Vigil
The courage and hope to stay the course
Two things are occurring simultaneously. Those in power are “turbocharging immigration enforcement.” And 19 Venerable Monks are walking across the South to the U.S. Capitol, engaged in a “Walk for Peace.” This post is about these two things.
The Vigil
I attended a vigil for Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old woman who was killed by Jonathan E. Ross in Minneapolis on January 7. Ross, 43, is an Iraq War veteran with 10 years experience as an ICE agent. Good had just dropped her 6-year-old at school. She was partially blocking the street with her mini-van in the midst of ICE activity. She received mixed instructions from agents. As she was turning her vehicle to leave, video footage shows Ross shooting her in the face at close range, then re-holstering his sidearm.
It’s a dreadful thing to watch, but it’s important to watch. Because federal officials are grossly misrepresenting events. And because extremists are maligning a young woman gunned down for no discernible reason as if she somehow had it coming. The New York Times released a very good video analysis.
There was an evening vigil held in front of the Federal Building in Hartford on January 8. There were hundreds attending, many carrying candles and lighted wire butterflies. The event was interrupted midway by loud screams imploring attendees to support protesters nearby being pepper-sprayed by ICE. 1
Some “street medics” offered assistance and there were a few moments of confusion. But organizers of the vigil wisely chose to stay the course and continue the vigil for Renee Good. Calm resumed.
This was a vigil after all, a solemn occasion.
Stay the Course
Two dozen Venerable Monks left Ft. Worth, TX on October 26, 2025 and are walking to Washington, D.C. They are expected to arrive at the U.S. Capitol on February 13th. A support vehicle accompanies them along with a rescue dog named Aloka, Sanskrit for enlightenment. They are walking for peace. They are expected to arrive in Columbia, SC today. At each stop, they are greeted by throngs of people. Hundreds of thousands of others follow their progress online.
We do not walk alone. We walk together with every person whose heart has opened to peace, whose spirit has chosen kindness, whose daily life has become a garden where understanding grows.
The Venerable Monks, Facebook
We Yearn for Peace
We need reverence, remembrance, meditation and prayers. We long for quiet and internal peace. This is especially true now as those in power sow chaos in our cities, disrupt global order and wrangle our nerves. There’s a reason why 400,000 people follow the Venerable Monks on social media.
In addition to protests and boycotts, we need a quieter form of activism too. The monks show us by example to quiet ourselves and let the quiet speak. They show us what’s possible.
When Faith Leads
The Venerable Monks and other faith leaders remind us of the moral imperative of “right over might.” Faith leaders like the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, DC, who spoke truth to power to the President from the pulpit of the National Cathedral. And, Rev. Hosea Williams who stood at the front of marchers when they were met by a wall of Alabama troopers as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge on “Bloody Sunday.” And many other leaders of different faiths.
Faith leaders give us hope and courage. The courage to hold onto faith when such dark forces seem to prevail. And the courage to stay the course.
Later, video emerged of a suspected immigration vehicle striking a protester and windows being broken by protesters. Events are under investigation by the city.
"It’s a dreadful thing to watch, but it’s important to watch."
Keeping our eyes open is heavy work. But I agree. It is a necessity.
Thank you for sharing ❤️
Enjoyed this post, Robin, and thanks for another reminder to stay the course!