.Dear Fellow Christians

Let us lead the way away from Trump

A small and violent minority of Americans is pushing hard for things like mandatory registration of Muslims, mass deportation of illegal immigrants and an openly, violently, unapologetically white-supremacist America.

Those who voted for Donald Trump—and an agenda that included hatred of women, incitement to racial violence and total disregard for facts, among other inhuman and un-Christian plans of action—may not all be actively violent racists, but they have agreed to be on the same team as those violent racists.

And though I cannot understand how, many of these people are Christians.

Somehow, many Trump supporters think that they have done the world, and even God, a holy service by renewing violence, oppression—or tacit acceptance of the same—toward people who have never been given the rights and freedoms afforded to white Christians.

My fellow Christians, I am begging you: Do not remain silent, even to keep peace with one another. To prevent violence, we must face the violent. We white male Christians, especially, must put an end to our complacency and speak truth to power—and to our neighbors and families—before more lives are lost.

It should be us: we can do so with the least risk of being shot.

Our fellow Christians have hardened their hearts to the needy and hungry, often cherry-picking from the pre-Jesus parts of the Bible to justify their judgment. But we believe in Jesus Christ. We believe in a gentle, tolerant, self-sacrificing savior who is the way, the truth and the life. His example is what we are called to follow. Though it drive us into poverty ourselves; though it be very painful, we have an opportunity, and a mission, to be like Christ.

Let’s not wait until violence is breaking out against black, LGBTQ, native and female Americans. Let’s put ourselves at the front. Let’s show Jesus to Christians. Gently, kindly, in a way that diffuses violence, let’s do our best to be Jesus to those who may have lost him most. Let’s stand up now, before we are the only ones who can.

Trevor Hoffmann is a Petaluma-raised actor and director.

Open Mic is a weekly feature in the ‘Bohemian.’ We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered for publication, write [email protected].

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