Dated: April 12, 2018

A message from Bishop Robert L. Fitzpatrick

"Reclaiming Jesus" Affirmed by Clergy and Lay Leaders of the Diocese of Hawai'i

At my special request, a statement entitled "Reclaiming Jesus: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis" was distributed throughout the Diocese of Hawai'i in Easter Sunday bulletins and in many congregational newsletters. This 'Confession' is signed by the Presiding Bishop and leading church leaders and theologians from across the United States and denominations. As Bishop, I fully affirm it and encourage its careful study. The text of the 'Confession' is reprinted below and can also be viewed and downloaded at http://reclaimingjesus.org.

I write these words on the 73rd anniversary of the execution of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (9 April 1945). Bonhoeffer challenged the believing Christian to address civil structures and policies that are at odds with our faith in Jesus Christ. In a sermon on 2nd Corinthians 12:9, Bonhoeffer urged: "Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its plea for the weak. Christians are doing too little to make these points clear rather than too much. Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now. Christians should take a stronger stand in favor of the weak rather than considering first the possible right of the strong."

Personally, I have just finished re-reading Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community (Beacon Press, 2010) by Martin Luther King, Jr. This was Dr. King's last book and worth reading today as a lens for our times. In it he notes, "In the days ahead we must not consider it unpatriotic to raise certain basic questions about our national character."

In our times, we need to be re-reading King and Bonhoeffer to help understand our responsibility as Christians.

While in the United States, churches and other religious groups should not endorse individual candidates and political parties, we are bound to interpret the realities of our nation and local communities through the lens of our faith in Jesus Christ. I think "Reclaiming Jesus: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis" does that for our time.

I think it is important for the clergy to take up the teaching ministry and urge Episcopalians to apply our understanding of the Christian faith to the realities of our world. To aid the clergy in this important role, I have asked them to study the 'Confession' and to affirm it if they are in agreement. In addition, I urge all Episcopalians in this Diocese to study the document. I also suggest the following to aid us in our mission to engage our civic responsibility as faithful Christians:
  • Public Faith in Action: How to Think Carefully, Engage Wisely, and Vote with Integrity by Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz (Brazos Press, 2016). Volf is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School and founder and director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, and McAnnally-Linz is an associate research scholar at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. This is a careful reflection on major policy issues facing the United States with faith in a pluralistic society.
  • A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good by Miroslav Volf (Brazos Press; Reprint edition, 2013). This is Volf's reflections on how a Christian can faithfully engage with politics in a pluralistic culture.
  • The Relevance of Religion: How Faithful People Can Change Politics by John Danforth (Random House, 2015). Danforth served as a United States senator from Missouri and as the United States ambassador to the United Nations. He is an ordained Episcopal priest. In this book, he offers a thoughtful reflection on the relationship between religion and politics.
I am proud to note that the following Clergy and Lay Leaders of our Diocese have affirmed with me "Reclaiming Jesus: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis" (see below).

Your servant in Christ Jesus,
+Bob
The Right Reverend Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Bishop Diocesan
The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i


Leaders of the Diocese of Hawai'i who have affirmed "Reclaiming Jesus: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis":

Clergy of the Diocese of Hawai'i: Diana Akiyama (Vicar, St. Augustine's Church, Kapaau, and Dean of Waiolaihui'ia); Randolph V.N. Albano (Vicar, St. Paul's Church, Honolulu, and Canon for Filipino Ministry); Carol Arney (Retired Priest); David Baar (Retired Priest); Phyllis Mahilani Beimes (Vicar, St. Matthew's Church, Waimanalo); Dustin D. Berg (Priest-in-Charge, Calvary Church, Kaneohe); Peter Besenbruch (Priest); David Blanchett (Retired Priest); Lani Bowman (Deacon, St. Augustine's Church, Kapaau); Dwight Brown (Supply Priest, Christ Church, Kealakekua); Thomas Buechele (Retired Priest); Gae Chalker (Priest-in-Charge, Christ Memorial Church, Kilauea); Franklin S.H. Chun (Retired Priest and Co-Chaplain to the Retired Clergy); Malcolm Naea Chun (Priest); George Clifford (Retired Priest); David P. Coon (Retired Priest); Steven Costa (Diocesan Archdeacon and Deacon, St. Elizabeth's Church, Honolulu); Richard Cromwell (Retired Priest); Amy Crowe (Vicar, Holy Innocents Church, Lahaina); Kate Cullinane (Priest and Strategic Planning Manager); Dallas Decker (Retired Priest); Linda McCullough Decker (Priest Associate, Good Shepherd Church, Wailuku); Bruce DeGooyer (Vicar, Holy Innocents' Church, Lahaina, and Member of Diocesan Council); Alison Dingley (Retired Priest); Robert L. Fitzpatrick (Bishop Diocesan); Gerald G. Gifford (Retired Priest); Isaias G. Ginson (Canonically Resident Priest residing in New York); David J. Gierlach (Rector, St. Elizabeth's Church, Honolulu); Christopher Golding (Vicar, Emmanuel Church, Kailua); Sara Shisler Goff (Chaplain, Seabury Hall, Makawao); Brian Grieves (Retired Priest); Sandy Graham (Canon for Congregational Life and Leadership); Kerith Harding (Rector, St. John's Church, Kula, and Member of the Standing Committee); Donald P. Hart (Retired 3rd Bishop of the Diocese); Dale C. Hathaway (Retired Priest); Jodene Hawkins (Retired Priest); Keleawe Hee (Associate for Pastoral Care, The Cathedral of St. Andrew, Honolulu); Heather Hill (Rector, St.  Clement's Church, Honolulu); Robert "Moki" Hino (Canon Administrator and Priest-in-Charge, The Cathedral of St. Andrew, Honolulu, and Member of Diocesan Council); Gregory Johnson (Rector, St. Mary's Church, Honolulu); Russell Johnson (Retired Priest); Marnie Keator (Retired Priest and Priest Associate, St. James Church, Waimea); David Kennedy (Retired Priest and Member of Standing Committee); Giovan King (Rector, St. Christopher's Church, Kailua); Daniel L. Leatherman (Chaplain, 'Iolani School, Honolulu); George Lee (Retired Priest); Paul Lillie (Rector, St. Mark's Church, Honolulu, and Member of the Standing Committee); Leo Loyola (Canonically Resident Priest residing in Texas); Paul Nahoa Lucas (Vicar, St. John's by-the-Sea Church, Kahaluu); John Lunn (Vicar, Grace Church, Hoolehua); Donor Macneice (Retired Priest); Irene Egmalis Maliaman (Archdeacon, Episcopal Church in Micronesia); Diane Martinson (Rector, St. Peter's Church, Honolulu); Katlin McCallister (Priest-in-Charge, Holy Apostles Church, Hilo); Andrew McMullen (Rector, St. Michael and All Angels' Church, Lihue, and Member of Diocesan Council); Heather Mueller (Retired Priest); James Moore (Deacon, Episcopal Church in Micronesia); Robert W. Nelson (Retired Priest); Benjamin J. Newland (Chaplain, U.S. Army); Ryan D. Newman (Rector, All Saints' Church, Kapaa); Brian Nurding (Retired Priest); Imelda Padasdao (Priest Associate, St. Elizabeth's Church, Honolulu); Lisa Pang (Deacon, Episcopal Church in Micronesia); Kaleo Patterson (Vicar, St. Stephen's Church, Wahiawa); Heather Patton-Graham (Chaplain, Iolani School, Honolulu); Guy Piltz (Retired Priest); Luis Rodriguez (Interim Rector, Holy Nativity Church, Aina Haina); Richard Shields (Priest); Nicole Simopoulos (Chaplain, Iolani School, Honolulu); Cris South (Canonically Resident Deacon residing in North Carolina); David Stout (Rector, St. James Church, Waimea); Irene Tanabe (Rector, Epiphany Church, Honolulu); Richard A. Tardiff (Retired Priest and Member of Diocesan Council); Corey Thornton (Chaplain, US Navy); Becky Tinnon (Canonically Resident Priest residing in California); John A. Hau'oli Tomoso (Priest Associate, Good Shepherd Church, Wailuku); Craig Vance (Rector, Good Shepherd Church, Wailuku); Janice Watson (Canonically Resident Deacon residing in Colorado); Marilyn Watts (Retired Priest); Raymond A. Woo (Vicar, St. Luke's Church, Honolulu); Peter Wu (Deacon, St. Paul's Church, Honolulu); Elizabeth Zivanov (Retired Priest). Candidates/Postulants for Holy Orders: Andrew Arakawa; Sara Banks; Jasmine Bostock; Christopher M. Bridges; Alison Donohue; Haaheo Guanson; Mark Haworth; Kalani Holokai; Fane Lino; Preston Lentz; Stephen McPeek; James Shire. Lay Members of Diocesan Council: Louise Aloy; Daniel J. Garrett; Patricia Hillegonds; Dixie Kaetsu; Kenneth Peter Lee. Lay Members of Standing Committee: Stuart Ching; Ruth Smith; Chuck Spence.



RECLAIMING JESUS: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis

We are living through perilous and polarizing times as a nation, with a dangerous crisis of moral and political leadership at the highest levels of our government and in our churches. We believe the soul of the nation and the integrity of faith are now at stake.

It is time to be followers of Jesus before anything else-nationality, political party, race, ethnicity, gender, geography-our identity in Christ precedes every other identity. We pray that our nation  will see Jesus' words in us. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

When politics undermines our theology, we must examine that politics. The church's role is to change the world through the life and love of Jesus Christ. The government's role is to serve the common good by protecting justice and peace, rewarding good behavior while restraining bad behavior (Romans 13). When that role is undermined by political leadership, faith leaders must stand up and speak out. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state."

It is often the duty of Christian leaders, especially elders, to speak the truth in love to our churches and to name and warn against temptations, racial and cultural captivities, false doctrines, and political idolatries-and even our complicity in them. We do so here with humility, prayer, and a deep dependency on the grace and Holy Spirit of God.

This letter comes from a retreat on Ash Wednesday, 2018. In this season of Lent, we feel deep lamentations for the state of our nation, and our own hearts are filled with confession for the sins we feel called to address. The true meaning of the word repentance is to turn around. It is time to lament, confess, repent, and turn. In times of crisis, the church has historically learned to return to Jesus Christ.

Jesus is Lord. That is our foundational confession. It was central for the early church and needs to again become central to us. If Jesus is Lord, then Caesar was not-nor any other political ruler since. If Jesus is Lord, no other authority is absolute. Jesus Christ, and the kingdom of God he announced, is the Christian's first loyalty, above all others. We pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). Our faith is personal but never private, meant not only for heaven but for this earth.

The question we face is this: Who is Jesus Christ for us today? What does our loyalty to Christ, as disciples, require at this moment in our history? We believe it is time to renew our theology of public discipleship and witness. Applying what "Jesus is Lord" means today is the message we commend as elders to our churches.

What we believe leads us to what we must reject. Our "Yes" is the foundation for our "No." What we confess as our faith leads to what we confront. Therefore, we offer the following six affirmations of what we believe, and the resulting rejections of practices and policies by political leaders which dangerously corrode the soul of the nation and deeply threaten the public integrity of our faith. We pray that we, as followers of Jesus, will find the depth of faith to match the danger of our political crisis.

I. WE BELIEVE each human being is made in God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). That image and likeness confers a divinely decreed dignity, worth, and God-given equality to all of us as children of the one God who is the Creator of all things. Racial bigotry is a brutal denial of the image of God (the imago dei) in some of the children of God. Our participation in the global community of Christ absolutely prevents any toleration of racial bigotry. Racial justice and healing are biblical and theological issues for us, and are central to the mission of the body of
Christ in the world. We give thanks for the prophetic role of the historic black churches in America when they have called for a more faithful gospel.

THEREFORE, WE REJECT the resurgence of white nationalism and racism in our nation on many fronts, including the highest levels of political leadership. We, as followers of Jesus, must clearly reject the use of racial bigotry for political gain that we have seen. In the face of such bigotry, silence is complicity. In particular, we reject white supremacy and commit ourselves to help dismantle the systems and structures that perpetuate white preference and advantage. Further, any doctrines or political strategies that use racist resentments, fears, or language must be named as public sin-one that goes back to the foundation of our nation and lingers on. Racial bigotry must be antithetical for those belonging to the body of Christ, because it denies the truth of the gospel we profess.

II. WE BELIEVE we are one body. In Christ, there is to be no oppression based on race, gender, identity, or class (Galatians 3:28). The body of Christ, where those great human divisions are to be overcome, is meant to be an example for the rest of society. When we fail to overcome these oppressive obstacles, and even perpetuate them, we have failed in our vocation to the world-to proclaim and live the reconciling gospel of Christ.

THEREFORE, WE REJECT misogyny, the mistreatment, violent abuse, sexual harassment, and assault of women that has been further revealed in our culture and politics, including our churches, and the oppression of any other child of God. We lament when such practices seem publicly ignored, and thus privately condoned, by those in high positions of leadership. We stand for the respect, protection, and affirmation of women in our families, communities, workplaces, politics, and churches. We support the courageous truth-telling voices of women, who have helped the nation recognize these abuses. We confess sexism as a sin, requiring our repentance and resistance.

III. WE BELIEVE how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Christ himself. (Matthew 25: 31-46) "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." God calls us to protect and seek justice for those who are poor and vulnerable, and our treatment of people who are "oppressed," "strangers," "outsiders," or otherwise considered "marginal" is a test of our relationship to God, who made us all equal in divine dignity and love. Our proclamation of the lordship of Jesus Christ is at stake in our solidarity with the most vulnerable. If our gospel is not "good news to the poor," it is not the gospel of Jesus Christ (Luke 4:18).

THEREFORE, WE REJECT the language and policies of political leaders who would debase and abandon the most vulnerable children of God. We strongly deplore the growing attacks on immigrants and refugees, who are being made into cultural and political targets, and we need to remind our churches that God makes the treatment of the "strangers" among us a test of faith (Leviticus 19:33-34). We won't accept the neglect of the well-being of low-income families and children, and we will resist repeated attempts to deny health care to those who most need it. We confess our growing national sin of putting the rich over the poor. We reject the immoral logic of cutting services and programs for the poor while cutting taxes for the rich. Budgets are moral documents. We commit ourselves to opposing and reversing those policies and finding solutions  that reflect the wisdom of people from different political parties and philosophies to seek the common good. Protecting the poor is a central commitment of Christian discipleship, to which 2,000 verses in the Bible attest.

IV. WE BELIEVE that truth is morally central to our personal and public lives. Truth-telling is central to the prophetic biblical tradition, whose vocation includes speaking the Word of God into their societies and speaking the truth to power. A commitment to speaking truth, the ninth commandment of the Decalogue, "You shall not bear false witness" (Exodus 20:16), is foundational to shared trust in society. Falsehood can enslave us, but Jesus promises, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32). The search and respect for truth is crucial to anyone who follows Christ.

THEREFORE, WE REJECT the practice and pattern of lying that is invading our political and civil life. Politicians, like the rest of us, are human, fallible, sinful, and mortal. But when public lying becomes so persistent that it deliberately tries to change facts for ideological, political, or personal gain, the public accountability to truth is undermined. The regular purveying of falsehoods and consistent lying by the nation's highest leaders can change the moral expectations within a culture, the accountability for a civil society, and even the behavior of families and children. The normalization of lying presents a profound moral danger to the fabric of society. In the face of lies that bring darkness, Jesus is our truth and our light.

V. WE BELIEVE that Christ's way of leadership is servanthood, not domination. Jesus said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles (the world) lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant" (Matthew 20:25-26). We believe our elected officials are called to public service, not public tyranny, so we must protect the limits, checks, and balances of democracy and encourage humility and civility on the part of elected officials. We support democracy, not because we believe in human perfection, but because we do not. The authority of government is instituted by God to order an unredeemed society for the sake of justice and peace, but ultimate authority belongs only to God.

THEREFORE, WE REJECT any moves toward autocratic political leadership and authoritarian rule. We believe authoritarian political leadership is a theological danger that threatens democracy and the common good-and we will resist it. Disrespect for the rule of law, not recognizing the equal importance of our three branches of government, and replacing civility with dehumanizing hostility toward opponents are of great concern to us. Neglecting the ethic of public service and accountability, in favor of personal recognition and gain often characterized by offensive arrogance, are not just political issues for us. They raise deeper concerns about political idolatry, accompanied by false and unconstitutional notions of authority.

VI. WE BELIEVE Jesus when he tells us to go into all nations making disciples (Matthew 28:18). Our churches and our nations are part of an international community whose interests always surpass national boundaries. The most well-known verse in the New Testament starts with "For God so loved the world" (John 3:16). We, in turn, should love and serve the world and all its inhabitants, rather than seek first narrow, nationalistic prerogatives.

THEREFORE, WE REJECT "America first" as a theological heresy for followers of Christ. While we share a patriotic love for our country, we reject xenophobic or ethnic nationalism that places one nation over others as a political goal. We reject domination rather than stewardship of the earth's resources, toward genuine global development that brings human flourishing for all of God's children. Serving our own communities is essential, but the global connections between us are undeniable. Global poverty, environmental damage, violent conflict, weapons of mass destruction, and deadly diseases in some places ultimately affect all places, and we need wise political leadership to deal with each of these.

WE ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED for the soul of our nation, but also for our churches and the integrity of our faith. The present crisis calls us to go deeper-deeper into our relationship to God; deeper into our relationships with each other, especially across racial, ethnic, and national lines; deeper into our relationships with the most vulnerable, who are at greatest risk.

The church is always subject to temptations to power, to cultural conformity, and to racial, class, and gender divides, as Galatians 3:28 teaches us. But our answer is to be "in Christ," and to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-what is good and acceptable, and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2)

The best response to our political, material, cultural, racial, or national idolatries is the First Commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). Jesus summarizes the Greatest Commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, and your mind. This is the first commandment. And the second is like unto it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:38). As to loving our neighbors, we would add "no exceptions."

We commend this letter to pastors, local churches, and young people who are watching and waiting to see what the churches will say and do at such a time as this.

Our urgent need, in a time of moral and political crisis, is to recover the power of confessing our faith. Lament, repent, and then repair. If Jesus is Lord, there is always space for grace. We believe it is time to speak and to act in faith and conscience, not because of politics, but because we are disciples of Jesus Christ-to whom be all authority, honor, and glory. It is time for a fresh confession of faith. Jesus is Lord. He is the light in our darkness. "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

Bishop Carroll A. Baltimore, President and CEO, Global Alliance Interfaith Networks; Rev. Dr. Peter Borgdorff, Executive Director Emeritus, Christian Reformed Church in North America; Dr. Amos Brown, Chair, Social Justice Commission, National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.; Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann, Professor Emeritus, Columbia Theological Seminary; Dr. Tony Campolo, Co-Founder, Red Letter Christians; Dr. Iva Carruthers, General Secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference; The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church; Rev. Dr. James Forbes, President and Founder, Healing the Nations Foundation and Preaching Professor at Union Theological Seminary; Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed Church in America; Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale, Senior Pastor, Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, GA; Rev. Dr. Richard Hamm, former General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Rev. Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Faith Community Organizer and Chairman, Community Resource Network; Rev. Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent Emerita, The Wesleyan Church; Bishop Vashti McKenzie, 117th Elected and Consecrated Bishop, AME Church; Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., Co-Convener National African American Clergy Network; Dr. John Perkins, Chair Emeritus and Founding Member, Christian Community Development Association; Bishop Lawrence Reddick, CEO, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; Fr. Richard Rohr, Founder,
Center for Action and Contemplation; Dr. Ron Sider, President Emeritus, Evangelicals for Social Action; Rev. Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners; Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, Director, NCC Truth and Racial Justice Initiative; Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Convener, National African American Clergy Network; President, Skinner Leadership Institute; Bishop Will Willimon, Bishop, The United Methodist Church, retired, Professor of the Practice of Ministry, Duke Divinity School


The Episcopal Church in Hawai'i
Sybil Nishioka, Editor
Office of the Bishop
229 Queen Emma Square,  Honolulu, HI  96813
(808) 536-7776