On a cold Thursday evening in February, Middle Church in the East Village was filled beyond capacity, and the Sisters of Charity of New York were there..
More than 100 people gathered outside, singing along on their phones as they livestreamed the program from inside. The sanctuary was packed. The sidewalks were full. And together, New Yorkers across faith traditions — and none — learned the songs of resistance to empire, fascism and ICE.
We have been fans of the Resistance Revival Chorus for over a year, using their music in our own prayer and public witness. Their songs have become part of our movement vocabulary.
Their music is courage.
Their music is solidarity.
Their music is Holy Trouble.
Hosted by Middle Church, whose commitment to social justice is unwavering, the evening was a powerful reminder that faith communities are not retreating from this moment — they are responding to it. Middle’s Gospel Choir, the Jerriese Johnson Gospel Choir was, as always, spectacular. And Rev. Jacqui Lewis continues to model what courageous, justice-rooted ministry looks like in public life.
We are grateful to the Interfaith Alliance for organizing and keeping the community updated — including the wise decision to livestream the event, allowing even more people to participate as the church reached capacity. They also provided a downloadable ICE-OUT Resistance Songbook.
This was not simply a concert.
It was communal prayer.
It was public witness.
It was a rehearsal for courage.
When institutions falter and policies harm the most vulnerable, people of faith do not grow silent. We gather. We sing. We remember who we are.
