My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This evening we will mark a transition, but this transition will be like none other that we have experienced before. Many of us, myself included, are thrilled to see 2020 in the rear view mirror. Still, one of the true blessings of God is His willingness to allow us to see His Grace as we pass through particularly difficult times. Without a doubt 2020 counts as one of those times.
As I look back over the year I remember praying, “Lord have mercy.” This first occurred to me last January when I was in the customs line in Lima, Peru. I had gone with a team from Samaritan’s Purse to participate for a week’s distribution of boxes from Operation Christmas Child. It just so happened that our plane landed at the same time as a plane load of Korean tourists. As we waited in line for customs to clear us, it was evident that every one of them had a mask on. I wondered, “what do they know that I don’t know?” and I prayed, “Lord have mercy.”
As we began to hear of the 2019 novel coronavirus sweeping through Europe I prayed, “Lord have mercy.”
As the first cases appeared in Washington State with deaths in nursing homes I prayed with Bishop Allen of Washington, “Lord have mercy.”
When the first stay at home order came out of the Governor’s Office and the clergy and I began to navigate a very delicate path of both honoring our obligation as Christians to obey the authorities and the obligation of a priest to faithfully preach the Word of God and administer the Sacraments, I remember praying, “Lord have mercy.”
As I watched three Minneapolis police officers kneel on George Floyd’s back and neck while a fourth kept at bay those pleading for them to let him breath, I remember praying, “Lord have mercy.”
As I watched peaceful protests during the day turn to often violent mobs of looters and arsonists at night, I remember praying, “Lord have mercy.”
As I watched the wildfires burn with an intensity not seen before, I remember praying, “Lord have mercy.”
As I watched a divided nation elect a new president in the midst of wild and conflicting news and internet stories of voting fraud, I remember praying, “Lord have mercy.”
And, as I watched local hospitals fill to capacity with COVID patients and the national death toll top 300,000, I remember praying, “Lord have mercy.”
By God’s grace I have also been allowed to see the Lord answer my prayer. He did it with daily acts of kindness and mercy by Christians, young and old, black, white, and brown, who stepped up and into the fray to assist people, and I said, “Thank you Lord!”
I witnessed members of our group in Peru stop to pray with masked Korean tourists, and I said, “Thank you Lord!”
I witnessed clergy and religious set up field hospitals in cathedrals and parks in order to treat the sick, and I said, “Thank you Lord!”
I witnessed our own clergy and lay leaders work together to offer worship services via virtual platforms and then take communion to the elderly and those alone, and I said, “Thank you Lord!”
I witnessed brothers and sisters near and far having serious and difficult discussions about the sin of racism and seeking avenues of reconciliation, and I said, “Thank you Lord!”
I witnessed the mornings after riots, with men and women picking up shovels and brooms to assist shopkeepers and neighbors in cleaning up, then handing bottles of water to police officers and saying “thank you,” and I said, “Thank you Lord!”
I witnessed strangers open up their homes and front yards to fire evacuees and I said, “Thank you Lord!”
I witnessed our nation go to the ballot box without fear, and our military remain in their barracks, and I said, “Thank you Lord!”
And I witnessed family and friends reach out to the sick and dying with compassion and grace, weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who left the hospitals, and I said, “Thank you Lord!”
As we look back over a truly difficult year and as we look ahead at the year to come I pray that you will join me in praying, “Lord have mercy,” AND “Thank you Lord!”
I’ll close out this Bishop’s Note and this year with one of the beautiful collects from the Easter Vigil: “O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’ |
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