In the paper this morning, a commentator stated that the storming of the U.S. Capital felt like a desecration of sacred ground. I understand that feeling, but I want to offer a different perspective on what is sacred ground.
Yesterday, as the events at our nation’s capital were unfolding, I was meeting with the leaders of our upcoming Sacred Ground program. Sacred Ground is a film-based dialogue series on race and faith that examines the presence and effects of racism in our country, our church, and our own lives. The purpose of the program is to lead us to sacred ground, where we are deeply aware of the love of God and see the image of God in our neighbor.
The contrast between planning to lead the Sacred Ground dialogue series and the mob violence in Washington D.C. is striking. Rarely do we see such a stark contrast between the kingdom of God and that of this world.
Today there is a deep need for spiritual nourishment. We need to find sacred ground where we can see past differences and learn to trust and respect our neighbor so that we can follow Jesus on the Way of Love. The Congress, the Supreme Court, and the White House matter, but these institutions will not lead us to find that sacred ground we so desperately need. Salvation comes from God. We will find sacred ground by following Jesus on the Way of Love.
St. Dunstan’s Church is sacred ground. Here, we choose the Way of Love. We feed people spiritually with our worship, our sacred music, and our daily prayer offerings. We feed people at our Tuesday dinners regardless of their race, religion, class, or political affiliation. We seek sacred ground together, following Jesus on the Way of Love.
Here is a Call to Prayer for our Nation from our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry.
Here is a beautiful Epiphany poem from Walter Bruggeman. Search for “Epiphany” to read that poem, or just enjoy all of these prayers and poems.
With love,