Let today be a time of remembrance and rededication, to lift up Black voices, challenge systemic racism, and live out Christ’s call to love boldly and act justly.

Juneteenth reminds us that freedom delayed is still injustice and that the work of liberation is ongoing. As people of faith, we believe that every person is created in the image of God and deserving of dignity, justice, and equity.

As people of faith, we believe in the sacred right of communities to govern themselves, protect their own, and pursue justice without militarized intimidation. We stand with the people of California, and with all who resist fear with love, and violence with courage.

Let’s call it what it was:
A campaign of fear.
A show of force meant to silence compassion.
An attempt to criminalize solidarity.

The Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ stands with every protester who chose courage over comfort. Who showed up not with weapons, but with love.

As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors, to speak truth, and to protect the vulnerable. We pray for healing in Boulder and across the world, and we recommit ourselves to being a people of peace, justice, and courage.

We reject the false choice that compassion for Palestinians and concern for Jewish safety are mutually exclusive. We believe in a just peace, and that means rejecting political violence in all forms, whether in Boulder or anywhere else.

Our Jewish siblings, many of whom are grieving both the ongoing loss of innocent life in Gaza and the brutal captivity of hostages in Gaza, deserve solidarity. This is not a moment to be quiet. It is a moment to stand shoulder to shoulder with all who suffer, and to name evil where it occurs.

Let us be clear: we condemn this antisemitic attack, and we grieve with the Jewish community. Violence and hatred, no matter the source, no matter the target, must be met with moral clarity, not silence. Silence in the face of antisemitism is complicity.

www.uccfla.org/church-direc...