Finding Strength and Calm

Dear Cathedral Family,

Two weeks ago we began our celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace. Yesterday, as we celebrated the Epiphany, in our nation’s capital violence erupted, of a sort and to a degree we have not witnessed in this country in our lifetimes. Like many of you, I watched in horror and shock as these events unfolded at the houses of the United States Congress, as our representatives attempted to carry out the duties they were elected to perform in support of the Constitution they have sworn to uphold and defend.

While watching, and in the time after as Congress resumed its work, I have prayed for our nation—for our elected leaders, for the police and military who protect and defend our way of life, for all of our citizens. And I have prayed for our world, as it witnessed the shaking of the foundations of the great democracy to which it looks for leadership. I know that you join me in these prayers. This is a time of testing for the strength of our Constitution and our institutions. We can be heartened that through the night last night we saw these endure and continue working.

As Christians, we turn to our faith in this time as a source of calm and hope. We may find this a time of testing of the strength of our reliance on the power of the Risen Jesus, the Prince of Peace who is the head of the peaceful kingdom that is, even now, coming into the world. We will find strength and calm through seeing this as a time that calls us to renew our commitment to following Jesus through vigilant faithful keeping of our baptismal promises—to continue in the apostles’ teaching and the prayers, to persevere in resisting evil, to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ, to seek and serve Christ in all persons, to strive for justice and peace and respect the dignity of every human being. These are not promises that can be kept without continual self-examination and re-commitment, grounded in prayer.

This Sunday we will read together the beginning of the Genesis account of creation. From the chaos, God created a world of goodness, meaning, and love. Jesus came into this world to show us how to be part of that goodness, meaning, and love. We follow Him as our Lord, as we pray and live and work for the peace and health of our nation and our world.

May you know God’s peace, Beverly+