When faith steps outside the sanctuary

America has long allowed faith to shape public leadership, yet today we respect the politician while rejecting the faith that formed them.

This has come into sharp relief recently with an online backlash against faith leaders who publicly denounce the practices of ICE and mass deportation, one that insists faith has no place in politics. The work of a faith leader now seems confined to the four walls of a congregation, while those outside are free to speak without consequence.

Politicians regularly quote Scripture and tell us which congregation they attend, and we do not bat an eye. But when a pastor steps out from behind the pulpit, everything changes. In the view of many, faith leaders are trusted only within sacred space. Outside of it, they are told they have no place.

History tells a different story. Many successful politicians were first ordained ministers, including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. They and other leaders were respected in their time because of their faith background.

Reflection now is needed on how we treat those who enter public life from ministry. This issue is not about the separation of church and state, which always has been part of the American identity. Rather, are we going to continue advocating for those with less than we have by protesting police brutality and insisting that people should be able to eat and be housed? Or are we only going to allow laws rooted in selective biblical interpretation to regulate human sexuality and gender identity?

On Long Island, faith leaders have been speaking clearly. Clergy across multiple denominations are taking stands at news conferences, representatives' offices and public protests against mass deportation. Over 200 clergy members have signed a statement admonishing the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its policies. Among them are the Rev. Kate Jones Calone, a lead organizer of the Long Island Immigrant Justice Alliance's faith leaders division, and the Rev. Patty Avila, assistant to the bishop of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Lutheran Church and a resident of Freeport. The appointment of Ronald Hicks as the new archbishop of New York, a voice that has been lacking in these conversations, can turn the tide for their Catholic followers in need.

I am a clergy member in Huntington Station, which has seen significant ICE activity. This has thrown our community into upheaval, leading to protests up and down New York Avenue. As someone with family in law enforcement, I hold genuine respect for those who serve. What I cannot respect is the lack of human decency shown when people, documented or undocumented, are detained outside court hearings while doing exactly what they are required to do. That feels out of order and unjust.

My faith calls me to see these policies not only as American issues, but as human ones. Calling them "Christian values" misses the point. They are human values. They are ethics shaped over time by our shared humanity. The church may name them, but it does not own them. If you say my faith has no place in this conversation, then let me be clear: I am a Lutheran pastor, and I believe in the ethical treatment of human beings.

My faith may not belong in your version of politics, but perhaps that version of politics has forgotten human ethics. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, "For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth and goodwill to men."

This guest essay reflects the views of the Rev. Christian Cederstrom of the United Lutheran Church of Long Island.