God’s Values
Jordan Hylden, in his article “On Politics, Pulpit, and Presidents,” tries to frame the discussion of Bishop Budde speaking directly to the president as through a lens of political activity between progressives and conservatives. Her statements are not even a conflict between church and state. The statements raise the question: Are you following the teachings of Jesus, such as “Love thy neighbor as thyself”?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer faced the same challenge as he called for the church to follow Jesus’ way in caring for the least of these. Micah tells us what the Lord requires of us—to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Peter spoke before the high priest and Sadducees: “We must obey God rather than men.” Nathan called out David. Jesus, with the power of abundant life, stood before Pilate with the power of death. Elijah—much more than Budde—forcibly called for Ahab to serve the Lord.
These examples are not about progressive or conservative values but about God’s values. Sometimes bluntness is needed. As Elijah, Budde makes the call of Joshua to President Ahab Trump and Jezebel Vance: “Choose today whom you will serve.”
Bruce Smith
Sparta, North Carolina
Compromised Communion
Although Andrew Goddard’s “The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals in Context” simply and succinctly provides us with a history of our current condition, it also carefully identifies the deepening crisis of communion that we continue to face.
Given all that has occurred since (by my estimation) 1998, our communion is not “impaired.” It is entirely compromised. The audacity of asserting that one can be part of a worldwide communion, and yet not be held universally accountable for questionable beliefs and behaviors as a member jurisdiction, is as reasonable as suggesting that we are “married” but we can consistently move beyond the bounds of that covenant relationship without repercussions.
The Episcopal “way of love,” if it is truly loving, must entirely embrace both the implications and applications of being truly loving: there are covenant borders and boundaries (fidelities!) that must (without negotiation) be kept. The way of love without the practical aspects of actually walking in love is a recipe for chaos.
The Rev. Donald Richmond
Auburn, California
Thanks for International News
Hooray for The Living Church and Trinity Church Wall Street for your new section on International News. Various dioceses of the Episcopal Church can be awfully provincial in what their various internal publications talk about—but all too frequently, it is local and not even national.
TLC continues to do good work, and to be a wonderful source of information and “backstories.”
Mahalo and thank you.
Prof. Willis Moore
Honolulu
