Turning Toward Life: Beginning Again

 Dear Pastors, Leaders, and Congregations of ABCNJ, Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I write with a heavy heart and a spirit of prayerful urgency. Recent events in Minneapolis, Minnesota, have shaken our nation and weighed deeply on our consciences. In separate fatal encounters involving federal immigration enforcement agents, two lives—Alex Pretti and Renée Nicole Good—have been lost amid an escalation of ICE and DHS actions. Their deaths have sparked grief, protest, and searching questions about justice, human dignity, and our responsibilities as followers of Jesus Christ. These are not distant headlines or abstract debates. They are human lives, created in the image of God. They are families grieving, communities destabilized, and congregations asking how violence has become entangled with public policy and enforcement. Such moments demand more than commentary. They call those entrusted with spiritual leadership to discern who we are called to be in Christ and how we will bear faithful witness in a wounded world. Our faith compels us to examine not only the actions taken, but the moral vision guiding them. As people of faith, we must speak with humility and courage: followers of Jesus Christ are called to a way of life rooted in justice, mercy, and reverence for human dignity. When the exercise of power contradicts these commitments, we cannot remain silent or offer our consent. Faithfulness requires that we seek truth, stand with those who are harmed, and call for practices that reflect the reconciling love and justice of Christ. Scripture makes God’s concern for justice unmistakably clear: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17) Jesus himself teaches that our treatment of the stranger, the suffering, and the threatened is inseparable from our relationship with him: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me… whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me” (Matthew 25:35, 40). These words leave no room for indifference or for spiritualizing away injustice. They call us to costly solidarity and faithful action. This moment is a moral crisis that transcends political categories. At stake are the sanctity of human life, the protection of the vulnerable, and the credibility of our Christian witness. The question before us is whether our churches will raise a prophetic voice—calling for accountability, truth, compassion, and justice—or retreat into silence when that voice is most needed. We are not called to demonize individuals, but neither are we permitted to ignore or excuse systems and actions that devalue human life. We are called not only to comfort the afflicted, but to challenge the misuse of power when it results in suffering and death. We are called to speak the truth in love, trusting that God’s justice and mercy belong together. Therefore, I urge pastors, leaders, and congregations across ABCNJ to: Offer pastoral care to those who are grieving and fearful, creating space for lament, prayer, and honest conversation. Pray earnestly for the families of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, for communities traumatized by violence, and for all who labor for justice and peace. Raise a prophetic witness that calls for transparency, accountability, and meaningful reform in immigration enforcement, grounded in respect for the dignity of every human being. Call upon elected officials to act with urgency, moral clarity, and courage to prevent further loss of life. Encourage congregations to engage faithfully—holding together compassion for immigrants, respect for the rule of law, and an unwavering commitment to protecting human life. Remind our communities that Christian love is not passive; it speaks, stands, and acts for the vulnerable, seeking peace rooted in justice. The Christian calling has never been easy. It is costly. It calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves, even when doing so exposes painful truths about power and brokenness in our society. Yet this is the path Christ sets before us. In this challenging hour, may our voices—anchored in Scripture and shaped by the life of Jesus—resound with compassion, clarity, and courage. May we be known not for silence in the face of suffering, but for a faith that acts, a hope that heals, and a love that transforms. May our love not grow cold in the face of increasing wickedness. With Prayerful Urgency,

Celebrating Together at the 55th Annual Session of the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey