September 13, 2024 | Coordinator, Faiths United to Save Democracy (FUSD)
With less than 60 days until November 5th, it is crucial to understand the tools we have to keep ourselves informed and mobilized as we fight for our freedom. In our community, the fight for freedom is deeply rooted in Black history and our faith. We see examples of leaders like Esther, who used their positions to uplift and protect those around them from harm. The scripture says, ‘Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!’ (Esther 4:15-16).
In Jerusalem, Esther found ways to mobilize her people to fight for the freedoms they deserved. Today, we must hold faith like Esther, creating plans to protect ourselves and each other in the upcoming election from those who would strip our rights away.
We must fight through early voting to ensure our voices and votes are counted. Without our communities being heard, we will not achieve the change and structure we need to support ourselves. We must make them listen through our votes. We must make them work for us through our actions.
We must fight by participating in community voter registration drives. It’s not too late to check on your neighbor’s voting status. We can show our love and support for one another by ensuring we are empowered through our votes, and we must not back down when evil threatens to silence us. As 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, ‘Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.’ Our work in the Lord is reflected in how we mobilize together.
We must fight by staying informed and pushing back against those who seek to spread lies and misinformation, not only about our communities but also to make us turn against each other. We must stand united in the truth and hold one another accountable. Lies spread like wildfire, and the truth is what must extinguish them. We must actively work to suppress the flames of lies that seek to burn down the safety of our community and prevent its rebuilding. By staying informed and rejecting the lies spread by the enemy, we can ensure that our community works with facts, not fiction. The enemy fears our mobilization, seeks to suppress our knowledge, and criminalizes our actions. We cannot let them win.
We must fight for a safe and fair election, just as those before us fought to give us the right and power to vote. The scripture says, ‘Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.”’ (Nehemiah 2:17). We must build the wall of Jerusalem around our communities to protect ourselves from being distressed and intimidated by those who seek to diminish our voices. Through our united actions, we can keep our voices strong and loud, where they will be heard and recognized. For voting tips and tools, visit www.TurnOutSunday.com
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