It has been another hard week. A devastating shooting at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Alabama, followed closely by the decision from the Supreme Court today striking down Roe v. Wade, has left the world feeling very dark and heavy once again.

The Episcopal Church has explicitly and continuously supported a woman's right to access abortion since the 1960s. I have served in several roles both locally and nationally with service and advocacy organizations committed to guaranteeing and safeguarding that right, and have seen firsthand the way abortion restrictions disproportionately impact people who are already marginalized in society. I have helped care for people who were doing the important work of care and compassion in the face of massive opposition and violent threats, but I honestly never thought we would be in the position we find ourselves today. While not surprising, it is crushing and cruel. My heart breaks and my soul cries out. I call your attention to this wise and pastoral statement from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry today, and encourage you to share it in your communities.

The deep rifts in the fabric of our common life seem to be erupting more frequently into acts of violence, and the Episcopal Church is known for our bold and prophetic stands on issues of social justice. For those of us responsible for leading and caring for faith communities, this layers another anxiety on top of the grief and anger we already feel. Please know that I am regularly in touch with local leaders who are monitoring for any credible and organized threats in our area. Canon Tim Kingsley, who has an extensive background in law enforcement and intelligence, and Canon Kelsey Schuster, our Canon for Operations and Chief-of-Staff, will be introducing a full training that anyone in the diocese can use to keep our communities safe. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns about the best ways to safeguard your community, please feel free to e-mail Tim at [email protected].

Our world is deeply and profoundly broken, and that brokenness causes real pain and does real damage. In Jesus, God has offered us the healing balm of perfect love, and invited us to join Jesus in healing and renewing the world. That is hard and painful work, and we are all weary from its weight. Be gentle to yourselves, even as you care for those wounded and weary souls entrusted to you. We are all in this together, and we worship a God who, despite all the evidence, will one day fully and finally make all things new with perfect love, world without end.

Encuéntralo aquí en español.

The Presiding Bishop's office this week passed along resources for faith communities and dioceses to promote safety in worshipping communities. Please see this guidance here.

Several of you have asked for a copy of the sermon I gave at the Priestly Ordination on Saturday. You can find it here.