by Rev. Dr. Toni Hawkins, Southwest Conference Minister
“What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” — Micah 6:8
This week, I walked the halls of our nation’s Capitol with my fellow Conference Ministers from across the United Church of Christ and National office staff. We came to Washington, D.C. under the banner, Love Knows No Borders - a theme that feels less like a slogan and more like a lifeline in a moment when the nation is stretched thin at every seam.
We are facing a government shutdown that threatens to bleed out the basic functions of daily life. Healthcare access hangs by a thread for too many households. Immigrants, children, workers, and the poor are being used as bargaining chips in political games that lack not only compassion, but basic moral grounding. The sick are waiting. The hungry are waiting. The exhausted are waiting. And the Church—our churches—are straining to fill gaps that should never have been carved open in the first place.
Let me name this clearly: Our Compassion is great. Our Capacity is not endless.
When we visited the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, and the Capitol, it was not for ceremony. We came to pray. To lament. To bear witness. To carry the voices of our congregations and communities—voices weary from injustice and longing for repair.
Yet, the most striking conversations we held were with the staffers and workers who keep the government running, they are the unsung stewards of justice:
- Legislative aides holding the institutional memory of democracy.
- Receptionists absorbing the public’s frustration with grace.
- Cafeteria and maintenance workers ensuring the continuity of daily functions.
- Administrative assistants who serve as the backbone of every office.
All of these individuals are working without pay, while elected officials continue to receive their salaries without interruption.
This is unconscionable.
This is not justice.
This is not love of neighbor.
We must ask plainly:
Where is the support for the people?
Our visit was not an act of protest alone. It was a pastoral act. A moral act. A reminder that faith calls us to show up where it hurts—not only to comfort, but to confront.
We read scripture, we prayed, we sang and we showed up with our bodies, our voices, our witness.
But let me be clear—our advocacy this week is not the end.
It is the opening movement of a longer struggle. The Gospel does not permit us to look away, to grow numb, or to accept suffering as inevitable. We are called to act—not out of despair, but out of hope grounded in God’s vision for a just and flourishing society.
To the churches of the Southwest Conference:
- Keep feeding.
- Keep comforting.
- Keep organizing.
- And keep demanding change that honors the dignity of every person.
Compassion is holy. Advocacy is holy. Exhaustion is real. And yet, our work continues.
May we refuse to normalize cruelty dressed as policy.
May we remember that love is not passive—love moves, crosses, stretches beyond borders drawn by fear or politics; love refuses to be contained, limited, or rationed.
And may we hold fast to the truth that God’s justice is not delayed, only waiting for willing hands and feet.
SWC, we have begun. We will not stop. Love knows no borders—and neither must we.
How You Can Help—Right Now
- Coordinate Efforts: Contact Rev. Dr. Gloria at gsmith@uccswc.org to connect your congregation to advocacy, volunteer support, and resource sharing.
- Call Your Lawmakers: Urge them to safeguard worker pay, end shutdown brinkmanship, and protect healthcare access.
- Resource the Gap: Support and expand food security, emergency aid, and childcare support ministries.
- Share Local Realities: Send brief stories from your congregation to strengthen our collective advocacy efforts.
- Pray and Show Up: Organize prayer vigils, letter-writing gatherings, or community education moments.