Standing Together

Dear followers of Jesus,

Human beings, all human beings, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. I do not say this lightly. I say it with the conviction of a faithful woman, a child of God, who strives to see all other people as children of God. This month, this week, has demonstrated so many instances of people being treated with no respect, no dignity, and no compassion. I cannot stress how important it is that we speak truth to the powers which are violating the respect of humanity.

Let’s just look at the occurrences. “Rep. Ilhan Omar’s DC home was invaded by federal agents, claimed to be part of a year-long criminal investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. attorney, and the Justice Department, and allegedly deals with immigration fraud.”[1] The rhetoric seems to be that anyone who disagrees with the current administration, especially those individuals who have emigrated to the US, can be subject to invasion of their privacy, their homes and their lives. This is one more assault on people who have immigrated to the US from Somalia – the people of Minnesota are responding with horror, shock, and anger at one of their representatives being treated in this manner. Isaiah Minnesota is responding. “We know the administration is going to continue dangerously attacking Somali Minnesotans in their national closing argument and actions for the election.”[2]

Another occurrence is the scheduled, and recently (October 15, 2026) canceled, public execution of Nidal Hasan, former US Army Major, sentenced to be executed by firing squad on December 3, 2026. Whatever crime has been committed and whatever sentence has been imposed the act of publicly live-streaming an execution “pushes the boundaries of what’s acceptable.” Said Julie Ingersoll, a professor of religion at the University of North Florida[3]

Then let’s look at the “Cornell 7” from Chi Phi fraternity and their violent gang-rape (and I am calling it what it was, not softening the language to sexual assault) of Jane Doe. Although the state of New York has assigned a special prosecutor to handle the case, the response by Cornell University is appalling – 2 expelled, 2 suspended, 1 barred from campus for 3 years, 1 issued a no-contact order, and 1 disciplined for attempted sexual exploitation. The horrors Jane Doe endured are treated minimally, and although the national fraternity has closed the house at Cornell and that chapter, the response seems to be too little too late.

These three situations alone, and there are countless others we could name, break my heart and spirit as woman, as a citizen, as a pastor, as your interim conference minister. I say again, “All human beings deserve to be treated with dignity and respect – ALL human beings. How do we as the church, as church people, as followers of Jesus respond? Well, we could shake our heads and complain to our neighbors and go about our usual routines. Or we could weep and promise not to watch the news again. Or maybe we could even raise our voices and ask for prayers in our congregations.

As for me, I am angry. So angry I can barely write this letter. My hands are shaking, my palms sweating, tears are forming in my eyes, and I am not sure how we call into action our faith in these days. The one thing I know we cannot do is be silent.

In the face of violence, tyranny, racism, and all the other “isms” we can name, we cannot be silent. WE as people of faith must us our voices, our hands, our feet, and our civil liberties and rights to say “NO” this is not how we treat one another, not how our nation, our citizens, our law enforcement officials, our neighbors, our sons and daughters, should be treating anyone.

What will you do? What shall we do together?

I am new to Minnesota and the UCC Conference in Minnesota, and I know how much pain you have gone through, how much anguish you have experienced. As Tenth Avenue North sang in “Worn”:

“I’m Tired I’m worn
My heart is heavy
From the work it takes
To keep on breathing”[4]

And we are called to do more than breathe in these moments. WE are called to stand together, to proclaim justice, to march in the streets and preach from our pulpits the love of God, the compassion and dignity that all deserve. Will you stand with me? Will you stand with others? Will you speak and proclaim and shout if needed until the voice of compassion and dignity is heard? Please say you will!

In Christ’s love and hope,
Rev. Dr. Bonnie Bates, Interim Conference Minister

[1] NBC News Report,  October 12, 2026
[2] Rev. Todd Lippert, Lighthouse Program Coordinator, Southern MN Organizer, ISAIAH MN, email message 10/14/2026
[3] NPR, WUNC News, Odette Yousef, Trump cancels public execution, October 15, 2026
[4] Tenth Avenue North Lyrics, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tenthavenuenorth/worn.html