Jess Fisher is a graphic designer and liturgical artist. She served for a time as Digital Minister at the Washington D.C. Presbyterian Church of the Pilgrims, which introduces its website with the title “Where all are pilgrims, but none is a stranger.” The church, under the leadership of Rev. Erin Counihan, has joined with the Washington Interfaith Staff Community in organizing “Faithful Witness Wednesdays,” weekly vigils at the Capitol “call[ing] on Congress to exercise greater moral courage in upholding its Article 1 powers and preventing executive overreach.” The church’s Facebook page has posted information about online training sessions by Free DC and the National Lawyers Guild teaching best practices for interacting with law enforcement while engaging in protests.
Shortly after the January 2025 presidential inauguration, Jess began a Facebook page titled “Acts of the Resistance.” She introduced it with the note, “Need a little hope or help finding your next step in this chaos? Follow this page to see how others are resisting and for opportunities to join the resistance!” The posts there illuminate people with unbroken spirits, such as #ProjectMailStorm organized by a woman named Gina who runs an arts and crafts workshop called Shabby Creek Cottage. Gina calls on Americans to storm the White House with snail mail under the slogan “There is power in paper:” “A peaceful protest. A postal uprising. We’re flooding the system, one envelope at a time.”
Jess, who is challenged by physical disabilities, wrote this to me about her initiative:
The “Acts of the Resistance” Facebook page was started to give my federal employee friends, and the rest of us, hope amidst the horrific daily news. Having all these small acts come up on our feeds helps us to feel less isolated and less hopeless (goals of fascism and authoritarianism). Seeing what other ordinary humans are doing can inspire us to take action in our day-to-day lives.
As a disabled person with chronic illnesses, it’s extremely difficult for me to go to protests safely. Sharing posts on this page is a form of resistance that I can do from home, no matter how my body is feeling. We need to realize that there are many ways to resist, and they are all valuable. We can each find our place in the resistance.
The name of the page was inspired by the New Testament book “The Acts of the Apostles,” where Jesus’ first followers adapt to life without him and begin their own journey of resisting the Roman Empire and its oppression of the people. I believe today’s church is also called to support the marginalized and oppressed, not those in power. I hope that this page can demonstrate that not all US Christians support the current administration and its values. Even with this faith-based inspiration, the page is open to all and will post about those who fight fascism and authoritarianism, regardless of their faith or doubt.
Marci Shore is Chair in European Intellectual History at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. She is the author, most recently, of The Ukrainian Night: An Intimate History of Revolution.
Digital Christian “Small Acts of Resistance”