Are we of any use in the fight against racism?

Two years ago I wrote a book about Christian political engagement that concluded, in part, with an argument for Christians being cautious about forging partnerships with non-Christian groups. I worried in Kingdom Politics about churches being used for a foreign agenda or sacrificing their distinctive witness for some flattened, universalized notion of the “common good.”

Then Charlottesville happened. Having lived there for seven years, I returned to the city in August along with other clergy to bear witness and resist the hate swelling its streets. Nearly every white supremacist I saw was equipped with shield, helmet, and club. They came ready and eager for battle.

Local anti-racist groups agreed to allow clergy to form the first wave of nonviolent resistance; Antifa, the black-clad antifascist activists who often employ violence as a tactic of resistance, would follow. When police stood idle during the moments of confrontation with the white supremacists, and when clergy lives were threatened by a white nationalist horde amped up on a cocktail of fear and rage, Antifa activists offered protection. Antifa and Christian clergy were intermingled. We shared communication devices and we shared safe space.