First the Migrants Arrived. Then Came the the Neo-Nazis.

One Local Pastor's Response to Unexpected Events

In my last post I began by briefly mentioning that a group of neo Nazis had visited Eastern Nazarene College in protest of the institution’s act of housing documented migrants in need of shelter. I decided not to say much, other than I was proud of ENC.

It might come across as odd for me to say, but I’m often at a loss for words when it comes to things I feel strongly about. My emotions can get in the way of my thoughts. But then I came across a Facebook post of a fellow alum who is also a pastor of a church not far from the campus¹. He said what I would have liked to say, had I the depth of thought.

The author also writes on Substack. I asked him if I could share it. Below is most of the post. I’ve edited for clarity on this platform.

What are we going to do in the face of injustice?
What are we going to do in the face of violence?
What are we going to do in the face of poverty?

A reflection on the happenings on the campus of my alma mater, Eastern Nazarene College.

Less than four months months ago, no one predicted the presence of either migrants or neo-Nazi white supremacists at the campus. But the world moves quickly, doesn't it? [Here is a footnote² with some links to more information.]

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Tonight [September 12, 2023] there is a community meeting in Quincy to discuss these things³. State officials will be responding to questions from politicians, neighbors, and residents. I would encourage all of my Quincy friends to attend if possible. (Let's the rest of us leave the space for Quincy residents.)

So I won't be going. But I do have thoughts...both as an ENC alum, as a pastor, and even as a citizen of the US. You won't often get these latter thoughts from me. Not that you asked.

Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) has been no stranger to controversies and difficulties in differences of opinion regarding what hospitality looks like. Whether it was early on with racism in past decades (unfortunately, a much quieter, mostly ignored conversation) or more recently around situations of sexuality, the question before ENC's greater community has been about the nature of the hospitality of Jesus Christ. (Some are still alive who remember that the scandal of yesteryear was when ENC became the first Nazarene college to allow for intercollegiate sports - the horror!).

Often, many people - myself included - have been disappointed in the eventual outcome of excluding particular people either officially by creed or unofficially by atmosphere. (Full disclosure, I'm still learning about how I myself was at the helm of exclusion while student body president. I lament it and I confess it.)

But regardless of those past injustices - with some still needing significant work - today, I'm hopeful.

Many people do not yet know that ENC has offered up an entire dormitory and the arts building to help the Commonwealth of Massachusetts house and serve upwards of 50-55 displaced families on the move. People don't know because it happened very, very quickly. In fact, when I first heard about it while I was in Florida from a local beloved pastor and friend, I dismissed it as hearsay because I had heard nothing.

Speaking of Florida, when a certain governor sent a plane of migrants to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts several months back, it brought into the limelight a situation that our shelter providers have known for a couple of years - there is a significant and continually growing number of people from other countries looking for safety within the bounds of the United States.

Mr. DeSantis got his wish for notoriety. But truthfully, people by the car loads, bus loads, and yes, plane loads have been converging on more welcoming states in the nation well before his media show. Most have come on their own dime. He gave them a free ride.

Massachusetts is a "right to shelter" state. Any family with children or a pregnancy is guaranteed shelter. The only requirement is to be human and with child. The question of citizenry is not asked. Because when a child doesn't have a place to sleep for the night, the right thing to do is to get that child shelter (with family intact). It's been this way for many years in Massachusetts (as well as other places like New York City).

ENC is providing little to no advocacy services - agencies with state contracts are doing that and rightly so - they're trained and ready to do it.

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While I've been a part of many discussions of ENC's hospitality as it relates to Jesus Christ, we now find ourselves on the crossroads of a discussion regarding the hospitality of the United States. To be clear, this is not the same discussion. But I pray for the same resolution.

Those who know me know that I grieve the trillions of dollars spent on supporting and for some reason continuing to balloon the military strength of the most powerful human nation of all-time.

(For one point of reference, I think everyone should know that the US government spent $300 million PER DAY for twenty years on the military escapades in Afghanistan. Take a second. Read that number and time frame again. My undergrad math degree [from ENC!] will do it for you: $2,260,000,000,000 total. Two point two-six trillion dollars on a war we left with tails between our legs and all sorts of irresponsibility and injustice in the wake. May God be with those in Afghanistan these days. If we're going to spend that kind of money in a nation, I'd like to think we left it better than it was before. Alas... And this has been with both red and blue presidents at the helm. They all crave power.)

So one of the promptings for this reflection is that people would be upset by the fact that a mere 250 Massachusetts National Guardsmen and Airmen have been called up to help those in emergency shelters in Massachusetts. I'm proud of these dollars spent. Why wouldn't a nation want their trained service people to help those in need, who are fleeing danger? It's not quite like making swords into plough shares, but it's pretty close. The US military is at its best when it helps people. (All people.) And no organization in the world is more readily trained to do so. May it be so.

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On Saturday evening [September 9, 2023], some 25-30 white men walked up alongside ENC's campus to the very dormitory in which the families are housed, with glowing red flares in hand, and shouted obscenities for them to go home. It's hard to believe, but it's true. They've done the same at other places of housing throughout the commonwealth in recent months.

I don't exactly expect a world completely devoid of hate...yet...but it's jarring when it hits so close to home. Don't get me wrong - I'm as privileged as it gets. Visually, I would have fit right in with those men. I probably have more German heritage than most of them do.

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I've had a growing dissatisfaction, distaste, and even nausea over the last twenty years when it comes to several aspects of the nation in which I live and from which I have gained a powerful citizenship. It went on high speed this past fall when I began to read a book, An Indigenous People's History of the US. I knew of some atrocities thrown against those who lived in this land prior to my earliest ancestors arriving some 400 years ago. But I didn't know the scope of it. ...Or the lies and misinformation used to gently lessen the actuality of what went on. European sicknesses, indeed.

So for the descendants of those same early migrants (and I use that word very loosely) to think they can stand here on this land like it's always been theirs (ours) is maddening. It's utterly hypocritical.

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I plan to say a lot more about this in our 3rd Sunday Justice Gathering at North Street Community Church of the Nazarene this coming Sunday. For now, I want people to know: my ENC friends, my friends who live in Quincy, and my friends who live throughout this nation. I'd prefer the ease of no trouble or disturbance, too. But as long as there are people in significant need on our very streets, they are our responsibility.

1. Full disclosure: the author of this piece is my brother. Please don’t let my relationship to him get in the way of the wisdom he shares here. I didn’t post it because he’s my brother. He’s simply the first of what I hope to be many guest writers.

2. This is a link from media coverage. This is a link with information from the College.

3. This meeting has already taken place. You can watch a video of the meeting here, or you can listen to a much shorter breakdown of the meeting by Mayor Tom Koch here.