Christian bishops in the US have described their "heartsick" distress at racist graffiti being scrawled on churches around the country in the name of President-elect Donald Trump.
They are warning that the language used during the recent Presidential campaign "has emboldened some people to become openly abusive and insulting."
As "faithful people", Christians are being urged not to "respond in kind".
Our Saviour church in Silver Spring, Maryland and St David's in Dean Blossom, Indiana were just two of the churches defaced with Nazi-style slogans such as: "Trump Nation Whites Only", and: "Heil Trump".
Bishop of Washington Mariann Budde wrote on Facebook said a sign advertising the Spanish-language Mass and the wall of the parish's memorial garden were both vandalised.
She said: "I am heartsick, and can only imagine how the people of Our Saviour, one of the most culturally diverse parishes in the diocese, feel."
She attended the Spanish-language Mass to show solidarity with the congregation and hours later, the sign was replaced with one stating: "Silver Spring loves and welcomes immigrants."
The diocesan Facebook page reported: "Today the people of Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Silver Spring awoke to find the sign that had been vandalized by racist graffiti had been replaced by a new sign and a new message. Love wins."
Bishop Budde told CNN: "My prayer is that Donald Trump will listen deeply to the cries of our people."
She also said in a statement: "I would call especially upon the president-elect and those who voted for him to separate themselves from acts of violence and hate that are being perpetrated in his name.
"We believe that the majority of Americans want a nation of peace and of unity across a spectrum of our glorious people, and we do not want our friends of color and our immigrants and other people who feel vulnerable to imagine that this is who we are as a nation. And we are here, and we will always be here whenever such acts are perpetrated. And I also want to plead with our young people who are hurting now and all those who are hurting now: if you protest, protest with confidence and love, but do not stoop to this kind of violence. We are better than this as a country, and we will overcome hatred with love, with peace and with justice."
At St David's in Bean Blossom, Indiana, the church was disfigured with "Heil Trump" graffiti. A swastika was also daubed on the church, along with the words "Fag Church".
Rev Kelsey Hutto, priest-in-charge, told Episcopal Digital Network: "I was disheartened at first to see the words on the wall but my second reaction was we must be doing something right.
"I've been using Presiding Bishop Curry's statement that 'sometimes doing the right thing is not always the popular thing,' and we are living into that, and proud of that, and we believe that facing hate with love is the right way to go about our call as Christians."
In addition she wrote on Facebook: "We are disappointed that our safe haven has been vandalized but will not let the actions of a few damper our love of Christ and the world. We will continue to live out our beliefs and acceptance of all people and respecting the dignity of every human being. We pray for the perpetrators as well as those who the derogatory marks were directed at.
"We will move forward continuing to be the love of Christ in the world.
"Any one is welcome on the sacred ground of the church. This act was an act of separation. Separation of us from each other and a separation from God which is the definition of a sin. We pray for unification with God, with God's people and with ourselves.
"This is only one image of a worldwide phenomenon in which we are dividing ourselves and the world from God.
We hope and pray that as the days and weeks continue we find a way to bridge this division from God and each other and ourselves."
Bishop of Indeanapolis Cate Waynick said in a message on her diocesan website that St David's: "While it is deeply disturbing to be on the receiving end of such vitriol, it is also an opportunity to be very clear, with ourselves and the world around us, that we take seriously the commandment of our Lord to love one another with the same love God lavishes on every person – no exceptions.
"We do not know who is responsible for the vandalism. What we do know is that the kind of language used during the recent Presidential campaign has emboldened some people to become openly abusive and insulting. Our option as faithful people is to be sure we don't respond in kind.
"The Episcopal Church will continue to welcome all people, to seek and serve Christ in the world around us, to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being – even those who deface our buildings. Our buildings can be marred by anger and hatred – we will not allow our hearts to be defiled."
The church will hold a healing service on 30 November, when the graffiti will be covered up.
The incidents are just a few the examples of anti-Semitic, homophobic and racist graffiti appearing across the United States. In places, "Make America White Again" is being used alongside the Trump slogan: "Make America Great Again."
