Recently, the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Washington, D.C., rattled President Donald J. Trump after directly addressing him during her sermon at the National Prayer Service on Jan. 21.
“Mr. President, millions of people have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the provisional hand of a loving God. I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” Budde said from the pulpit of the National Cathedral. “They are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives.
In a gracious, loving and honest tone, Budde referenced his plans for mass deportations.
“The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals.” She called them “good neighbors” and “faithful members” of religious communities.
Trump was not as gracious in responding.
“The so-called bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service was a radical Left hard-line Trump-hater. She brought her church into the world of politics in a very ungracious way,” said the president, adding that her service was “uninspiring,” “nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.”
“She is not very good at her job,” Trump concluded. “She and her church owe the public an apology.”
Since 2011, Bishop Budde is the first woman to serve as the spiritual advisor leader here. Before coming to Washington, she was the rector of a parish in Minneapolis for two decades.
After winning an election against other priests, Budde was elected, ordained and consecrated to lead the Episcopal Diocese in the nation’s capital.
Moreover, shouldn’t it be the position of any religious leader to speak of love and compassion for all? Isn’t compassion at the core of most religions worldwide?
Bishop Budde concluded her sermon by reminding us that unity requires honesty, humility, and recognition of the dignity of all humans by “refusing to mock, discount, or demonize.”
Based on Trump’s reaction, her pleas fell on deaf ears with him.
However, that does not mean we must ignore Budde’s words and fail to recognize the “dignity of all humans.”
Just as Bishop Budde did not apologize “for asking for mercy for others,” neither should we.
I witnessed that historic event on TV where Bishop Budde unapologetically pleaded with President Trump to show compassion to all human beings because we are all God’s creation and deserve to be respected and treated fairly regardless of our outward appearance and or ideology. Her pleas apparently landed on deaf ears. Not only did he not listen to her but name called her and since, he and his billionaire shadow, Musk have doubled down on their adverse and illegal activities since.
On another note, I witnessed in person the closure of Twinbrook Baptist Church in Rockville, MD., August 17 and 18, 2019. Although I was not a member of that congregation, I felt the same as I did upon learning that the doors of St. Phillips were being shuttered. I pray that the membership will find receptivity in another place of worship.