|
Friends,
We continue our month of Gratitude and Thanksgiving here at Cathedral of Hope. I have been thinking about how easily we can take for granted the people, the experiences, and even the sacrifices that have helped shape our lives. Gratitude, I believe, is much more than being thankful for what we have. It is about recognizing that none of us gets here alone. Our lives are woven together through the love, generosity, courage, and kindness of others. We are who we are, in part, because of people who have given something of themselves along the way.
As we observe Veterans Day, I want us to take a moment to recognize and give thanks for those who have served our country. Their commitment, courage, and willingness to sacrifice deserve our respect and gratitude. But honoring those who have served also means being honest about the cost of service and the reality of war. Behind every uniform is a person, a family, a story, and often a burden that continues long after the uniform has been put away. We remember those who never came home, those who returned carrying visible and invisible wounds, and the families whose lives were forever changed.
We can honor service without glorifying war. We can express gratitude for courage while continuing to work and pray for a world where war is no longer the answer.
In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus offers us a vision of what the world could be when he declares, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." I love that Jesus doesn't say blessed are those who simply wish for peace or talk about peace. He says, peacemakers. There is a difference. Peace requires courage. It requires action. It requires us to stand against hatred, injustice, division, and the forces that diminish the dignity of another human being.
And I believe this is where Cathedral of Hope has a very particular calling.
We are called to be peacemakers, not simply by what we say, but by what we do. Every time we open our doors and offer a radical welcome to someone who has been rejected elsewhere, we are making peace. Every time we feed someone who is hungry, stand alongside someone experiencing injustice, advocate for the dignity and equality of our LGBTQ+ siblings, or offer compassion to someone who feels forgotten, we are making peace. When we create a community where differences are embraced rather than feared, where people are valued rather than judged, and where love is stronger than division, we are putting the teachings of Jesus into practice.
This is not peripheral to our mission. It is our mission.
The prophet Micah gives us that extraordinary vision of a world where swords are turned into plowshares and nations no longer learn the ways of war. Imagine what our world might look like if we invested as much energy in building peace as we do in preparing for conflict. Imagine what our world, our Dallas community, our church might look like if more people and institutions chose compassion over condemnation, understanding over hostility, and reconciliation over division.
At Cathedral of Hope, we have the opportunity, and indeed the responsibility, to help make that vision visible. Our worship inspires us, our outreach puts love into action, our advocacy gives voice to those too often unheard, and our welcome reminds people that they are beloved children of God.
Perhaps this is where gratitude becomes something much more powerful. When we recognize how much we have received from others, gratitude changes us. It moves us beyond simply saying thank you. It calls us to give, to serve, to care, to stand alongside those who are hurting, and to make a difference in the lives of others.
As we look toward the future, I want us to remember that proclaiming Christ through Faith, Hope, and Love is not just a statement of what we believe. It is a declaration of how we intend to live. We are called to put faith into action, to make hope tangible, and to make love visible.
My prayer is that we will never be satisfied simply talking about the world Jesus imagined. May we have the courage to help build it, one act of kindness, one act of justice, one expression of welcome, and one peacemaking action at a time.
Because ultimately, gratitude is not just something we feel. It is something we live. And peace is not just something we pray for. It is something we make.
With gratitude and love,
| 
