A Message from Pastor Andrea Chaumont

January 29, 2026

Dear Mt. Baker Park Presbyterian Church,

This week, I have found it hard to be a person. If you have found yourself crying at an inopportune time, or confused, angry and scared, you are not alone. In the face of the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents I’ve found myself turning to Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi for hope.

Gandhi wrote: "When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always."

Jesus seems to echos this sentiment in the Beatitudes. If truth and love do not eventually win, Jesus’ sermon would seem absolutely foolish. He says “Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek…”

The Beatitudes are thought to echo the words of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 61:

“the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives…” (Isaiah 61)

Last week, I was at Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory with 30 other pastors from our area. We listened to this sermon together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsFv2Li9mPM

In this sermon Martin Luther King Jr. points to these words in Isaiah 61 as “guidelines” for the church. Our guidelines include caring for the poor and brokenhearted. Dr. King had a vision of the “Beloved Community” (https://thekingcenter.org/about-tkc/the-king-philosophy/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email).

Many of us have wanted to “do something” and feel helpless in the face of so much destruction and violence. Let’s stick to our guidelines. We will gather together after the service on the 15th to make whistle packets, praying for those in our country who are angry, scared and terrorized. Together we add a drop in the bucket of Beloved Community. Thank you to the Galship for organizing this event. I am grateful to serve as your transitional pastor.

Blessings,

Pastor Andrea

p.s. for more hopeful reading check out https://www.csuchico.edu/iege/_assets/documents/susi-letter-from-birmingham-jail.pdf