This is what I wanted to write about last week. This video is a clip of Naelyn Pike, a young Apache activist, testifying before a House of Representatives subcommittee to advocate for the protection of Oak Flat, a part of the Tonto National Forest east of Phoenix, Arizona and land that’s sacred to the Apache tribes. I heard part of Naelyn’s powerful testimony last week in a recent episode of the Baptist Joint Committee’s podcast, “Respecting Religion.” You can listen to the full episode HERE.
I was struck my Naelyn’s testimony for a couple reasons. First, because seeing young people speak up on important issues gives me hope. And second, her words and the movement to save Oak Flat resonated with a piece of the purpose statement the Visioning team presented at our Annual Meeting.
The full statement reads:
Community Baptist Church strives to be an expression of God’s grace in the world, creating sanctuary that welcomes everyone to live into the fullness of life God desires for all.
Naelyn’s words spoke to this idea of what it means to create, or in this case, protect sanctuary. While we worship every Sunday in a space we call the sanctuary, the idea of sanctuary is much bigger than that. Sanctuary is a safe place—whether a physical space or a community in which everyone, as our statement says, “are welcome to live into the fullness of life God desires for all.” Sanctuary is a place of rest and rootedness. It’s a space that invites us to connect with each other and the divine. It’s a place that reminds us of who we are at the deepest most sacred level.
Naelyn’s words brought tears to my eyes as she described the beautiful and sacred ceremonies that take place in Oak Flat. She shares how the ceremonies and the land itself, connect her to her ancestors and mark major life transitions. This Apache sanctuary has been in danger for almost a decade because it also holds value of a different sort. It’s status as protected land has been in flux depending on the whims of various administrations. Currently, it’s under threat by a foreign mining company that wants to come in and strip mine the area, which would make the company a decent profit but would completely destroy the land in the process.
If you would like to help our Apache brothers and sisters protect their sanctuary, our friends at the BJC have an active campaign you can join. They have actionable items, a way to identify and contact your congressional representative, and a letter they drafted to President Biden about this issue as a matter of religious freedom. You can learn more on this campaign HERE and check out their other campaigns HERE. As I’ve said before, the BJC is a great organization that provides answers to the ubiquitous question we ask in the face of injustice, “what can I do?”
While we may not be able to speak before Congress like Naelyn, we can all do something to help create and protect sanctuary in all its forms. May God deepen our love for each other and give us the courage to be, and create, and protect the sanctuaries where God’s love is made real.
In Love
Pastor Annette