TWW-Resilience & Compassion

Bishop Urges President to "Have Mercy"

The Wired Word for the Week of February 5, 2025

In the News

At an interfaith service that concluded the presidential inauguration ceremonies, the preacher urged President Donald Trump to "have mercy" on immigrants and transgender children. Said Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, during her sermon at the National Cathedral, "In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now." Trump and Vice President JD Vance sat in the front row, alongside their families.

"There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives," Budde said. Referring to immigrants, she said, "Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land."

Budde also said: "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."

"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," Budde said.

According to USA Today, the bishop's remarks came after the first day of Trump's second term in office. He began his work with a number of executive actions which focused on transgender Americans and immigrants who are in the country illegally. Trump declared that under his presidency, the federal government will recognize only the sexes male and female. To advance his immigration agenda, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and launched an effort to end birthright citizenship.

Reaction to the sermon was swift. According to the National Catholic Reporter, some of Trump's evangelical Christian supporters condemned Budde. The Rev. Franklin Graham dismissed the National Cathedral as having been "taken over by gay activists" on a podcast. In a separate interview, he said that he believes the bishop should have approached Trump privately.

Rep. Mike Collins, a Republican from Georgia, wrote a post on X that suggested that Budde should be deported (a tongue-in-cheek comment). Detroit pastor Lorenzo Sewell, who was in the National Cathedral congregation, said, "she, quite frankly, took a political agenda, superimposed it, and acted as if she was speaking for God."

Others offered support for Budde and her sermon, according to Fox News. "Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde's words reflect the values held by a majority of American Christians," Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons of Interfaith Alliance wrote in an op-ed. The sermon "was beautifully said," according to CBS host Stephen Colbert. "Not only was it beautiful, it took courage to stand up there and say something so simple, something so kind, something so true to the example of Christ." Said the editors of National Catholic Reporter, "What she did was something she was obliged to do as a disciple of Christ preaching the Christian message."

Writing in The Atlantic, Caitlin Flanagan said that Budde "was exactly the right person to say it in exactly the right place. These vulnerable [immigrants], now with the full powers of the American state readied against them, aren't just a Christian concern; in a sense they are the Christian concern. Christ is always on the side of the outcast, the stranger, the prisoner, the leper." But Flanagan criticized Budde for preaching a sermon that she labeled as "Christ-lite," one that presented the world "not as it is but as [Budde] would presumably like it to be: diverse and unified in the strength of its religious belief, although not any particular religious belief, which is a really strange position to hold."

Even Budde's detractors may find themselves to be in agreement with some of the broader concerns she raised. National Catholic Reporter notes that during an interview about Budde’s comments, Franklin Graham said he was unaware of Trump's executive order largely freezing the federal refugee program. This is a program that, according to faith-based refugee resettlement groups, also welcomes persecuted Christians. News of the executive order caught Graham by surprise. "I wasn’t aware that this is under Trump, but if it is, I certainly will speak to that issue -- privately," he said.

This story continues to reverberate in our society:

I have seen several articles in an online publication called The Christian Post:

Conservative political commentator Mark Steyn recently blasted Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde as "a tool of Satan" for pushing the idea of "transgender children" from the pulpit of the National Cathedral during her recent rebuke of President Donald Trump.

Steyn suggested Budde was exhibiting a demonic doctrine.

"It isn't actually really funny, because there's no such thing as a transgender kid," Steyn said. "Some may think there is, and a confused 8-year-old boy or 11-year-old girl may think there is. But what it boils down to is you, the bishop, supporting slicing off the breasts of middle school girls. That makes you, the bishop, a tool of Satan. So you should be on a roasting spit in Hell for promoting that."

Former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson (who is himself an Episcopalian) called the Episcopal Church an "angry, hateful organization" that is "non-Christian" in an interview last week…

"This is not a Christian organization at all," Carlson said. "This is a very angry, hateful organization run by dreadfully unhappy middle-aged lesbians, which is exactly what it is. So only by showing that in public can it ever be forced to reform."

Carlson has been critical of fellow Episcopalians in the past. In a 2013 interview, he claimed the Episcopal Church "sanction[s] abortions."

"We still go to the Episcopal Church for all kinds of complicated reasons, but I truly despise the Episcopal Church in a lot of ways," he told World Magainze. "They're for gay marriage because it's trendy. It's another way to express how hip they are. They don't care at all what God thinks of it because they actually don't believe in God. And then the fact that they sanction abortion. Are you joking? A church is for abortion? What?"

Applying the News Story

Rabbi Edwin Friedman was an expert in systemic family therapy, and he wrote insightfully about how families and communities can build resilience in a time of change. Responding properly to challenges is important when we are facing any kind of change, including the beginning of a new presidential administration. Currently, we are way too trapped in either/or thinking driven by a focus on "noxious" personalities.

In his book Generation to Generation, Friedman wrote, "There is a general tendency to assume that the harmfulness of an environment is simply proportional to the strength of its noxious components." Depending on political views, people will have a variety of opinions about the "noxious components" of our environment. In this lesson's news story, some have put that label on the president, and others on the bishop.

Systems work like a mobile, whether they are families, organizations such as churches, or even nations. When part of it is moved, the other parts move as well. We tend to respond to the most noxious part or member of the system, reacting in equal or even greater force through either/or thinking, feeling like a helpless victim, or withdrawing entirely. More helpful responses are what Friedman calls "transformation" and "modification." The scriptures in this lesson will give us suggestions about how we can do this work together.

As a Christian community and a nation, we need to build resiliency, which is the ability to adapt to and recover from difficult situations. Either/or thinking, which usually involves a lot of name-calling, is not a good way to become more resilient. Instead, we can put effort into transformation and modification, which can be done at every level of society, from our families to our congregations to our nation as a whole.

Confronting the News with Scripture and Hope Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:

Leviticus 19:33-34 (For context, read Leviticus 19:17-37.)

Leviticus 19:33–34 (NKJV) ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:33–34 (NLT) “Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. 34 Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

The book of Leviticus contains the legal and ritual laws that indicate Israel's covenant with God. The 19th chapter contains regulations about what it means to be holy, as individuals and as a community. The Lord says to Moses, "You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall not reprove your neighbor" (v. 17). Refraining from hatred is clearly part of what it means to be holy. You shall "love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD" (v. 18). Love is at the heart of holiness, which Jesus knew and included in his great commandment.

The chapter moves on to regulations about animals, sexual relations, farming, witchcraft, Sabbath-keeping, honesty in business, and the treatment of immigrants.

"When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien," says God. The reason for this is that the Israelites themselves were once "aliens in the land of Egypt." 

Questions: When have you shown hatred toward a family member or reproved a neighbor, and what was the result?

How are outcomes different when you find a way to love your neighbor as yourself?

When, if ever, have you seen evidence of aliens being  oppressed?

What modifications would you like to see to the treatment of immigrants around you?

How does the legal status of an immigrant change what you believe is an appropriate treatment, if at all?

What, if anything, are you willing to do to make societal change happen?

Matthew 25:40 (For context, read Matthew 25:31-46.)

Matthew 25:34–40 (LSB) “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom, which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 ‘And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

The popularity of the gospel of Matthew was well established during the early years of the church, leading it to be selected as the first book of the New Testament. One of the stories unique to this gospel is the parable of the sheep and the goats, which reflects Matthew's emphasis on the importance of actions as well as words. Jesus describes a future judgment scene in which he, "the king" (v. 34), will separate people into two groups, "sheep" representing those who have shown compassion to the needy, and "goats" representing those who have not.

In this judgment story, those who are welcomed into the kingdom of God are those who fed the hungry, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, and visited the prisoner. They not only served the needy but served Jesus, who says, "just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me." Those who failed to act in this way are thrown "into the eternal fire" (v. 41).

Questions: When have you taken action to feed the hungry, welcome a stranger, visit a prisoner, or perform some other deed of compassion?

How did it affect you and change your view of the world? In what ways did you encounter Jesus in the experience, if at all?

What can your church community do to expand its ministries of compassion?

How does such work make the church more resilient, able to adapt to difficult situations?

Luke 4:18-19  (For context, read. Luke 4:14-21.)

Luke 4:16–21 (LSB) And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” 20 And He closed the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

On the Sunday after inauguration day, TWW Team Member Henry Brinton was worshiping at a church in London, England. The preacher read this gospel lesson, which was also read in many American churches, and then said, "This is Jesus' vision statement." Indeed, it is. Jesus begins his Galilean ministry by reading these words from the book of the prophet Isaiah, and saying that "this scripture has been fulfilled" in him (v. 21).

Jesus says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor." He understands that the Holy Spirit has "anointed" him — in Hebrew, the word messiah means "anointed one." Jesus understands the work of the messiah to be the bringing of "good news to the poor," as well as proclaiming "release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind," and setting free "those who are oppressed." Although the initial response to this teaching is positive, Jesus predicts his hometown will turn against him -- and it does (v. 29).

Questions: Who are the poor, the captives and the oppressed?

How do you, as a follower of Jesus, work to bring "good news to the poor"?

Why should this be important to you and to your church community?

How would you like to see your church transformed, to better align with the vision of Jesus?

What role will you play?

Romans 13:3-4  (For context, read Romans 13:1-7.)

Romans 13:1–8 (LSB) Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist have been appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists that authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of that authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain, for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of that wrath, but also because of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. 8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul urges the followers of Christ in Rome to "be subject to the governing authorities" (v. 1). He wants believers to engage in godly behavior and to follow the laws of Rome, saying that "rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad." Paul may have had sincere respect for Roman law, or he may have been offering a survival strategy for believers who were awaiting the coming of God's eternal kingdom. In either case, he says that the ruler "is the agent of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer."

In our democratic society today, we have much more power to shape our civil government than Paul did. As such, we should certainly pay taxes and follow the law. But we can also work together to change laws or policies that we consider to be immoral. Such modifications have been made in the past, such as around voting rights for women and civil rights for African- Americans. TWW Team Member Bill Tammeus reminds us that the first creed of the church was "Jesus is Lord." That means, of course, that "Caesar is not lord."

Questions: What responsibility do you feel to be subject to governing authorities? How do you show respect for elected leaders, if at all? When, if ever, have you worked for change in your community, and what was the outcome? How can the Christian community be a positive force for transformation, especially around moral issues?

The Big Questions

1. When have you faced a controversy and been drawn into name-calling and either/or thinking? What was the result? How could the outcome have been improved?

2. Free speech and freedom of religion are part of what make America great. What limits, if any, should be put on the content of sermons, and the selection of preachers? What sermons are most inspiring and instructive to you?

3. What has helped you, as an individual, to become more resilient -- able to adapt to and recover from difficult situations? How can our church communities become more resilient? How can our nation?

4. Who are the most vulnerable members of your church or community? What responsibility do you feel toward them? How can you help them with the challenges they face? In what way is such work connected to your faith?

5. How would you like to see your church transformed, if at all? What modifications would you like to see in our local, state and national government? What role are you willing to play in this work of transformation and modification?

For Further Discussion

1. TWW Consultant James Gruetzner lives in New Mexico, where there are a large number of legal immigrants (many now citizens), including many who have family in other countries. He says that "the current problem of illegals makes it more difficult for them to visit family," and notes that immigrant gangs prey not only on Americans but on illegal aliens, "both in order to gain control and to recruit." He notes that "the most vociferous anti-illegals voices I have encountered are among my Hispanic colleagues and acquaintances, including those with family in Mexico." After deportations of illegal aliens, he hopes that President Trump will "propose some laws that will provide for some cases for quick citizenship (e.g., a child brought illegally into the United States as a toddler, who's never really been elsewhere.)." What changes would you like to see in U.S. immigration policy? How should churches and faith-based groups be involved in these modifications? How do we handle significant disagreements around such issues? Is it "my way or the highway"? Is it compromise? Discuss.  

2. Bishop Budde "is a priest called to speak the gospel and explain how to apply it here and now, writes TWW Team Member Mary Sells. "She did her job. Jesus made lots of people uncomfortable with his truth." When the gospel is uncomfortable to hear, what are our responses, and why? Exactly what is the heart of the gospel message? How does it comfort you? How does it challenge you?

3. Although "we don’t want to be partisan," writes TWW Team Member Heidi Mann, "we can’t be a ministry of the true Jesus Christ without being political." How has your church community struggled with this challenge of being political without being partisan? What are the differences between being political and being partisan? Where have problems arisen? What approaches have been successful? Why is this an important challenge for the church today?

4. John D. Roth, head of the "Anabaptism at 500 program," recently gave a speech witnessed by TWW Team Member Frank Ramirez. "500 years ago, a small group of Zwingli's former students met to discuss questions of faith," said Roth. They set about to live a faith founded in love, to receive baptism, and to remain steadfast until death. "They gave witness with their love and their lives," Roth said, practicing a faith based on the Sermon on the Mount, based on "an ethic of love, a refusal to swear loyalty oaths, and an alternative version of human relations." Roth asked, "What does it mean to do something courageous for God's sake today?" Discuss.

Responding to the News

In your personal life and church life, look for ways to build resiliency, which is the ability to adapt to and recover from difficult situations. Try to avoid either/or thinking or name-calling, which is not a good way to become more resilient. Instead, find a way to put your energy into transformation and modification, which can be done at every level of society, from your family to your congregation to our nation as a whole.

Prayer

Almighty God, you have created all the people of the world in your holy image and likeness. Help us to honor each other in our words, and to find ways to work together to transform the world as it is into the world that you would have it be. In Jesus' name. Amen.