Over the past week, the violence at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey has become a national news story. But so much of the reporting has been about clashes between officers, protesters, and counter-protestors. Those most directly impacted by the violence – the detainees who are still on hunger strike – are neither seen nor heard.

On the first day of every month, Shane Claiborne and I gather with faith leaders and moral activists for morning prayer. Today we were joined by Pastor Erich Kussman, who has helped lead the moral resistance to violence in Newark since ICE worked with the private GEO Group to illegally re-open Delaney Hall last year. Thirty-one people from Pastor Erich’s community have been kidnapped and held at Delaney Hall. I wanted to share his update from the ground and our prayer with him here as an invitation to see what’s happening there from his community’s perspective.

If you are able, please support Pastor Erich and the ministry at St Bart Lutheran Church as they care for neighbors whose loved ones have been taken, for others who are detained, for those who are maintaining a nonviolent resistance, and even for law enforcement officers. I’ve not been able to forget this image of Pastor Erich praying for the ICE agents outside Delaney Hall.

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After Pastor Erich’s update this morning, we were joined by Bishop Peter Storey of South Africa, who worked alongside Bishop Desmond Tutu and so many others to defeat apartheid in South African through nonviolent resistance. It was powerful to hear his reflection on what’s required of us after the update from Newark. You can listen to the full recording of our monthly morning prayer at Red Letter Christians.