Kindred in Christ,

As we will explore this Sunday, Jesus’ words in Luke 6:27-38 challenge us deeply: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” These words were not meant to be easy; they were meant to transform us, by breaking the cycles of violence in our society and in our hearts. And few embodied this radical love better than Bayard Rustin, a man whose faith in nonviolent resistance changed history.

Rustin, a key architect of the Civil Rights Movement and an advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., helped plan the 1963 March on Washington, and was deeply committed to nonviolence—not just as a strategy, but as a way of life. He faced immense opposition, both from those who supported segregation and even from some within the movement due to his identity as a gay man. And yet, he remained committed to the way of love. He lived out Jesus’ call to love one’s enemies, always believing that love and justice were inseparable.

At a time when so many forces seek to divide us, at a time when executive orders continue to stirp people of their rights, Rustin’s example reminds us that to love our enemies is not to surrender to injustice. It is to confront oppression with a love so powerful that it refuses to be corrupted by hatred. Love, in the way of Jesus, is not weak—it is the strongest force in the universe, capable of breaking chains and healing wounds.

Regarding nonviolent resistance, Rustin once said, “We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.” And regarding the long work of social change Rustin also said, “God does not require us to achieve any of the good tasks that humanity must pursue. What God does require is that we not stop trying.”

To love boldly, to seek justice with grace, and to meet oppression with unwavering love—this is the kind of “trouble” we are called to make as followers of Jesus.

May we, like Rustin, hold fast to the belief that love will win. And may we, in our own time, bear witness to the radical, redeeming love of God.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz