The possibility that we will face violence for our stances on social justice issues, our embrace of LGBTQIA+ individuals as beloved ones of the Holy One, and our antiracism and decolonial work feels real and present. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that as we face these realities and come to terms with a culture of violence and fear, we turn toward the institutions and structures that our culture forms us to associate with safety. In the midst of our very real fears, we find ourselves turning to police to keep us safe.

The reality is, however, that the very people we are seeking to protect when we turn to police to keep us safe from white nationalist violence are actually further endangered by the presence of policing…So where do we turn when the rise of white Christian nationalism and hate-based violence are on the rise?