Since I wrote my last blog on Wednesday, there have been so many negative responses by Americans concerning Bishop Mariann Edgar-Budde’s sermon at the prayer service for the new administration on Tuesday, January 21st, at the Washington National Cathedral, a cathedral known for its values of peace, love, hope, light, and grace around the world. Not only did the bishop say the truth about those of us who fear what is happening in our country, but she also asked President Trump to show grace towards those who are being deported, for the homeless, for those whose families are being ripped apart, for those with gender issues, for Native Americans Indians who really were our first settlers, and for those who were born here with parents from other countries. Our collective problem as a nation is that we are a divided nation with a president who continues to push for even more disunity with his decrees. Many of us are willing to work together to solve our problems; he only wants people to do his will, regardless as to whether it is right or wrong. The bishop asked him to be caring and compassionate about all Americans; there is absolutely nothing wrong with a female pastor asking us to be loving, as Christ asked us to be. Unfortunately, her compassionate sermon fell on deaf ears and on some very “kiss-my-ring Congressional members” who do not have a religious belief in their bodies.
The Lutheran denomination provides three service sets for its Sunday services. Each church follows one of those revolving sets for three years, and then the sets start over. Whether this prayer was planned to follow the inauguration is not known to me, but upon reading the bulletin for this Sunday, I realized that our bishop had written a very positive opening prayer for our nation that coincides with Bishop Edgar-Budde’s sermon. I will paraphrase the prayer as follows: “God, you have given us blessings and shown compassion to the world. Forgive our acts of judgment, cruelty, and indifference, and help us to help our neighbors in their hours of need. Many of us fail to stand up against injustice, and we allow our fears and doubts to consume our lives. Instead of acknowledging our similarities as people, we assume the worst about everyone. Cleanse our faults, and help us to stop their power over us. Asking for Your love and kindness, we need Your help to restore our hearts so that we may repair our world. We ask for Your guidance so that we may live in the ways of Christ and be “Him with flesh on.” A-men.
Bishop Edgar-Budde showed a great deal of Christian courage asking the President to show mercy towards all Americans, but that is what we all are to show towards our neighbors and enemies. If we do not honor, are dishonest, and show no humility towards everyone, we are building our nation on sand, not the Rock. Unity comes from honor, honesty, and humility; the bishop asked him to be merciful for the good of the people and the world. She did nothing wrong. All she did was ask the congregation to be what Christ taught us to be, loving. I feel sorry for those who are criticizing the bishop because when we come to our ends, God will not look at the outside of our bodies for He already knows what we look like. He will look at what we have done from our hearts to make the world a better place for all humanity. Eternal life will be granted to those who love, not hate and to those who put others’ needs before their own. May we all have the courage to stand up for what is right and what is wrong. God gave us free will; now, we need to use it.
Anna Hartt
