Bishop Budde on How to Be Brave

If you feel stuck and you need a good dose of inspiration, you won't want to miss a talk by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde on Tuesday night at the Cathedral.

We’re thrilled to have Bishop Budde join Canon Historian Jon Meacham for a discussion of her new book, “How We Learn To Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith.”

The book grew out of the summer of 2020, when Bishop Budde found herself in the spotlight following President Trump’s publicity stunt holding a Bible in front of St. John’s Church Lafayette Square across the street from the White House. Fueled by anger and frustration, Bishop Budde found her voice and an unexpected ability to lead when it mattered most.

A quick excerpt from the upcoming issue of Cathedral Age magazine:

Some of my favorite biblical characters politely point out to God why they are the wrong person for the job. Moses, for example, insists that he can’t possibly be the one to tell the ruler of Egypt to release the Israelites from slavery because he stutters. Jeremiah informs God that no one would listen to him because he is only a boy. When Isaiah hears God’s call, he collapses into shame. “Woe is me,” he laments, “I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips.”

In each case, God’s response is, in effect, “I know who you are. I know your shortcomings. Step up anyway.”

There is a similar refrain among Jesus’ disciples, most notably Simon Peter, whose answer to Jesus’ call is, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” But Jesus knows all about Simon Peter, and he is the one Jesus wants by his side. The message throughout Scripture is that whenever God, or life itself, issues the summons, it’s normal to feel both unworthy and unprepared, but it doesn’t matter. We are into the gap between our current capacity and what’s needed anyway.