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Servant’s Heart
Today, we are invited to commemorate the witness of Adeline Blanchard Tyler, who is remembered for her zealous ministry to those in need. Her efforts provide us with an inspiring example of how we might similarly care for others in our own day.
Tyler was born in Boston in 1805 and raised in the Episcopal Church. After her husband died when she was 48 years of age, Tyler studied nursing at a school for deaconesses. She and several other women were admitted to the office of deaconess on Nov. 4, 1856; they became known as the United Deaconesses of Maryland, dedicating themselves to serving Jesus, serving the sick and poor “for Jesus’ sake,” and serving one another.
She and her companions oversaw St. Andrew’s Infirmary in Baltimore, where they earned a reputation for helping all who came to them.
When the Civil War began in 1861, Baltimore was gripped by significant unrest: Maryland did not secede, but a significant percentage of the population were inclined to side with the Confederacy. After one particularly violent conflict between a regiment of Union soldiers and an angry crowd of Confederate sympathizers, Tyler’s care for the injured earned her a commendation from civil authorities. However, her commitment to caring for people on both sides of the conflict led some to question her loyalty. She eventually had to leave Baltimore, then continued serving at hospitals in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York City. She retired from full-time service after being diagnosed with cancer when she was 67, and died three years later.
In the Gospel reading appointed for this observance (Matthew 14.13-21), the Disciples of Jesus find themselves overwhelmed by the needs of the crowd around them. But Jesus instructs them not to send the crowd away: “You take care of them,” He says. Tyler’s service is a striking example of someone who did just that, demonstrating God's love and mercy without regard to the social, political, or economic differences that can divide us. In times like ours that are marked by increasing social, political, and economic division, the example of Adeline Tyler is a helpful reminder of God’s call for us to serve all for the sake of Jesus.
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