El negro

Rev. Wesley Menke
Grace Lutheran Church
Apology
20 December 2025
Upland, California near the «Kuukaamonga» township ancestral homeland of the Tongva/Gabrielino Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island

Isaiah 20:2-4 «At that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amos, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet.” And he did so walking naked and barefoot.»

Dear Church,

«Watch ach Kool» meaning Buenos Dias or Good Day in Maya
I am sorry that I failed you. Especially Juan Anjel Lorenzo Juan. At the time that I write this you are enslaved by ICE and the GEO Group Corporation Desert View Annex in Adelanto, California. You have been kidnapped and I am disappointed that I was not more prepared to protect you as one of my church members.
I would also like to apologize to my loving wife Sheri and our children. What I did was beyond embarrassing. I am sorry the personal toll you take everyday being the spouse and children of a pastor like me. Thank you for loving and supporting me just as I am. I will do my best to love and support you too.
To the faithful council president Mr. Jerry, and the caring preschool director Ms. Gayle. I confess that my actions have personally caused you intense and unhealthy stress. I am deeply sorry.

So why did I do this? And what did I do?

The reason I did what I did on Saturday morning December 13 is because I believe that we are saved by grace through faith, and not by works. What does this mean?
«Not by works» means that the «work» of creating, enforcing, and following the unjust laws of man does the opposite of what we were indoctrinated to believe. These «works» and «laws of man» do not make us safe, civilized, or humane. These unjust laws of man, include current immigration law in the United States of America which are equivalent to the Segregationist, Chattel Slavery, and Doctrine of Discovery laws of America. These unjust laws are designed to inflict harm, traumatize and kill human beings who are female and/or have black and brown colored skin for the sake of greed and avarice. They are an abomination to the LORD. The prophet Miriam broke these laws, as did Jesus Christ, the apostle Mary Magdalene, the missionary Bartolomeo de las Casas, the reformer Katherine Von Bora-Luther, the martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the leader Rosa Parks.
So if the unjust laws of man cannot save us, then what can? Faith and Grace are the only things that can save us.
What is faith? Faith is being faithful by following the golden rule. «Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.» All people may choose to follow this golden rule regardless of religion or creed. Believers include a second law: to love the Lord your God with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind.
Finally. What is grace? Grace is the good news that you are worth more than a trillion trillion trillion mountains of gold. Each human being, animal, plant, rock, river, ocean, galaxy, and speck of dust has been created and crafted by the everlasting genius: God.
Because I have faith in grace I have no choice but to break the unjust laws of man in defense of human beings. I used non-violent civil disobedience as an expression of my faith.

So what did I do?
I have gotten to know Juan Angel Lorenzo Juan almost as long as I have served Grace Lutheran Church, about seven years. Juan and his colleague Pedro are the gardeners for the church and parsonage. Remember Easter morning? In John 20:15 the resurrected Lord Jesus said to Mary, «Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?» Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, «Sir if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.»
What if Jesus was your gardener? Would your actions align with your words?
Saturday Morning 13 December Juan and Pedro pulled up to the parsonage as they normally do. Sheri and I had their Christmas Gifts ready, and I gave it to them. They smiled and were thankful.
I went back in the house. As I was doing the dishes I saw Pedro running diagonally across the backyard and them jump up into a tree and climb it. I thought he had lost a tool, a hedge trimmer in the tree. I walked briskly out to see if I could help him. He looked terrified and said that ICE was out front, and that they had taken Juan. I said, «No.» I turned on my heal and ran out the backyard fence gate and down the driveway. There were men with hats, sunglasses, buffs (face masks), bullet proof vests that said POLICE ICE and guns standing in the church parsonage driveway. I said,
«Excuse me I think there’s been a mistake. Where is Juan?» Nobody said anything and they looked me over. I looked in the street and there were four unmarked vehicles all parked the wrong way. One was an SUV. I said, «I’m the pastor of Grace Lutheran Church. My name is Pastor Wesley Menke. This man is legal. He is a citizen. He is a member of my church. Please let him go.» There was a pause. Then one of the men flicked his wrist and extended what I was told is called an asp. It appeared to be an extendable metal baton. It was like the antennae of a radio but black, and much bigger and thicker. About five men all moved toward me with the one raising the asp to strike me. I said, «I am unarmed. Please don’t hurt me. Reilley please record this!» I called on my neighbor to film the incident, because I thought it would dissuade violent action toward me, and provide a record.
They came closer. I remembered that I had a pair of gardening shears in my pocket. I threw them to the ground. They kept coming. I took off my shirt. My pants. Kicking off my sandals. It didn’t make a difference. Finally I trembled and began to cry. I said fine, «Do you want me to take off my underwear?» I pulled down my underwear. «There I’m naked.» I said. «I am not ashamed of myself. I protest like the prophet Jeremiah. I will stand naked before my Lord and he can judge me. I know you each do this for the money. I know you have families feed. But you will be judged for all eternity. The Bible says from beginning to end to care for the migrant! You are guilty of sin before Jesus Christ!» They began to back off. They moved toward their vehicles. I said, «Wait. Let Juan go! Don’t take Juan.» I ran to the SUV and jumped on the hood.
The men began to verbally threaten me. I held fast. I was pepper sprayed in my eye, my face, and down my body. Bonhoeffer says we must accept the consequences of taking on the cross of Christ. At the time I felt like I was dying. I felt like I was being crucified. I thought that I would become a martyr. I cried out for help from Jesus.
I saw the asp-man make to strike me so I slid down off the hood and lay on my belly on the asphalt in front of the tires so that the vehicle could not move. They put it in reverse. I got up and jumped the drainage ditch onto Euclid. I ran south to block the exit of our front road. I held them there for a few moments until the asp-man came to try to strike me for the third time. This cleared the way for the unmarked SUV to take Juan away. The other cars followed. I walked home, gathered my clothing, jumped in our pool to try to get the pepper oil off my body which was burning. I went into the garage and screamed in pain. I put on my clothes. I went in the house and asked my children to call 911. Both my older daughter and son called. Nobody came. I called Jerry. I called the Bishop Dave Nagler. He said I did the right thing and he was proud of me. Sheri my wife came home to complete chaos. I took a shower and put on my pastor uniform. My pelvis, abdomen, face, and left eye burned all day, and my eye burned much of the next day too. I am experiencing hearing loss in my right ear as a result as well.
I went outside and spoke with some neighbors and friends who had gathered in our front yard and driveway. I fo
und out from the neighbors that the unmarked ICE caravan passed our houses, saw that there were lots brown colored people, turned the wrong way up our frontage street. Our neighbors had a crew of about five guys working concrete at the front of their house.

I believe that my actions prevented the kidnapping of about five to six men that day.

Following the events of the morning we got knock on the front door and a ding dong. Our family was terrified it was ICE coming back to haul me away. It was Pastor Thom Johnson. He held out a plate covered in tin foil and said, «I brought you some Krum kaka!» Pastor Thom was my grandparents’ pastor in Fontana. My wife’s family pastor in her adolescence and adulthood. He officiated at our wedding. Dr. Thom was my seminary professor at Claremont School of Theology. He is my pastor. God sent him to my family in our time of need. That is God’s grace.
«Am I glad to see you!» We pulled him into the house and told him everything that happened. He looked shocked and said, «Well I don’t know if I would’ve taken my clothes off, but good job standing up! That’s what Bonhoeffer would have done.» He ministered to Sheri and myself, and the children giving us reassurance and advice.
Later that evening of Saturday Juan Lorenzo (the older brother of the imprisoned Juan Anjel Lorenzo Juan) and Pedro who valiantly avoided capture, came back to collect the truck. They called a locksmith, while we waited they taught me to say Buenos Dias in their dialect of Maya: «Watch ach cool.»
I have received overwhelming expressions of care, solidarity, and support especially from my wife Sheri and our kids, Pastor Thom, church members, neighbors, community members, clergy, friends, and colleagues. Thank you, each expression of love is a healing balm. I especially give thanks to the Holy Spirit who without which I would have no faith.
To God be the Glory,
Rev. Wesley Menke