Pastoral Letter – Minneapolis

Sent January 24, 2026

Beloved Central Union Church ‘Ohana,

These past few days have been heavy – heavier than many of us know how to handle. The ongoing occupation of Minneapolis by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and now the shooting – caught on video – of yet another U.S. citizen, Alex Pretti, has shaken most of us to the core. It is grief upon grief, anger upon anger, fear upon fear. And I want you to hear this clearly: I am feeling that same pain with you. I am not writing from a distance. I am writing from inside the same ache, the same outrage, the same exhaustion.

What we are witnessing is not normal, and it should never be treated as such. It is right to feel horrified. It is right to feel overwhelmed. It is right to feel the tremble in your spirit when justice is trampled and human dignity is dismissed and voices are silenced.

But my beloved church ‘ohana – do not lose hope.

Hope is not naïve optimism. Hope is the stubborn, Spirit-breathed insistence that darkness does not get the final word. Hope is what our ancestors clung to when the world around them fell apart. Hope is what carried them through, and it is what will carry us now.

In moments like this, regardless of our politics, we hold fast to one another as human beings made in the image of God. This is not the time for isolation. This is the time for community – for beloved community. We breathe together. We pray together. We weep together. We worship together. We refuse to let fear or despair scatter us or tear us apart.

And hear me clearly: never let anyone reject your voice. Not in your church. Not in your community. Not in your state. Not in this nation. Your voice matters. Your witness matters. Your courage matters. Insist on being heard. Insist on being counted. Insist on being seen. Speak your truth in love, but speak it!

Use your faith and your God-given gifts – whatever they are, however small they may feel – to make a difference. Every act of compassion, every phone call, every prayer, every conversation, every stand for justice matters. Do not let anyone tell you that you are powerless. Do not let anyone tell you that you are alone.

You are not alone. You have this community. You have your pastor. You have God.

Pray. Breathe. Let God guide your steps. Let the Spirit steady your trembling heart. Hold fast to hope, even when hope feels thin. The light is coming. The darkness will end. Love each other fiercely. Help each other tenderly. Remember aloha—its courage, its compassion, its insistence on connection.

And please – if you need to talk, if you need to pray, if you need somewhere simply to sit in the heaviness – reach out. I am here and your church is here.

With aloha, solidarity, and steadfast hope,

Pastor Rushan Sinnaduray
Senior Minister