The Presiding Bishop’s reflection follows:
Whether it is the pain of the events of August 12 in Charlottesville, or Hurricane Harvey, or Hurricane Irma, or wildfires in the West, or an earthquake in Mexico, there’s been a lot of pain, a lot of suffering and hardship. In times like these, it’s easy to grow weary. It’s easy to be tired. And it’s easy to be downcast, and to give up. What can I do?
There’s a passage in the Book of Hebrews, in the Tenth Chapter, which says this:
Recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and sometimes persecution, and sometimes just being partners with those who were so treated. For you had compassion . . . so do not abandon your confidence; it brings great reward. For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
It may be that we cannot solve everything, and we cannot do everything. But we can do something, no matter what. We can pray. We can give. If possible, we can sign up and go to work. We can pray for those who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey and Irma. The areas that have been affected as we pray include the Dioceses of Texas and West Texas, Western Louisiana and parts of Louisiana. We can pray for all of those who have been affected by Hurricane Irma. Episcopal dioceses that have been affected include the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Southeast Florida and Southwest Florida and Central Florida and Florida and parts of Georgia and Central Gulf Coast. We can pray for all of the peoples in these areas. We can pray.
And we can give. We can give to the Hurricane Fund of Episcopal Relief & Development, for our donations actually help, they help in strategic ways. They really make a difference. If possible, we can sign up. We can sign up to volunteer through Episcopal Relief & Development, again, all on their web site, we can sign up, and when there are volunteer opportunities, we can know about those and possibly participate.
We can’t do everything, but we can do something. We can pray. We can give. We can go to work. The one thing we cannot do, is to quit. The truth is, we don’t do it alone. Jesus in the Great Commission, said after calling His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, He ended that Commission by saying, “And remember, I am with you always.”
In the Presiding Bishop’s Office, there is a crucifix that has Jesus sacrificing His life for the cause of love on the cross. It’s a different kind of crucifix. On this one, the artist has sculpted Jesus on the cross, dying as an act of love, but even more than that, holding someone, someone deeply in need, that this Jesus who sacrifices and gives His life, gives His life for us, and for all who are in need. That’s the Lord we follow who has been raised from the dead. And we are not alone.
God love you. God bless you. And may God hold us all in the hollow of those Almighty hands. Amen.
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
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