Loving Your Enemies

Delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama, on 17 November 1957 by Rev. Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.

Read it or listen to it here.

Episcopal Church Executive Council reaffirms stand with Standing Rock

Photo: John Floberg via Facebook

[Episcopal News Service – Linthicum Heights, Maryland] The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council during the last day of its Feb. 5-8 meeting here reaffirmed its stand with the Standing Rock Sioux Nation.

Council members said the church pledges to “continue to support the action and leadership of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation as the salt and light of the nation in its unwavering support of the sacredness of water, land, and other resources and reminding us all of the sacred calling to faithfulness.”

They praised the Episcopal Church and its ecumenical partners in the water protection actions led by the Standing Rock Sioux Nation. The Rev. John Floberg, council member and priest-in-charge of Episcopal congregations on the North Dakota side of Standing Rock, drew council’s specific praise, as did “the hundreds of Episcopal lay and clergy who responded to his call for support.”

Council also endorsed the Standing Rock Sioux Nation’s call for a March 10 march on Washington, D.C. The resolution said the march was “for the purpose of proclaiming the continuing concern for our sacred waters and lands as well as challenging our government to fulfill all relevant treaty obligations of the United States to all federally recognized tribes.” The tribe had previously started organizing the march, which Floberg had called on Episcopalians to join.

The Episcopal Church has advocated with the Sioux Nation about the Dakota Access Pipeline since summer 2016. Local Episcopalians have also provided a ministry of presence in and around Cannon Ball, North Dakota, the focal point for groups of water protectors that gathered near the proposed crossing.

Council’s action came about 24 hours after the U.S. Army said it would cancel the environmental impact study it promised to begin two months ago. Instead, it will allow construction on the final phase of the pipeline. The announcement was the latest is a series of administrative and legal maneuvers over the nearly complete pipeline.

The remaining work on the pipeline would push it under the Missouri River at Lake Oahe just north of the Standing Rock Reservation. The pipeline company set up a drill pad very near the proposed crossing point, which is upstream from the tribe’s reservation boundaries. The tribe has water, treaty fishing and hunting rights in the lake. Workers have drilled entry and exit holes for the crossing, and filled the pipeline with oil leading up to the lake in anticipation of finishing the project, according to the Associated Press.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said last summer that the crossing would not have a significant impact on the environment. That determination prompted months of protest that began with a group of teenagers who live on the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River reservations.

On Dec. 4, then-Assistant Army Secretary for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy reversed that determination and said the Corps would conduct a full-blown environmental impact statement. Such a study typically takes up to two years to complete. Energy Transfer Partners, the pipeline construction company, accused then-President Barack Obama’s administration of delaying the matter until he left office. The Corps formally launched the study on Jan. 18, two days before Obama left office.

Two weeks ago, in one of the first of an ongoing string of presidential actions, President Donald Trump, called for the rapid approval of the pipeline’s final phase, specifically telling the Corps to quickly reconsider conducting the environmental impact study. The Army’s Feb. 7 announcement fulfilled Trump’s requirement.

Episcopal Public Policy Network issued an advocacy alert just after the Army’s announcement, calling on Episcopalians to contact Secretary of Defense James Mattis and urge him not to grant the final easement without a full impact study “that properly consults the Standing Rock Sioux and upholds treaty obligations.” The tribe contends that the Fort Laramie Treaties of 1851 and 1888 obligate the federal government to consider a tribe’s welfare when making decisions that affect the tribe.

After the announcement, Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II said the Standing Rock Sioux Nation would challenge the Trump Administration’s move in court. “Our fight is no longer at the North Dakota site itself,” he said. “Our fight is with Congress and the Trump administration. Meet us in Washington on March 10.”

Jan Hasselman, lead attorney for the tribe, said the reversal “continues a historic pattern of broken promises to Indian tribes and unlawful violation of treaty rights. They will be held accountable in court.”

Trump said Feb. 7 that he has not gotten a single call protesting his directive to the Corps. That claim, Archambault replied reflected a distorted sense of reality. Archambault flew to Washington D.C., Feb. 7 to meet with Trump administration officials to discuss the tribe’s concerns about the pipeline. He learned of the Army’s announcement to Congress when he landed and canceled his meeting.

The 1,172-mile, 30-inch diameter pipeline is poised to carry up to 470,000 barrels of oil a day from the Bakken oil field in northwestern North Dakota – through South Dakota and Iowa – to Illinois where it will be shipped to refineries. The pipeline was to pass within one-half mile of the Standing Rock Reservation and Sioux tribal leaders repeatedly expressed concerns over the potential for an oil spill that would damage the reservation’s water supply, and the threat the pipeline posed to sacred sites and treaty rights. The company developing the pipeline, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, says it will be safe.

The Feb. 5-8 meeting took place at the Maritime Institute Conference Center.

Additional ENS coverage of the meeting is here.

Remembering & Welcoming Refugees

Matthew 2: 13-23

¹³ When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him.” ¹⁴ Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt. ¹⁵ He stayed there until Herod died. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I have called my son out of Egypt.

¹⁶ When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. ¹⁷ This fulfilled the word spoken through Jeremiah the prophet:

¹⁸ A voice was heard in Ramah,
    weeping and much grieving.
        Rachel weeping for her children,
            and she did not want to be comforted,
                because they were no more.

¹⁹ After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. ²⁰ “Get up,” the angel said, “and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” ²¹ Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus ruled over Judea in place of his father Herod, Joseph was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee. ²³ He settled in a city called Nazareth so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said,

This is a hugely complex and wicked crisis that underlines our human frailty and the fragility of our political systems. My heart is broken by the images and stories of men, women and children who have risked their lives to escape conflict, violence and persecution. There are no easy answers and my prayers are with those who find themselves fleeing persecution, as well as those who are struggling under immense pressure to develop an effective and equitable response. Now, perhaps more than ever in post-war Europe, we need to commit to joint action across Europe, acknowledging our common responsibility and our common humanity.

As Christians we believe we are called to break down barriers, to welcome the stranger and love them as ourselves (Leviticus 19:34), and to seek the peace and justice of our God, in our world, today.

With over 50 million displaced people around the world, it is important for us to remember the plight of the refugees and to work for a proper resettlement.

A prayer for refugees:

O God, we ask your living protection of all refugees yearning for freedom and hope in a new land. May we ever remember that the Holy Family, too, were refugees as they fled persecution. Bless, guide and lead us in faith to open doors and to open our hearts through this ministry of hospitality. Give us strength, vision and compassion as we work together to welcome those in need. We ask this in the name of Christ. AMEN

(The following is suitable for children.)

Dearest Jesus, thank you for making us all brothers and sisters in God's family. Help us to help our brothers and sisters who have no homes. Remind us to pray for them and give our gifts to help them. AMEN.

Collect For a Troubled Nation

Collect:

God of justice and mercy, who delivered your people from the oppression of Pharaoh, protect us from greed, ignorance, and malevolence in our political leaders, and help us make our nation one of peace, liberty, and justice, in harmony with your creation and exhibiting the love of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reasoning (a fellow Episcopalian wrote this prayer):

I wrote a prayer and requested criticism of it from two Episcopalian groups on Facebook. The numerous comments I received in response caused me to make many small changes to the text. The Facebook comments mostly concerned (1) from whom or what was protection being sought and (2) the degree to which the prayer might be acceptable to most Episcopalians, regardless of political sympathies.

Some friends worried that my original text disparaged all politicians or government generally. The revised text attempts to characterize the “bad” political actors without casting aspersions on all politicians.

Admittedly, the tenor of the prayer suggests that all is not well with our government, but the text still admits of some Anglican ambiguity. (Cf. “Protect us from President Donald Trump and his evil minions.”) Even people who approve of the recent sharp turn to the right represented by the advent of the Trump administration do not, I hope, condone greed, ignorance, and malice. Nor, I suspect, do they object to peace, liberty, justice, and protection of the environment. (Well, the environment thing might be controversial. Perhaps people can agree in principle, if not always in specific instances.)

I believe my prayer would cheer many Episcopalians without driving others from the church. The Church must, I think, stand for some things, even if agreement falls short of 100%.

Finally, I note that my prayer is in the form of a collect, which is a form within which I am comfortable writing. Its main virtues are succinctness and a singular focus. (Cf. Prayer #18.) Of course, collects are more appropriate in some contexts than others.

I hope that individuals may find this prayer useful in their private devotions. Perhaps there are churches—brave ones, I suppose—that will find a use for my collect as well. I welcome comments and suggestions on this project. I hope people will not find it mean-spirited, but I leave that to others to evaluate...

 You are welcome to leave comments & learn more here or here.

Addendum: Bishop's Letter – February 3, 2017

Dear Companions in Christ in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut:

We are writing as a follow up to our letter of January 30, 2017, in response to President Trump's Executive Order regarding immigrants and refugees. We hope that this letter will be considered as an addition to our earlier letter (see original letter here).

We have received a substantial amount of communication in response to our letter of January 30. In fact, we have received more reaction to this letter than to any other letter sent by us in the last five years. The responses are almost evenly split with half applauding our letter and half taking serious issue with what we wrote. We believe this reflects the serious political divisions in our country, in our state, and in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, at this time.

Many of the responses, both in favor and against our letter, noted that we neglected to mention the need for our country's borders to be protected from international threats of terrorism. This is correct. We did neglect to mention that a crucial aspect of our government's, and thus our President's, responsibility is to protect the United States from violence and terrorism. Our neglecting to note this fact is a serious oversight for which we apologize. We are indeed sorry if our letter led anyone to believe that, as your bishops, we are not concerned about the safety of our country. That was not our intent. We appreciate and give thanks for our nation's armed forces, government officials, and all who seek to ensure that our country is peaceful, safe, and secure.

In the Episcopal Church in Connecticut we are committed to open dialogue and the creation of safe spaces where people can explore ideas, disagree at times, and find healthy ways to share God's peace with friends and strangers alike. This is a challenging task particularly when we find ourselves in charged and tension-filled times. We recognize that not everyone in The Episcopal Church agrees with our letter of January 30, 2017. We find our hope in Christ Jesus who holds us in our differences and invites us to find paths of reconciliation and peace. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we seek to proclaim the Gospel prophetically, and offer pastoral care for all.

We ask for your prayers that we may come together as Americans, and as Episcopalians in Connecticut, to heal the divisions in our nation and the world. May we be ever more faithful participants in God's mission of restoration and reconciliation.  

Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas                                   The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens

Bishop Diocesan                                                      Bishop Suffragan

"Wave Of Sorrow (Birdland)" by U2, original 1987, revised 2007

"My wife Ali and I ended up going to Ethiopia for some time doing relief work. We were so high on the idea that Live Aid raised $100 million-and then you discover years later that that's what Africa pays every couple of weeks on old loans. It's kind of a shock. I thought we'd never forget what we'd been through in Ethiopia, but you go back to your life and then those images fade away." - Bono, Time 2000

Heat haze rising on Hell's own hill
To wake up this morning was an act of will
You walked through the night to get to today
To bring your children to give them away

Oh, oh this cruel sun
Its daylight never done
Cruelty just begun
To make a shadow of everyone

And if the rain came
And if the rain came now

Souls bent over without a breeze
Blankets on burning trees
I'm sick without disease
Nobility on its knees

And if the rain came
And if the rain came now

Would it wash us all away
On a wave of sorrow
A wave of sorrow

Where now the holy cities
Where all the ancient holy scrolls
Where now the Emperor Menelik
And the Queen of Sheba's gold
You, my bride, wear her crown
On your finger a precious stone
Has every good thing now been sold
Oh son of the shepherd boy now king
What wisdom can you bring
What lyric could you sing
Where is the music of the seraphim

And if the rain came
And if the rain came now
Would it wash us all away
On a wave of sorrow
A wave, a wave of sorrow

Blessed are the meek who scratch in the dirt
For they shall inherit what's left of the earth
Blessed are the kings who have left their thrones
They are blessed in this valley of dry bones
Blessed are you with an empty heart
For you have nothing from which you cannot part
Blessed is the ego if it's all we've got this hour
Blessed is the voice that speaks truth to power
Blessed is the sex worker's body sold tonight
She works with what she's got to save her children's life
Blessed are the deaf who cannot hear her scream
Blessed are the stupid who can dream
Blessed are the tin can cardboard slums
And blessed is the spirit that overcomes

Souper Bowl Sunday Sermon (Feb 5)

O God, as salt poured from its shaker flavors our food, by your Spirit, set us free from our attachments to the safe containers & confinements, of our existence. Send us out to season your world with your love. In our loving, let us be the light that dispels the darkness of injustice. As salted light, may all whose lives we touch know that you create us holy and call us to become whole in your name. Amen.

“They didn’t say it with words but with their actions, that my life doesn’t matter. Everything I worked for all these years doesn’t matter.”

These are the words of Nazanin Zinouri, a data scientist, & a recent graduate of Clemson University with an Industrial Engineering PhD who has lived in the US for 7 years and is a legal resident. She was travelling home to Tehran to visit family and was removed from a plane as she tried to return to the US. Thankfully both her Senators from SC are working to assist her and allow her re-entry into the US.

As I thought about the plight of Zinouri and all those caught up in the President’s EO, I thought about a poem from Langston Hughes…

Wave of sorrow,
Do not drown me now:

I see the island
Still ahead somehow.

I see the island
And its sands are fair:

Wave of sorrow,
Take me there.

The wave of sorrow that longs for the shores of the US, visa holders, refugees, immigrants…

Sadly we have seen others turned away from our fair shores… On Holocaust Remembrance Day, the St. Louis Manifest, a Twitter project shared the story of some of the 900 Jews who fled Nazi Germany in 1939 on board the ship St. Louis, they had applied for visas but the United States would not grant them entry. They were stopped before any passenger could disembark in the Port of Miami and they were forced to return to Europe; 254 of them were murdered in the Holocaust.

Sometimes, we need to live into that wave of sorrow, to remember and bear witness to such tragedy & what people are experiencing with their lives.

Bono the lead signer of U2, wrote a song based off of Hughes poem, after he travelled to Ethiopia after the concert Live Aid and realized that the millions of dollars raised by the massive event would barely dent the overwhelming problem.

He said, “My wife Ali and I ended up going to Ethiopia for some time doing relief work. We were so high on the idea that Live Aid raised $100 million-and then you discover years later that that's what Africa pays every couple of weeks on old loans. It's kind of a shock. I thought we'd never forget what we'd been through in Ethiopia, but you go back to your life and then those images fade away.” (Time, 2000)

He wrote the song Wave of Sorrow on that experience…

Heat haze rising on Hell's own hill
To wake up this morning was an act of will
You walked through the night to get to today
To bring your children to give them away

Oh, oh this cruel sun
Its daylight never done
Cruelty just begun
To make a shadow of everyone…

Souls bent over without a breeze
Blankets on burning trees
I'm sick without disease
Nobility on its knees

And if the rain came
And if the rain came now
Would it wash us all away
On a wave of sorrow…

It’s a song with no easy answers. But the song sits in that wave of sorrow to tell it to us, to make us feel how they feel in the heat, in a place without rain, where cruelty is pervasive.

Remarkably the song ends with U2s version of the beatitudes; it says in part:

Blessed are the meek who scratch in the dirt
For they shall inherit what's left of the earth
Blessed are you with an empty heart
For you have nothing from which you cannot part
Blessed is the ego if it's all we've got this hour
Blessed is the voice that speaks truth to power
And blessed is the spirit that overcomes

Sometimes to follow Jesus, to live into the beatitudes, to be that salt and light that Jesus calls us to be, has us doing things that brings us to uncomfortable & unadorned spaces, Ethiopia, a refugee center or even a hospital.

She was training to be a hospital chaplain. She had been a teacher in an inner-city school and saw hospital work as a way getting better at helping kids in trouble. One day she met the mother of a teenager, Leon, who'd been shot in the back of the head and was unconscious. The mother asked the inexperienced chaplain if she had children of her own. No, she said, feeling a little ashamed. She sat with the mother for what seemed like an eternity. She remembers:

"I started to wonder what I could do for the mother. I could've stayed and tried to fix things, telling her that God was working a purpose out. Or something cheesy like, God needs Leon up there. I didn't know Leon.

"I could have left the room, giving the mother time to be alone with her son. That would've been easy. I could have left the image of tubes, breathing machines, and loss behind.

"There was a third option: staying and being. This meant I needed to sit with my own fears of losing a family member, and sit with the fear that as a childless chaplain I was inadequate.

"So I stayed with the mother and said, 'This has to be so hard.' She looked to her son and she cried and I did not leave. I did not leave, and I was uncomfortable.

"There was nothing I could do but be with the uncomfortable feelings and believe God was present in that space. In a space that was very close to the ground, very unadorned." [From Jesus Freak by Sara Miles.]

In an unadorned space the temptation always is, as the chaplain admits, to adorn it with cheerfulness or hope or even some platitude. But healing depends on truth. To be the salt and light for such unadorned spaces that we encounter in our lives means putting aside our unease at being in situations we cannot control and taking on what makes us uncomfortable and facing what is difficult and painful.

It is what Bono does in his song. It is what the St. Louis Manifest, a Twitter project tried to do. Bear witness and to remind us that blessed is the spirit that overcomes…

Being salt and light often means just being there for someone else in those dark times and terrifying places. Despite our fear of saying something wrong or making matters worse, our quiet presence assures them that they are not alone. As this chaplain comes to realize, God is present in our simplest, quietest efforts to be the salt and light of the Gospel, to be a spirit that overcomes our doubts and uncertainties and pain.

May we realize Jesus' challenge to be salt & light on our planet: to make God's presence and grace realities, to season our own time and place; illuminating the dark, hopeless corners of our world with justice and hope. So that all whose lives we touch know that you create us holy and call us to become whole in your name. Amen.