before our eyes We must work for healing, not through denial, but through accountability and repentance.
Peace cannot be imposed. Rather, it must be built on justice, equality, and recognition of every human life as sacred. The people of Gaza, and all Palestinians, deserve not charity but dignity; not reconstruction under occupation but liberation from it
The ceasefire has given us a moment to breathe May it also be the moment we awaken to the truth that peace without justice is merely the continuation of war by quieter means.
ReView
TOXIC FEMININITY: THE TEARS THAT PRESERVE WHITE SUPREMACY
Any older sibling can tell you the tragic tale of the time their parents put them in time-out for making their younger counterpart cry “You weren’t there,” they will plead. “This isn’t fair!”
Meanwhile, the younger sibling dries their tears after learning an important lesson If I can produce some tears, that big kid gets in trouble It doesn’t matter what happened; my tears are power
Wise parents, teachers, and caregivers know to look out for the crocodile tears we do our best to keep play time fair. Our prayer lives flourish
Weaponization of tears is, sadly, not something that everyone will unlearn as they grow White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad is an exposé about white women using their tears as an attack against people of color. We do not always do it consciously; the author points out how white women have been shaped to represent the ultimate delicate distressed damsel, whose precious tears demand the world gather like diamonds and defend even if she who dispensed them was in the wrong.
Hamad gives example after example (and references where one can read even more examples) of white women doing or saying
something insensitive towards a person of color, being confronted by the person of color, and the white woman crying and syphoning the sympathy and support away from the person of color who was originally wronged. The person of color who was wronged often winds up apologizing to the white woman
Rather than abandon readers with the ridiculousness of white woman tears, Hamad schools us with well-studied history lessons of the prejudices and biases that lead us down the tissue-littered road of toxic femininity. There is power in learning these histories so that when we see and recognize them, they are much easier to detour. Our prayer lives flourish.
Also by Ruby Hamad: How White Women Use Strategic Tears to Silence Women of Colour
White Tears/Brown Scars How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color Catapult Books, 2020
WHO WE ARE
Pulse is the monthly digital magazine of JustLove Collective. The sponsors of this issue of Pulse wish to remain anonymous. (Thank you.)
Designed by Jeffers Media.
Unless indicated otherwise all Bible references are from the New Revised Standard Version
L S E C O R R E S P O N D E N T S
CHRIS BLAKE
Is professor emeritus at Union Adventist University where he taught English and communication courses, including Conflict and Peacemaking along with Critiquing Film. He has also served as editor of Insight magazine, author of many books and articles, and pastor of two small churches
NATHAN BROWN
Is book editor at Signs Publishing, based near Melbourne, Australia He is author of 22 books, including Practising Justice, Thinking Faith and Do Not Be Afraid (the devotional book for 2025, published by Pacific Press in North America.
STEVE CHAVEZ
Is an ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister, now retired after serving in pastoral and publishing ministries
PAUL JOHANSON
Is a medical doctor, based in Brisbane, Australia, and participant in the “Let Justice Flow” conference, hosted by Common Grace in Canberra, Australia
MARCIA NORDMEYER
Is a circulation/reference associate at Union Adventist University's library in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is happily married to Jeremy. Their two children are encouraged to read banned books.
DOING BLACK THEOLOGY WITH ELLEN WHITE
Without doubt, Ellen White could be prophetic in her theology. “Ask yourselves,” she wrote regarding church segregation, “if Christ in assembling His people [would] say, ‘Those who are dark-skinned may file into the back seats; those of a lighter skin may come up to the front seats’?” Should one have swapped the subject of the church for a bus, this could well have been chanted by civil rights leaders following Rosa Park’s valiant protest 1
On another occasion, White described the plight of Black Americans in terms that sadly still resonate in the era of Black Lives Matter protests Greatly criticizing the state of justice for the Black community in her day, White wrote resounding condemnations regarding their subhuman treatment “When the whites commit crimes,” she wrote, “they are often allowed to go uncondemned, while for the same transgressions the blacks scarcely knowing their right hand from their left, are treated worse than the brutes.” They “are tortured to death whether proved guilty or not,” she writes in horror, adding with disgust that “the nation that permits this bears the name of Christian.” 2 3
Despite the two different centuries that now separate her experience from ours, the descriptions remain eerily unchanged in their broad intention. Moreover, like some of the most radical of social justice warriors today, her words
haunt readers with a passion that can make some uncomfortable. She described the treatment of Black people as demonic and asked: “Will not God judge for these things?” She warned in no uncertain terms that “as surely as the whites have brought their inhuman cruelty to bear upon the negroes, so surely will God’s vengeance fall upon them.” And mind you, such heated words were not directed at Southern whites during the Civil War, but the white community as a whole at the turn of the century. She was criticizing the very sorts of early policies and violent aggression that Black leaders during the Civil Rights movement would condemn during their marches. After hearing words like this, filled with righteous indignation, is it difficult not to hear foreshadows of Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s famously controversial acclamation from the pulpit that the Black community shouldn't sing “God Bless America” but “God damn America”?
4
What is one to do with this little-discussed portrait of Ellen White? What value do her forgotten insights have, in particular for Adventists who struggle to discern their role in our tumultuous times? Increasingly, theologians in the Adventist tradition are turning their attention to this question. Recently, Calvin Rock published a paper one of the first of its kind in which he argued that Ellen White’s “insights
5
are distinctly akin to those of Black theology” and that the two “find common cause.” For some, this will be shocking For others, this will simply be confusing.
The Task Remains
Like some of the most radical of social justice warriors today, her words haunt readers with a passion that can make some uncomfortable.
What exactly is Black theology? To be succinct, Black theology grew out of the wake of the American Civil Rights movement during the 1960s to 1970s, finding its roots and footing not only in the developing liberation theology of the time, but also in the earlier political-theological reflections of Richard Allen, Henry Highland Garnett, Nat Turner, and Henry McNeil Turner. These earlier rumblings got a second wind during the Civil Rights movement and crystalized in the work of James Cone. Black theology is an early example of what has come to be called a “contextual theology,” in that its theologians understand that God, faith, hope, and Christian love are not timeless and eternal perfectly understood concepts, but are “bound to specific and particular historical circumstances,” most prominently poverty. In the wider world of academia and African American religious experience, Black theology has had tremendous success at revitalizing the theological development in Black communities and raising awareness of social justice issues Outside that arena, most Americans are unaware of the Black theology tradition and many white Americans find it initially odd or threatening when they learn of it Within Seventh-day Adventism, Black theology has received little to no attention. . . .
Although Ellen White wrote little building on her early ideas, what she did write was far beyond her time and, if built upon, could have sparked much earlier the sort of contextual theology that Cone later formed. Baker notes that “the African American experience shaped much of Seventh-day Adventist theology, and specifically eschatology.” One can only imagine what might have happened had Black Adventist ministers taken up these statements and, like Cone, developed their own liberation theology. 8
Unfortunately, Adventists have remained largely, strangely, and uniquely distanced from the fight for equality in the United States, a fight that defined and still defines so many Black churches How might the Civil Rights movement have been different had the Adventist Church been center stage in the fight for Black liberation from the evils of segregation? Sadly, such questions remain in the realm of lost dreams. As Tolbert notes, “Caught between a past influenced by the somewhat liberal racial views of abolitionists and a present dominated by the conservatism characteristic of institutions run by white middle-class Americans, the Adventist Church seems to adhere to a careful noncommitment on the weightier issues of race.”9
After years of campaigning for aid and relief, White finally criticized the Adventist movement toward the end of her life for its lack of effort to help the Black community. She wrote scathingly that “years are passing into eternity” and “Seventh-day Adventists have done comparatively little to help them,” and noting that “many . . . are apparently unable to understand the necessity ” She later remarked, hopelessly, that in the end “the Seventh-day Adventist church has failed to act its part.” 10 11
What remains today the task of Adventists Black, white, and of all races is how to recapture the early vision of Ellen White and put it into practice within our theology. How do we as Adventists contribute to Black theology and all other liberating theologies? Our vision and contribution to such efforts will obviously both be similar and uniquely distinct, given our heritage and values What does a Black Adventist liberation theology look like and, better yet, what can it become?
Rock laments that “we have had few, very few persons academically prepared to contribute to Adventist theology the perspectives of the oppressed, and thus provide for the church a more balanced social perspective.” The task remains 12
WANT TO UNDERSTAND RFK JR.? CONSIDER THE THREE STOOGES
The Good News Is, Any Moment Now We Should Start Laughing.
It’s been almost a hundred years since God created The Three Stooges, who taught us the first rule of humor: If you can’t make people laugh with a joke, then hit each other over the head with a mallet. According to their cinematic archive, no job was too challenging to fail at spectacularly, including plumber, painter, carpenter, chef, even surgeon. They could not succeed in these endeavors because they were utterly unqualified, a can’t-do attitude that fits right in with today’s Trump administration But the good news is, any moment now we should start laughing
In fact, had Moe, Curly, and Larry lived into their second century, they might have been chosen as members of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, ACIP for short Since so many of RFK Jr.’s new hires have been sorely mistaken as respected experts in the field of immunology, why not The Three Stooges, whose disqualifying ineptitude could stand shoulder to shoulder with their own.
The original members of ACIP were summarily dismissed for as far as we can tell a strong commitment to scientific inquiry and making fact-based decisions Also, their surprising aversion to prescribing Vitamin A as a
wonder cure. (RFK Jr. is a huge vitamin A fan. He can’t get enough of it. Nor, apparently, can he get enough time in tanning beds despite the proven risk of melanoma To his credit, RFK Jr will put up looking tanned and fit against a cancer risk any day.)
Of particular note among the new appointees is Martin Kulldorff (we’ll just call him Larry), who gained notoriety during the last pandemic by advocating a remedy that many A can’t-do attitude that fits right in with today’s Trump Administration.
Like RFK Jr. (let’s call him Moe), ACIP’s new hires bring a long history of public skepticism against research that, despite their best efforts, led to covid vaccines that have saved countless lives Interestingly, most of these people were educated at some of the nation’s finest universities, universities who of late quickly cross the street when approached by nosey journalists asking about their alums
scientists felt compelled to quibble with: Do nothing.
No lockdowns, no physical distancing, and certainly no vaccines. His bright idea was just to let nature take its course. He argued that after enough people had contracted the virus, the population would reach herd immunity by building up antibodies that made them healthy enough to easily step over all the dead people not benefitting from this protocol In Kulldorff’s view, “Hey, you can’t make an omelet without a couple million corpses. Am I right?”
Other new appointees to the commission similarly spent the last pandemic claiming, variously, that the covid vaccine caused AIDS and made you infertile It’s only a matter of time before this rogue gallery of conspiracists bring out their Greatest Hits for the Cure, including silver oxide toothpaste (wintergreen is the most
A CALL TO BREAK THE SILENCE
Content Warning: References To Violence And Abuse
Over the past months, I’ve witnessed a troubling pattern of hate and division growing stronger across the world. It echoes the destructive forces that inspired Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller to write his poignant poem, “First They Came,” after the horrors of the Holocaust Today, this pattern targets marginalized communities, and our silence in the face of injustice feels all too familiar.
First, the hateful came for the transgender, and I stayed silent because I once thought I was not trans.
Then, they came for the immigrants, and I stayed silent because I once thought I was native
Then, they came for the LGBTQ+, and I stayed silent because I once thought I was not one of them
Then, they came for the autistic, and I stayed silent because I once thought I was not autistic
And when they come for me, who will be left to speak?
I’ve read heartbreaking accounts, over the years, from the autistic community about children facing abuse from their own parents neglect, verbal attacks, and, in extreme cases, violence leading to death simply for being deemed “too difficult” or “different.” Autistic-led
advocacy groups have raised alarms about this growing issue
This pattern of hatred extends beyond one community. Just last week, I saw a horrifying video online from an Asian country showing a transgender child thrown into a river after having their arms and legs broken. My heart broke. I imagined pulling them from the water, as Christ would have, and bringing them to a place of love and safety. Their identity as trans was irrelevant they are a child of God, deserving of dignity and care What they do with their body/temple is between them and their Creator, not us
As a follower of Christ, I believe every person trans, autistic, or otherwise is created with inherent worth Jesus reached out to the marginalized, the outcast, the suffering. We are called to do the same, to speak out against hatred and act with love, regardless of differences
We cannot wait until “they” come for us to act Speak out now against the abuse of autistic children, the violence toward trans youth, the domestic violence targeting women, and the hatred aimed at any group. Share their stories, stand with advocates for justice, or simply offer love to someone who feels alone. As Niemöller’s poem reminds us, silence is complicity. Let’s choose compassion before it’s too late
THE FIRST CASUALTY IS TRUTH ReView
When US President Donald Trump was kicked off major social media platforms after the January 6, 2021, insurrection that led to Trump supporters storming the Capitol, Trump founded his own social media platform, dubbed (ironically) Truth Social. The irony is that, like his social media platform, Trump is largely a stranger to the truth Indeed, most of the claims made on the platform are so demonstrably false that anyone who is grounded in reality finds them not only false but laughable
Trump may be the latest and arguably one of the most successful purveyors of propaganda, but he is certainly not the first. The film Truth & Treason takes viewers back to World War II, when Germany was caught in the thrall of one of the world’s most effective liars. Adolf Hitler and his lies created a culture in which people were coerced into either giving the regime their tacit support or facing consequences that included torture, imprisonment, even death
The film is based on the true story of Helmuth Hübener, a 16-year-old in Hamburg, who came to realize that his faith was incompatible with the fear, violence, and suspicion manifested by those committed to the Nazi Party. With clandestine access to broadcasts from the BBC
and while employed as a clerk in the city’s administration building, Hübener gained access to a room in which the Nazis kept banned books. Using ideas gleaned from the books, and typing out small leaflets, he began slipping them into mailboxes, posting them on bulletin boards, and putting them on car windshields.
Truth & Treason is, in some ways, hard to watch.
This story of a teenager living a double life under the noses of his parents, his coworkers, fellow church members, and most of his friends is masterfully told Although none of the characters is played by high-profile actors, all the performances are credible and memorable The set and costume designs are extremely convincing. Several subplots enhance the drama as Hübener enlists a few friends to join his efforts, and members of law enforcement try to discover who is providing the tracts and pamphlets that mysteriously show up on streets and in apartment buildings
Perhaps the most enduring feature of this film is how closely it mirrors the times in which we live When, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, people so ardently identify with an ideology so obviously false, divisive, racist, it’s not surprising that people resort to falsehoods and name-calling to be persuasive. The late Charlie Kirk and his Turning Point USA routinely used half-truths to fuel his debates and rallies He facilitated the creation of a Professor Watchlist as a means to threaten and harass college and university faculty members who didn’t share Turning Point USA’s ideological agenda. Instead of academic freedom, some professors were fired or forced to retire; some were threatened with psychological and physical violence when their names, phone numbers, and addresses were published.
Truth & Treason is, in some ways, hard to watch As the noose tightens around Helmuth Hübener and his friends, knowing the reputation of Nazi Germany for violence and coercion, one can hardly hope for a happy ending. But the strength of character demonstrated by the protagonists, and the significant but nearly imperceptible effect they had on those around them, makes Truth & Treason a movie worth watching
A FIRST-TIME LOBBYIST REFLECTS . . .
When I first heard of the “Let Justice Flow” conference, it grabbed my attention This was to be a gathering of Australian Christians to present their faith-informed view of justice Jesus’ teachings on justice have motivated me and shaped my career over decades, so the invitation to meet and stand with Christians from different denominational backgrounds was compelling.
But the detail was daunting: we were to lobby politicians directly on Indigenous youth justice and on climate justice Lobbying was new territory for me, and I have no direct expertise on these topics. We were supplied, however, with briefing notes and a concise, focussed message to deliver.
I felt an immediate resonance with fellow attendees A wide range of denominations were represented Many described polarities within their own churches, between support for seeking justice and resistance from fellow parishioners
The program modelled listening to Indigenous voices. Policies had been developed through indigenous leadership and consultation. Much of the content was presented by Indigenous individuals The practicalities of listening to and working with Indigenous communities was discussed Experts in youth justice and climate spoke passionately about the intersection between their work and the gospel.
It was a deeply spiritual program. Prayers
were offered frequently not in a liturgical way, but as a pastoral response We were welcomed to Ngunnawal Country the lands of the traditional people of the Canberra region and the flow of shared, cool smoke while my bare feet stood on this ground reminded me of the foot-washing service. Likewise, we shared communion with elements made from Australian ingredients. To taste my country in bread made from Strawberry Gum and drink Davidson Plum and Rosella cordial as metaphors of Christ was deeply moving Consequently, I experienced a deep season of prayer, yarning with God.
The conference also provided an opportunity to build friendship with fellow Adventists, including (of course!) a long-lost cousin.
Over three days, we divided into lobby groups and prepared to meet parliamentarians from our region The politicians met us with curiosity and grace, finding points of commonality and appreciating our Christian perspective that went beyond the statistics with which they are already familiar.
Yet, underneath the expert research, our arguments were built on scripture, on God who gifted us the earth created through His genius, and Jesus who defended children.
COMMON GRACE AT THE MUSEUM
“Let Justice Flow” was a conference and political action hosted by Common Grace, a network of more than 50,000 Christians and churches around Australia, “pursuing justice together for the flourishing of all people and all creation.” Its work campaigning for action in response to climate change is featured in the Museum of Australian Democracy (Canberra) as an example of grass-roots activism. The caption below the scarf on display reads:
Margaret Ackland knitted this scarf as part of a citizen action project coordinated by Common Grace, a Christian, non-denominational, social justice action group. The scarves were presented to parliamentarians to ignite discussion and action on climate change. The stripes represent data on global warming, showing in vivid colours the rise in temperature over the past 100 years On the last joint sitting day before the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow, at least 63 [Members of Parliament] and senators wore their scarves during Question Time. For the Common Grace knitters, the project was a way to exercise their civil freedoms, engage with elected representatives and participate in Australia's democracy
With their visit to Canberra in November, 2025, Common Grace lobbyists presented dozens more hand-knitted scarves to new representatives elected in the national election in May. To discover more about the work of Common Grace, visit commongrace.org.au
INSPIRATION
COLLECTIVE
Podcasts we just love
A House on Fire: This Adventist Peace Fellowship podcast series is based on the excellent book on race and racism
Red Letter Christian Podcast: Christian commentary on the way of Jesus in the world today
Adventist Voices: Weekly podcast and companion to Spectrum designed to foster community through conversation
Adventist Pilgrimage: A lively monthly podcast focusing on the academic side of Adventist history
The Social Jesus Podcast talks about the intersection of Jesus, faith, and social justice today
Just Liberty: A fresh, balanced take on religious liberty where justice and liberty meet
Gratitude
We are particularly grateful for every contribution to JustLove Collective. Donations are tax-deductible. Though we are a global movement of volunteers, we do need to pay for expenses related to this magazine and to the Summit For more information, please see our website at justlovecollective org
