By The Rev. Ken Howard

I have the unenviable task of writing the first FaithX blog following the murder of Charlie Kirk. 

It has become almost a cliché to say how divided we are as a country, but it’s true. 

Truth matters.

As one side of the political spectrum seems determined to exact vengeance on the other for being uniquely responsible for political violence, it is worth noting that “sides” don’t commit acts of political violence and killing; individuals do. It is also worth noting that the violence committed by individuals representing the two “sides” is not equal. In fact, according to multiple studies, individuals from one side of the political spectrum commit such acts at five times the rate of the other (and it’s not the side currently being blamed). This is not a partisan statistic; it is a statistical fact.* 

Facts matter.

Trust also matters. 

It is also a well-researched fact that divisions of the kind we are experiencing cannot be overcome by facts alone, but require building trust through mutual understanding that comes from shared experiences and shared “on-the-ground” facts. 

So how can we put facts, truth, and trust together?

Here’s another fact: Research into Christian Nationalism has shown that individuals with enormous differences are often willing to come together to work on issues that affect their communities. Often, this will be a shared geographic community, but it also may be a problem for their respective communities.

One example of this dynamic at play in our work is in the area of what some would call structural racism: coming together to address real-life disparities between different ethnic groups in a specific community or region. 

A few years ago, pastor Mark Olsen of Faith Lutheran Church in Bagley, Minnesota, reached out to FaithX for help in building a common approach to addressing disparities between the White community in Bagley and three Native American communities – the Red Lake, Leech Lake, and White Earth nations – in the rural area of Minnesota they share.

Working alongside the church’s pastor and lay leaders, and both native and non-native communities, FaithX conducted a detailed mapping and analysis of structural disparities in the region. What we found was both sobering and galvanizing. There were stark disparities between Native and Nonnative areas across a wide range of indicators: arrest rates, COVID-19 vulnerability, drug overdose mortality, access to health insurance and health services, educational spending and attainment, preschool enrollment, disconnected youth (not in school or workforce), net worth, generational wealth, poverty (especially child poverty), rent burden and unemployment. By equipping Faith Lutheran and its tribal partners with this clear, data-grounded evidence, we helped them engage the tribal councils and local communities in courageous conversations.  

This work continues to raise awareness, inspire action, and move the region toward systemic change grounded in truth-telling and justice.

Pastor Olsen’s comments frame the dynamic well: 

“A powerful and revealing presentation on systemic racism in rural America, revealing gaps in opportunity in our region among native and non-native people: economic, educational, access to health care, and more. We are sharing FaithX’s work with the tribal council and in our local community. Systemic change begins by raising consciousness. FaithX does a powerful job of accomplishing that goal. Lives can be changed if we tell the truth. Thanks, FaithX, for helping us tell the truth.”

Facts Matter | Truth Matters | Trust Matters

*Research by such diverse groups as the Cato Institute, the Anti-Defamation League, and the U.S. Department of Justice all reveal this statistical reality. USDOJ removed their study in the immediate aftermath of the Charlie Kirk murder, but can be found in the Internet Archive (nothing goes away on the internet).