Bishop Budde’s sermon
“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals, they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara, and temples.
I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and walk humbly with each other and our God, for the good of all people, the good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen.”
These were the concluding paragraphs of the sermon offered this past Tuesday morning at Washington National Cathedral for the Inaugural Prayer service. The whole sermon can be watched here: https://youtu.be/xwwaEuDeqM8?si=4vuBlIBeEcg7wVBq
Watching the video, what’s most startling is the body language of the guests of honor, the President, Vice President, and members of their families. While much might be inferred from their body language, once thing is clear: they are not accustomed to the challenges that Bishop Budde posed to them. This was reflected in conversations on social media around the sermon ranged widely from admiration for Bishop Budde’s bravery to one member of the House of Representatives calling for Bishop Budde to be added to the deportation list.
Fun fact: Bishop Budde and myself (and my predecessor here, the Rev. Jackie Matisse) all attended the same seminary, Virginia Theological Seminary. During the years that I was there, Bishop Budde had only recently become bishop of Washington and she accepted a few invitations to speak on our campus – it was just a short drive over the Potomac River for her. I found her both gracious and assertive, caring and exacting. That is all to say, when I watched the video of Bishop Budde preaching this week, while I felt a lot of emotions, surprise was not one of them.
While reflecting on Bishop Budde’s words this week, I remembered the quote carved in the stone facade of the library on our VTS campus: “Seek the truth, come whence it may, cost what it will.” These words are attributed to the Rev. William Sparrow, a professor at VTS in the 19th century. The quote always served as a reminder to never take for granted what I think I understand about our world, our community and our God. Truth can only come through discernment and humility. When I hear the words of Bishop Budde’s sermon, I hear the words of someone seeking the truth, coming when it may, costing what it will.
Truth has become an elusive concept in the past years in the American public. Curated social media feeds have warped perceptions of popular opinion while letting misinformation and disinformation go undetected. 24-hour news stations have made immense sums of money by selling the ad time between segments that draw out fear and stress for the viewers. Where 30 years ago, everyone in town got their news from the same few relatively neutral sources, today neighbors could entirely disagree on which news source is trustworthy to begin with. And these various news sources can have wildly different takes on what the problems and solutions are in our world.
I don’t know that I have any answers to offer at this time. Frankly, if I did have answers, I’d be seeking a larger microphone than the one I get by being the rector of St. Patrick’s. I do know that I don’t see any of these issues resolving themselves in the next four years. I will offer you these encouragements, as much as a reminder for myself as for you:
Be mindful and be wise. Any truth that comes ready made and easy to digest deserves a closer look.
Propaganda is a real thing in 21st century America. Be patient with your neighbors who don’t know better. The world is a scary place and buying into the propaganda can help it feel less scary. Pray for these people.
Be brave in the pulpits you do get to occupy. You may never step foot in the pulpit of Washington National Cathedral – you may never step foot in any formal pulpit. But you do have countless opportunities to model, speak to, and embody the redemptive love we know through Jesus Christ.
Love is our ultimate calling. And love is bound to get messy, uncomfortable and confrontational. And it is still our calling.
-Cortney+
