From the Pulpit: Unity Grounded in Dignity, Truth and Humility

Preaching at a special Service of Prayer for the Nation, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde used the occasion to speak directly to America's new leader.

Bishop Budde grounded her homily in the importance of unity, as much as it can be hard to find, but said it must always be grounded in the personal values of dignity, truth and humility.

Then, turning to President Trump directly, she issued this plea:

Let me make one final plea. Mr. President, millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared. Now, there are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and Independent families, some who fear for their lives.

And the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat-packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, and work the night shifts in hospitals: they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gudara, and temples.

I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.

Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger for we will all want strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and to walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people, the good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen.