Crossroads Church in Loveland was vandalized, with the word “Pharisee” painted on the front door and building wall. The word “Pharisee” comes from a Hebrew word meaning “separated” and refers to a member of an ancient Jewish religious group, though the term has also been used in ways linked to antisemitism.
This vandalism comes after a news briefing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave on the Iran War, calling many of the news/media reporters in the room Pharisees. Hegseth equated the work of the war department to the work of Jesus and anyone who questioned or is actively speaking out against the work of the department as a pharisee, ostensibly claiming that to oppose current actions or policies by the War Department is tantamount with opposing Jesus.
“Behind the action was an understanding that I, as a religious leader, am very clearly opposed to White Christian Nationalism and we (as a church) recognize that the racist ideology of White Christian Nationalism does not represent the peace making path of Jesus,” says Ryan Howell, Lead Pastor of Crossroads Church. Howell adds, “Under their logic, OK, I am your definition of a pharisee; I have no problems with that.”
Crossroads’ Facebook statement after the incident said “Moments like this are painful, not simply because of the damage, but because they remind us how powerful fear, division, and rhetoric can become when people stop seeing each other as human beings worthy of love and dignity. At Crossroads, we believe the way of Jesus was never about exclusion, cruelty, or using faith as a weapon … Again and again, Jesus moved toward the marginalized, the rejected, the hurting, and those pushed to the edges. So while this hurts, we refuse to respond with bitterness or hatred.”
Crossroads is an open and affirming church in Loveland, Colorado that is inviting, equipping, and encouraging people to walk the peacemaking path of Jesus in their everyday, normal lives. They work and partner with others to end The Five Unacceptable Truths of our world: Spiritual Emptiness, Poverty, Illiteracy, Fear of the Other (racism, sexism and homophobia) and Modern-Day Slavery. Their values of Inclusion, Wisdom, Generosity, Creativity, and Fun guide them in their peacemaking work.
Photos and video courtesy of Crossroads Church
