Statement from the LSC Staff

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Even so, many will follow their licentious ways, and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned. And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” - 2 Peter 2:1-3

Like many of you, the staff at LSC was grieved to see the scenes of chaos develop outside, and eventually inside, the US Capitol yesterday while Congress attempted to certify the results of November’s election. A violent mob roleplaying as revolutionaries poured into our Capitol, vandalizing and destroying property, suspending the work of Congress, and asserting fantasies that their actions would somehow controvert President Donald Trump’s electoral loss.

While the footage and images feel surreal and unparalleled, we cannot feign surprise at predictable behavior that has been co-opted and encouraged at all levels of leadership in this country. Nor are we surprised that the largely white crowd did not receive the brutal treatment from law enforcement we’ve come to expect at protests populated by people of color. Yesterday’s actions did not come out of nowhere -- they did not bubble up since November’s election, or even over the last four years -- and the impulse to subjugate the will of the people will not go away on January 20, either.

Particularly disturbing to observe as a church staff is the way icons of our faith were perverted and used as rallying points in this undemocratic display, and met with hypocritical silence from evangelical leaders who support Donald Trump. Signs saying “Jesus Saves” and erected crosses scattered throughout a crowd committed to mayhem is a sight that undermines the work of Christ, the Gospel, and the church. It can be tempting to distance ourselves from these symbols -- to decry the mobsters as preaching a false Gospel, a fake Messiah, and point back to the truth found in Jesus Christ. But this is not enough.

The church in America must be willing to interrogate how this brand of religious supremacy has been allowed to develop in our own pews over the centuries, and root it out at the source. Until we can examine our own traditions, and reckon with the ways Christianity has mingled with and abetted white supremacy and American nationalism, we will continue to feed the problem rather than resist it.

While yesterday’s events highlight the difficulty of the work ahead, they also renew our commitment to the mission of justice for all people. There is no Christ, no Gospel, no Good News to be found in dominating and denigrating your opponents in the face of failure. To those looking for it, the Gospel will be found among the lowly, the powerless, and oppressed -- indeed, usually as the lowly, powerless, and oppressed. We encourage you to join us in seeking out those voices pointing us toward peace, hope, and love beyond human understanding.

With love,

The staff of LaSalle Street Church