There is an African proverb that says, “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.”
It is the feeling of invisibility that our youth experience. It is what happens when they feel disregarded or overlooked by society. During the 2015 unrest in Baltimore, the late Congressman Elijah Cummings walked the streets of West Baltimore to de-escalate the civil unrest that followed the arrest and subsequent death of Freddie Gray in police custody.
Cummings was confronted by a teenager who asked why political and faith leaders were there now, but not before the protest. As a resident of Maryland, I saw firsthand how Congressman Cummings worked in the trenches on behalf of communities within his district. The confrontation with Cummings came from raw frustration. What the teenager saw as political inconsistency would have been accurate of many other lawmakers, but he was unknowingly off target with Cummings.
The fact that Cummings was willing to go into the midst of looting and arson with a bullhorn, calling for peace, says a lot about him as a community leader and as a man of character. While leaders like Cummings maintain genuine community involvement, the youth’s verbal reaction exposes a broader pattern of reactive intervention over proactive engagement. The teenager’s mistrust of politicians and faith leaders is understandable. As a result, there needs to be more accountable public servants like the late Congressman Elijah Cummings and fewer hypocritical servants like Ohio U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno.
Sen. Moreno said that anyone who does not believe that Jesus died for their salvation is unfit to serve in the Senate and “should be nowhere near Washington.” Moreno spoke at a rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he was joined by President Donald Trump and Sen. Jon Husted — all Republicans.
During his remarks, Moreno turned his focus to the race in Michigan, where Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is in a tight Senate race with former Rep. Mike Rogers. If El-Sayed wins, he would be the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate. “This character, Abdul El-Sayed, can be nowhere near Washington, D.C.,” Moreno said. He continued by saying non-Christians have no business in the Senate.
Asserting that belief in Jesus as savior is a prerequisite for public office directly excludes not only Muslims, but also Jews, Hindus and Buddhists while subverting religious diversity. This type of religious litmus test mirrors the historic Protestant resistance to Catholic leadership, such as during the 1928 Al Smith campaign and the 1960 JFK election. What makes Sen. Bernie Moreno dangerous is the fact that while his hate-filled words contradict both the U.S. Constitution and the Bible, those words will be embraced by many as truth.
Moreno is dangerous because his words lead to institutional erosion. When faith is weaponized in this manner without compassion or respect, younger generations disengage from both civic institutions and religious communities. Those who support this belief may speak about upholding the U.S. Constitution, but they don’t understand or simply ignore its meaning and purpose.
Either they don’t understand or they ignore Article VI of the Constitution, which clearly says, “but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” Are we to believe that Moreno never actually read the Constitution, which he is sworn to uphold? Or are we to believe he read it, but chose to dismiss any parts that pose a challenge to his personal bias and prejudices?
The nameless teenager from Baltimore teaches us several valuable lessons. First, we need to listen to young people and understand their challenges, concerns and perspectives on life. Many young people have no hope for the future because they see the “American Dream” as something beyond their reach.
Secondly, young people are looking for authenticity from those who are in trusted positions. In most individuals such as Sen. Moreno, they don’t see it. This is true of lawmakers, regardless of their political party, religion or race, who perpetuate the erosion of public trust when their racism, classism and religious exclusivity are on full display. They are looking for political and faith leaders who are real, genuine and free from lies and deception. The xenophobic rhetoric from Republicans has gotten old.
Thirdly, if you claim to be a follower of Christ, as Sen. Moreno claims to be, then let us see Christ in you consistently, without self-serving motives. These hypocritical Republicans are not showing us Christ, and they know it.
We need more officials like Elijah Cummings. He was a man of faith whose words and actions reflected his role as a “peacemaker” in his community. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” When it comes to those lawmakers who call themselves followers of Christ, such as Sen. Tim Scott and House Speaker Mike Johnson, God will hold them accountable.
Have they read Isaiah 10 in their Bible? It reads, “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” God will hold them accountable, because God don’t like ugly.
Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization TRB: The Reconciled Body and author of the book “God Bless Our Divided America.”
