The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Jack Jenkins was published on religionnews.com. It has been edited for length and Banner style. The Banner added the eighth, ninth, and final paragraphs to provide context for the Christian Reformed Church.
Urging a return to Jesus’ teachings of giving to the hungry, unclothed, and thirsty; welcoming the stranger; and visiting those sick and in prison; several U.S. Christian leaders, denominations and organizations and backed an from Christian World Service “Defending Refuge.” The actions mark the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter that commemorates in the wilderness, and come, as the “Returning to Jesus” campaign says, “amidst a growing crisis in America, driven by the political accumulation of wealth, power, and control.”
“In the deluge and whirlwind of this (Donald Trump’s) administration’s initial actions we see the brutal abandonment and targeting of the people Jesus commands his followers to serve and protect. Defending the vulnerable and opposing unjust decisions are faith-rooted commitments we must examine during Lent,” said the “Returning to Jesus: Practicing Lent in Our Time” public letter. It was signed by more than 100 people including Shane Claiborne of Red Letter Christians, Ruth Padilla DeBorst of the International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation, and Colin P. Watson Sr., former executive director of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
The letter protests “the massive cutting of foreign aid to those most in need, and from many faith-based organizations supplying it” and describes them as “a gospel issue for us that we must speak to.”
“We must defend lifesaving international aid and humanitarian assistance that prevents hungry people from starving, keeps those in ill health from dying, and defends children and families lives from being destroyed,” the leaders' letter read.
U.S. President Donald Trump froze United States foreign development assistance for 90 days on Jan. 20, to allow his Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, to assess programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States’ foreign policy. The pause in funding has led to the and clinics for HIV-positive children in Africa as reported by Christianity Today and in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
In a statement, signee Jim Wallis, faculty director at Georgetown University’s Center on Faith and Justice, said the letter resonated with the themes of Lent.
“Lent is a time of repentance, reflection, and renewal,” Wallis said. “As Christians, we must resist the temptations of power and greed that seek to divide us and instead return to the radical gospel of love and justice that Jesus calls us to embody. Our faith must be active in defending the most vulnerable among us.”
Watson told The Banner, “As a Christian committed to loving God and loving my neighbor as myself I am deeply troubled when I see actions being taken which negatively impact groups of people who are made in God's image—especially those who are poor or historically vulnerable.” He said as an immigrant to the U.S. “and as a Black American I am painfully personally cognizant of the fact that as a society, and often even as the church, we generally fall quite short of God's ideal that we are all made in his image—we are all Imago Dei.”
“Recent events and decisions have targeted immigrants, people of color, the poor and other communities, and ramifications of these decisions are being made painfully clear to me as I continue to volunteer in local ministry,” Watson said. “As I participate in prayer for, and ministry to many individuals in these targeted categories, I believe I am—and we all are—experiencing collective 'Jericho Road' moments (referring to Jesus’ story in the gospels of a Samaritan encountering an injured man on the Jericho Road). Our neighbors, who often don't look like us, are in distress—but as Christians, we are called to act on their behalf.”
The faith leaders’ “Returning to Jesus” letter came the same day as CWS’s ecumenical declaration focused on immigration issues. Signatories to that declaration included major mainline denominations such as Presbyterians, Lutherans, the United Methodist Church, and several Christian aid organizations.
“Together in faith and rooted in love, we resolve to continue in the centuries-old practice of Christian communities walking alongside refugees and immigrants in their pursuit of safety and dignity,” the declaration read. “We pledge to restore and promote hospitality and welcome to those seeking refuge—regardless of where they are from, how they pray or what language they speak.”
The declaration listed the Trump administration’s actions regarding immigrants thus far, such as shutting down the refugee program, revoking temporary protected status for some immigrant groups, attempting to end birthright citizenship, allowing for immigration raids at churches, and dismantling “our national capacity to assist refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants both at home and abroad.”
“Guided by our faith, we stand together against the sweeping measures that are devastating vulnerable families and jeopardizing their futures,” the declaration read, noting that signers also pledge to publicly advocate for the cause, both by contacting lawmakers and “honoring the journeys of refugees and immigrants through Sunday services and church activities” at least once during the season of Lent.
The Christian Reformed Church in North America issued its own Feb. 5, 2025.
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