CalChurches 
What we have heard today from a Congressional investigation may be one of the most troubling things our nation has ever faced. It matters not at all how you voted or whom you supported. We have evidence that another nation systematically tampered with our 2016 election, and that is a danger to our entire nation and its basic democratic process.
To preserve justice, we are now called to increase the momentum and depth of our work as people who believe in a just, moral, and democratic society. We know these revelations are shocking and painful, especially if, down the road, we find there was collusion between Russia and Amrican citizens. That would be horrific.
The must not let this defeat us in sorrow. We need to keep going, keep working, keep believing in our nation’s essential justice.
We believe first in the example of Christ’s courage. He knew, walking into Jerusalem knowing that he faced violence, opposition, even death. And he did it anyway. That profound courage is our guidestar.
We have examples in our modern life of those who put everything they had on the line for justice.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. knew he “may not get to the promised land” but kept on fighting for human and civil rights anyway. Dolores Huerta lost her spleen standing for farm workers while Cesar Chavez damaged his health with long fasts to send a message about the importance of justice for immigrant and local workers.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, having followed a largely quiet scholarly life and just finding the love of his life, nevertheless gave up his own life to oppose Hitler and the horrors of genocide.
In 1980 three nuns, Ita Ford, Maura Clarke, and Dorothy Kazel plus Catholic lay worker Jean Donovan, were raped and murdered as they stood for justice for the poor in El Salvador.
The “Miner’s Angel”, known as Mother Jones, lost her entire family in one week, taken by Yellow Fever. She turned her incredible personal sorrow into action for miners whose life was despicably hard.
And it is from her we take an important rallying call:
“Pray for the dead. Fight like hell for the living!”
We likely will never be called to sacrifice our lives as our heroes and heroines have done. But this moment in history calls us to commitment nonetheless.
We at the Council and IMPACT won’t stop, no matter what the issue, whatever the opposition. We hope you will do the same.
This time in our nation’s history is critical. We could lose all we cherish of our democracy, or we could win it, improve it, enlarge it, make our nation finally more inclusive and just. It’s really up to us. We can mourn, or we can act. We hope you will choose the latter, howsoever you can.
It is a time of worry and sorrow, but it’s also a moment for spiritual renewal and recommitment to justice.
We hope you will continue to stand with us, strong in the conviction that we can keep our nation’s promise, keep the dream and hope alive.
Thank you!