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Transcript:
Just before Bishop Glenda Curry was ordained as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Alabama, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church Michael Curry was kind enough to talk with all the clergy in the Diocese of Alabama online.
There are three things Presiding Bishop Curry stated that struck me so much that I wrote them down. I'd like to share them with you now.
The first was:
"We in the South can help the nation reclaim its soul."
It is helpful to remember that Bishop Michael Curry previously served as Bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina. It is also helpful to note that this quote refers to the issues of racial injustice we have faced in the United States both now and in the past.
As a southerner, and native of Birmingham, Alabama, the Bishop's words here really spoke to me and gave me hope. In the South, especially in Birmingham, we have had to directly face our role in perpetuating racism in ways that the rest of the country hasn't always had to. If we in the South can share our journey when it comes to racial injustice with the rest of the country, there is hope that we can begin the path to racial reconciliation that we have been looking for in this country since Emancipation. That is what I took away from Bishop Curry's words.
Second:
"Rediscover being a Christian without a political affiliation."
In John 15:19, Jesus tells the Disciples "You are not of this world." That doesn't mean that we don't care about what is going on in the world. It means that our ultimate allegiance is to God in our Lord Jesus Christ, and nothing else. If we put our allegiance to God first, think of how we could positively impact the world. Think of how we could help transform it.
Finally:
"Don't you get weary, because there is a camp waiting for you in the Promised Land."
We can't forget that as a faith we are always forward looking, specifically looking for the time of the Resurrection when we will all be transformed from living in a world of sin to life with the love and grace of God. When things get hard, as they have been in this time of Pandemic, it is helpful to remember that things will get better, even if they don't in this world. As Julian of Norwich is famous for saying, "All shall be well. All shall be well. And in all manner of things, all shall be well"
As we continue to feel the pain of racial injustice, political division, and the horrors and uncertainty of this Global Pandemic, I hope these words will grant you the same hope they did to me. God bless you and keep you safe.