Standing at the Crossroads of Faith and Resistance

Jason

Good morning, beloved community. I'm Rev. Jason Carson Wilson, and this is The Daily UnHoly—your daily dose of justice-centered theology for folks who refuse to separate faith from the fight for human dignity. It's Friday, July 25th, 2025, and, y'all, we are standing at the crossroads. Six months into this administration, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—we’re witnessing a relentless assault on everything we hold sacred. But, you know, crossroads aren’t just about crisis—they’re about choice. We get to decide which way we’re gonna walk, and I know which way I’m headed.

Jason

Let’s get right into it. First up, the systematic attack on LGBTQIA+ folks. And I mean systematic, intentional, cruel, and coordinated. As of July 17th, specialized services for LGBTQIA+ youth? Gone. The Trump administration has told organizations working on teen pregnancy prevention, “If you want federal funding, you gotta strip out any LGBTQIA+-inclusive content.” So, pretending queer young people don’t exist is now official policy. I mean, we talked about this kind of erasure in our last episode, but it’s getting even more blatant.

Jason

And it’s not just a handful of bills here and there. The ACLU is tracking 598—yeah, five hundred and ninety-eight—anti-LGBTQIA+ bills across the country just since January. This isn’t random culture war nonsense, people. This is coordinated erasure. And the impact? It’s not theoretical. It’s real. It’s kids losing access to affirming spaces, families being forced to hide, and people being told their very existence is a problem to be solved.

Jason

Now, let’s talk about immigration. Lord, have mercy. The administration took 24,000 immigrants into custody in May alone. And I wish I were making this up, but men were shackled to a shipping container for weeks before being deported to South Sudan. That’s not immigration enforcement, beloved. That’s torture. And it’s not just one story—there are hundreds, thousands like the 300,000 Venezuelans who just had their temporary protected status yanked away. These are families who’ve been building lives here, contributing to our communities. Their so-called crime? Fleeing violence and seeking safety. And, you know, as we saw in that AP report, some of these folks are being sent to notorious prisons in El Salvador, beaten by guards, cut off from their families, and denied any real chance to challenge their deportation. It’s not just policy—it’s cruelty, plain and simple.

Jason

And, look, I know we’ve talked about the criminalization of activism and the stripping of civil rights before—Lowndes County, Title X, all of it. But this? This is a full-court press against the very idea that every person is worthy of dignity. These aren’t just statistics. These are sacred souls, each one beloved by the Divine. And as people of faith who give a damn about justice, we refuse to normalize cruelty.

Jason

So, let’s get theological for a minute. Because of these policies? They’re not just political disagreements. This is a fundamental assault on the image of God in our neighbors. In Luke chapter 4, Jesus stands up and reads from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor... to let the oppressed go free.” Jesus wasn’t just talking about some spiritual metaphor. He was announcing a program of liberation that would challenge every system of oppression. And, honestly, if your faith doesn’t make you uncomfortable in the face of injustice, you might wanna check what you’re worshipping.

Jason

James Cone—God rest his prophetic soul—reminds us that God consistently takes the side of the marginalized, the stranger, the outcast. God isn’t blind to the suffering of LGBTQIA+ people or immigrant families. God is right there, in the detention centers, in the courtrooms, in the streets. And when this administration tries to erase transgender Americans from federal recognition, they’re denying the beautiful diversity of God’s creation. Our theological response has to be to affirm, even more boldly, that all bodies, all identities, all families are sacred in God’s sight.

Jason

And, you know, Dietrich Bonhoeffer—writing from a Nazi prison cell, no less—said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.” That same moral imperative is staring us in the face today. We can’t be silent. We can’t be neutral. We are called to speak, to act, to resist. I might be going on a bit of a tangent here, but I keep coming back to this: faith isn’t about comfort. It’s about courage. It’s about standing with those who are targeted, those who are erased, those who are told they don’t belong.

Jason

And, look, building on what we talked about in our last episode—about the church’s responsibility to stand with the marginalized—this is the moment. This is the test. Will we affirm the sacredness of all bodies and identities, or will we let policies of erasure go unchallenged? I know where I stand. I hope you do, too.

Jason

Alright, beloved, inspiration without action is just, well, spiritual masturbation. So let’s talk about what we’re actually gonna do. First, pick up your phone right now and call your senators and representatives at 202-224-3121. Tell them to oppose any legislation that would further restrict LGBTQIA+ rights or expand deportation authority. Seriously, don’t wait. Your voice matters.

Jason

Second, support the legal challenges. The ACLU and other organizations are filing crucial lawsuits. Donate to their work if you can. These court battles are part of our resistance strategy, and they need all the support they can get. And, you know, sometimes it feels like the courts are the last line of defense, but we can’t just leave it to the lawyers. We gotta show up, too.

Jason

Third, local sanctuary support. Call your city council and school board. Make sure they maintain policies protecting LGBTQIA+ students and immigrant families. Don’t assume someone else is handling it. And mark your calendars: July 28th is the National Day of Action for Immigrant Rights. August 3rd brings Congressional Recess Town Halls—show up and ask the tough questions. August 15th is the Faith Communities Against Hate interfaith gathering in D.C. If you can get there, get there. If not, organize something local.

Jason

Join rapid response networks—United We Dream, PFLAG, your local immigrant rights organizations. Support LGBTQIA+ youth programs facing funding cuts. And, look, I know from experience—after anti-LGBTQ legislation hit Illinois, I helped convene a multi-faith coalition. We had Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, folks with no faith at all, coming together to say, “Not in our name.” That kind of interfaith organizing? It’s transformative. It’s how we build power that lasts.

Jason

But, beloved, sustained resistance requires community care. This struggle for justice is a marathon, not a sprint. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. We need you in this for the long haul.

Jason

That’s it for today. This has been The Daily UnHoly. I’m Rev. Jason Carson Wilson. Share this episode, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and remember—together, we build the beloved community. Keep fighting the good fight, beloved. I’ll see you tomorrow.