The Wallpaper

Over the past month, Americans have witnessed further consolidation of authoritarianism, through ICE and the National Guard, violent repression of protesters, and government targeting of social movements and ideas. I know many of you are disturbed by this, but it’s not always easy to discern when to acknowledge current events in worship, and when to focus on the task at hand, our worship of God. We need to speak out, but we also need a break.

Rev. Elle Dowd of the ELCA recently gave a great talk to the New England Synod, and before leading a prayer, she acknowledged these disturbing political trends, referring to them as the “wallpaper” of our lives. It’s always going on in the background - and indeed, some of the violence seems calculated to make the wallpaper louder and scarier.

Rather than adding more noise to the wallpaper by “splashing back” every time something happens, I think our job is to do what so many advocates are doing - to dig tunnels under the walls, building pathways to freedom. This is what worship does - it undermines the foundations of the walls that control us, and leads us out into a better world. Even when we don’t say anything, the Word of God speaks out for us.

Lead us, Lord.

with love, Pr. Chelsea