“Democracy in the USA is deteriorating at unprecedented speed,” said the latest Democracy Report from the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, as they downgraded the US on its list of functioning democracies. We see dehumanization at work as our immigrant neighbors are disappeared from our communities, Muslim leaders are targeted, and divisions deepen.

We hear our members asking how to respond. Some who study these types of situations are anticipating an “all in” moment, when people will need to respond en masse in ways that align with our own traditions and values.

Prophetic witness in the public square is a muscle that must be built and continually exercised. Last spring, Christians gathered in public across Wisconsin on Palm Sunday, calling on elected officials to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and welcome the stranger (Matthew 25). We invite you to continue to use our muscle of prophetic witness on November 22, Reign of Christ Sunday, to continue to uplift messages of hope, peace, love, and grace that are rooted in the kin-dom of God.

We have prepared a guide with theological grounding and suggestions for an Action Pathway, which you can download here.