Early on a Sunday morning in March of 1990 I was preparing for worship when one of the pillars of the church showed up at the office in her bathrobe. Out of breath and at the verge of tears she held in her hand a stack of flyers. “I found one of these on my doorstep. It’s not from us, right? I took as many as I could find in my neighborhood and brought them here? What should we do!?”
On the flyer was a series of slurs against Jewish people. On one side was a depiction of Jesus and the words “The Last Commandment of Christ: ‘Kill Every Jew.” On the other side, down at the bottom, were the words “Distributed by the Methodist Fellowship.”
I had been ordained only 21 months earlier and was serving as Associate Pastor at the Yorba Linda UMC. I had no idea what to do. So I turned and handed the flyer to my Senior Pastor and mentor, the Rev. M. Kenneth Criswell. He took a look, then looked at me and pointed to the computer in the front office. “Start typing.”
As more members and neighbors streamed to the church that morning, we handed them stacks of our own letter. Ken asked people not to remove the original flyer, but put ours next to it. He wanted us all to be aware of the hatred that was out there, but also to know of our position of truth and love.
Why us? Why that place and time? A Jewish Chabad center had just moved in across the street. Clearly, one person felt that they could stir up trouble between us or even cause latent Anti-Semitism to rise to the surface. Perhaps they felt there were others with the same hate who were just waiting for the occasion to act.
While clearly rejecting this hate speech, Ken didn’t respond with words of hate or violence. What he did was so very kind and wise. For the next few days and weeks, whenever someone from the news media would call for an interview, he would make himself available – across the street at the Chabad Center, standing next to the Rabbi. He knew the power of the image. He made certain that the message was not going to be hatred and division, but love, unity, and respect
Someone has been putting out flyers again; at homes in Newport Beach and online. Perhaps there is an organized group of KKK and other white supremacist organizations planning a rally in Huntington Beach. I imagine that there are persons in our area who hold these abhorrent and un-Christian views. I think it is more likely that this is a person or a small group who are “trolling.” They might think that if they announce a rally, like-minded people might actually show up. (“If you build it, they will come.”) More importantly, they might get people to counter-demonstrate. This might be an attempt to reignite some of the demonstrations from last Summer. In their fever dreams they might even imagine starting a race war. Then the white supremacists could play the victim.
Caught in the middle of this will be the people of the Huntington Beach Police department. Right now former Officer Derek Chauvin is on trial for the killing of George Floyd. Black folks across the country and around the world are reliving the horror of those 9 minutes and 29 seconds, and all of the other ways in which they have been brutalized. At the same time law enforcement officers are feeling that they are under attack and that all are being held to account for the actions of some. Calling for a rally and inviting the appropriate and inevitable counter-demonstration will, these workers of evil might imagine, force the police to take the side of the racists.
What can we do?
1. Be proactive, not reactive. Don’t
feed the trolls. Don’t take the bait. Don’t fall for the lies. “We must no
longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of
doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But
speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the
head, into Christ” — Ephesians 4:14-15
Make it clear to all who will listen that any white supremacist rallies
do not represent you, do not represent this area, and do not represent
Christianity. Show what we ARE about!
2. Stay true to your values. Make love clear with your words and deeds. “Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.” – 1 Peter 3:9 Reach out to those who have and are being rejected, harmed, and threatened.
3. Educate yourself, and act in your personal, religious, and political life to bring justice and equity for those who have been and continue to be the victims of violence, hatred, and systemic injustice.
4. Pray.
– Pray for those who have been harmed and those who live with this constant
unease.
– Pray for the police officers who must stand in the gap, even as they may feel
unjustly stereotyped.
– Pray for those who are so broken and consumed by evil that they lash out in
hate and lies, or seek to bring chaos for the sake of entertainment. Pray for
healing. Pray that they may be freed of the demons which posses them.
– Pray for your own wisdom and gentle strength.
– When your power and privilege feel threatened, remember that these are the
things of this world. Empty yourself of these and pray that God will replace
them with humility, grace, and the character to do justice, love kindness, and
walk with God.
Below is a statement we are currently adopting. It is adapted from one made by our Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council. Let us stand together for the good of all.
George Hooper
April 5, 2021
Statement regarding acts of violence and extremist hate groups gathering in Huntington Beach.
Community United Methodist Church of Huntington Beach is saddened by the recent acts of violence in our country, and we are concerned about the persistence of extremist hate groups gathering in our beloved city. We strongly condemn any and all acts of hate and violent extremist ideologies that have led to the loss of lives, the destruction of families, and damage to society. Hate has no place in the world, and hate is particularly not welcome in our Huntington Beach home.
We believe that every human life has infinite value and that each of us deserves respect, love, and support. Let us come together across our city, and across this country, in the spirit of unity, to support dialogues of understanding to eradicate racism, extremism, and hate. Let us open and strengthen the lines of communication between our diverse communities with those who might have a different perspective than we do. We support efforts to learn not only about our neighbors, but about ourselves as well. We encourage all the Houses of Worship, locally, statewide, and nationally, to be gathering places for our larger community.
The members of Community United Methodist Church of Hunting Beach resolve to build upon and strengthen our efforts to:
● Work with each other and with community groups to support spiritual, social, and economic opportunities for those who live in our city.
● Foster a diverse community of spiritual and secular leadership.
● Celebrate the diverse communities and individuals living within our city.
● Through our words and actions, lovingly and actively strive to cross barriers that may separate us.
● Support our Interfaith Community in actively sharing the Spirit of Love, Compassion, and Justice.
We pray that the bodies, spirits, and minds of those injured by hate crimes and acts of violence be healed. We pray for the grieving families to be comforted, and for the hearts of all humanity to come together to share this world in harmony with each other.
Community United Methodist Church
Huntington Beach