SojoMail - Light for a dark week in Venezuela and Minneapolis

View this email in your browser By Betsy Shirley Editor in Chief, Sojourners This isn’t how I wanted to start the new year. Yesterday we learned that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis had shot and killed Renee Nicole Good. Federal officials claim the agent fired out of self-defense, but analysis of the footage says otherwise.  All this happened as we were still trying to process the Trump administration’s military attack on Venezuela, which killed at least 80 people. As U.N. leaders predicted, the violent removal of Venezuela's president has not led to greater peace and stability but has instead encouraged the nation’s repressive regime to tighten its control.   In this mess of a week, we’re sharing voices that we think shed light, especially Venezuelan Christians and others condemning the attacks—and the lust for power that motivated them. And as we grieve over what we’re hearing from Minnesota, we offer a story of how people of faith in Chicago stood solidly with migrants amid escalated ICE enforcement in their own city. Their witness gives me some hope in this dark week.  ‘America First’ Resurrects the Logic of the Crusades in Venezuela (by Josiah R. Daniels) Trump’s actions in Latin America brazenly embrace the logic of one of Christianity's oldest, ugliest chapters. Read the full article Advertisement Our Latest Stories After Maduro, Venezuelan Christians Pray for End to U.S. Imperialism (by Ethan Meyers) “As a Christian, I want to be an agent of reconciliation, a bridge where people can come together, with no U.S.-directed interference in our country,” Rev. Ricardo Corzo Moreno told Sojourners. Read more Will the U.S. Church Be Silent on Venezuela? (by Adam Russell Taylor) If you believe the U.S. is a nation chosen by God for a special purpose in history, you’re much more likely to support the administration’s acts of aggressive militarism. Read more ‘Pluribus’ Turns Happiness Into a Virus, and Peace Into a Problem (by Abby Olcese) “What would true peace of mind feel like?” Vince Gilligan said to Sojourners. “It’s like asking what the far side of the moon would be like.” Read more From the Magazine: What Your Church Can Do if ICE Comes to Your City (by Mitchell Atencio) What Chicago Christians’ creative companionship to migrants can teach us about how to strategically and joyfully resist violent immigration enforcement.  Read more Advertisements Engage and Adapt Free Webinar SojoAction invites you to register for another installation of their ongoing “Engage and Adapt” training series on January 13, 2026, at 7 p.m. EST. This webinar will focus on “A Justice-Centered Look at Federal Health Funding,” featuring special guest Lauren Reliford, MSW, Policy Director for the Children’s Defense Fund. Sojourners' Confronting Christian Nationalism Reading List This Bookshop list provides a deep dive into the complex topic of Christian nationalism, the value of religious freedom, and ways to further a fair society. Our Bookshop page features a variety of curated reading lists. When you buy through our link, part of the proceeds support Sojourners and independent bookstores throughout the country. Donate Subscribe Unsubscribe or update email preferences Copyright © 2026 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842