January 27, 2026
Bearing Witness in Minneapolis: A Letter to the Sangha from Abbot Mako

 

Dear Sangha:

I’ve just returned from Minneapolis where I joined over 700 clergy members from across the country for two days of community building, training, witnessing, and marching. The event was organized by a group called MARCH (Multifaith Antiracism, Change & Healing). I found this interfaith collaboration of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Indigenous practitioners and others deeply moving. Seeing past religious and political differences in order to unite in defense of constitutional rights and human dignity is not an easy or simple task and it was clear from the beginning how much we needed each other.

During the “ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth & Freedom” march and rally we joined with tens of thousands of people, enduring subzero temperatures over several hours. We demanded the immediate withdrawal of ICE from Minnesota, the withdrawal of congressional funding, and that ICE be held accountable for the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

What I witnessed in Minneapolis that day was both sobering and profoundly inspiring: ordinary people organizing neighborhood-by-neighborhood mutual aid networks, conducting block patrols to document ICE activity, documenting what feel like unimaginably hateful atrocities with clarity and compassion, and simply showing up for their immigrant and non-immigrant neighbors.

Afterwards, as I rode the light rail packed full with protestors, what I felt from everyone was not just fear and exhaustion, but also a profound feeling of community, connection, and conviction. This is the power of communities that have prepared together. The people of Minneapolis demonstrated that effective resistance isn’t spontaneous, but learned, practiced, and disciplined. They’ve been building networks, training in nonviolent discipline, practicing calm presence under pressure, and developing strategies for months.

What I observed in Minneapolis is an example of how trained, sustained resistance rooted in nonviolent civil disobedience is both possible and effective—precisely because it encourages broad & diverse participation, rooted in love and compassion for all. This in turn maintains moral clarity and creates the conditions where local security forces may feel supported in choosing to disobey unjust orders.

I invite us all to consider how we might form and deepen relationships with our neighbors, other faith-based and local immigrant-led organizations, as well as city and county emergency services and law enforcement. In order to learn skills of nonviolent response and to build the networks of mutual aid that strengthen all communities, we need to put bridge building into practice.

Our own Zen training and practice teaches us to bear witness without turning away. It helps us stay grounded in our vow to stay present amid chaos, and encourages an appropriate, compassionate response.

Together we can support one another in showing up and refusing to let fear or propaganda override what we see with our own eyes. This means showing up, asking how we can be of service, saying “yes,” and trusting our practice to guide us into meeting whatever arises with clear eyes—honoring our deep bodhisattva vow of unwavering commitment to all beings.

With bows and gratitude,

 

Dōshin Mako Voelkel
City Center Abiding Abbot

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