When Faithfulness Is Treated as a Threat

Beloved in Christ,

I feel compelled to speak plainly about what happened in Broadview this week. Peaceful clergy—colleagues, siblings in faith, and neighbors—gathered to pray, sing, worship, and offer pastoral care to God’s beloved ones detained inside the Broadview facility. Instead, they were met with violent force from law enforcement. Officers used batons, shouted obscenities, and arrested clergy who stood with their hands raised in prayer.

Pastor Luke from Grace Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Evanston described being thrown to the ground and arrested while trying to pray with immigrant neighbors. Rev. Jason Coulter of First Congregational UCC of Evanston shared how police ripped a banner reading “God Demands Freedom – End the Abductions” out of the clergy's hands and pushed worshipers back—despite the group being fully trained in nonviolent action and raising not a single hand toward officers.

And now, I’m watching the narrative be twisted. Some media outlets and individuals on social media are portraying clergy as lawbreakers or agitators. I cannot ignore how such distortions draw attention away from the real harm done to peaceful people of faith—and away from the human beings suffering inside that facility.

And I don’t want us to lose sight of who this is truly about.
The people being held in Broadview are being denied basic human rights: access to simple hygiene items, adequate food and water, and pastoral or emotional care. These are our neighbors. These are children of God. Regardless of how or why someone arrived in this country, I believe our faith calls us to see their humanity. That is the witness of Jesus. That is the ethic of our Gospel.

I also believe that when law enforcement mirrors the intimidation and fear tactics used by ICE, we must be willing to name it. We should be willing to condemn actions that harm, dehumanize, or silence those who are advocating for justice. Our call as Christians is not to comfort but to courage—to protect the vulnerable and to speak truth when power is misused.

As your pastor, I feel a deep responsibility to lift up this moment. Not to sow division, but to remind us who we are called to be: a community grounded in compassion, justice, and the radical welcome of Christ.

Our faith teaches that every person is made in the image of the Holy. God is not a God of borders, but a God who liberates. And faith that risks nothing for justice is not faith—it’s merely comfort.

My prayer is that we continue to grow in courage, clarity, and love as we stand with all who are suffering—both inside the walls of Broadview and in our wider community.

With hope,

Rev. Gilbert Martinez él, he, him (Why do pronouns matter?)

Pastor

Photo credit: https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/ice-immigration-police-arrests-protesters-a9bd72912c3dcbb1fcc43f1bfeb29fde