The Right and The Good

When I am feeling particularly self-righteous, my friend Dave asks me:

“Wesley, would you rather be right or would you rather be happy,” and I’m embarrassed to say that my initial response is usually “Yes.”

This past week, I posted something on social media that I was convinced was “right” (I am sure I am not alone in this).  An acquaintance commented very strongly that they thought my post was inappropriate and offensive. And my first thought was “But I’m right.” People in 12 step recovery often talk about “restraint of pen and tongue,” and I might add, thumbs. Does it need to be said? Does it need to be said right now? Does it need to be said by me?

The gift of social media, especially platforms like FaceBook and X, is that we have immediate and instant access to content and news that even 25 years could have taken weeks to trickle down to us. Actress Carrie Fisher once quipped, “The problem with instant gratification is that it takes too long.” We live in a world where everything can be at our fingertips at Amazon Prime speed. But what do we lose?

I am currently in discernment for priesthood in the Episcopal Church. It’s not a quick fix , fast-track, done deal. It’s a process. In fact, our recently consecrated Bishop ofNew Jersey, Bishop Sally French, has put the entire process on hold while she prayerfully and carefully reviews and considers the steps and procedures that lead to ordination. Now, as a newly minted seminary graduate and your newly employed Lay Pastoral Associate; and as someone who is closer to Baby Boomer than Millennial, I could be anxious and nervous about who what when where and how “my” time will come. Or, I could be appreciative of the opportunity God has given me to more deeply ponder and consider the vocation I truly believe I am called to.  The choice is mine. Which choice will bring me more peace? And more importantly, which choice will make me a better priest?

Every day, we are given the choice between right and happy. And often we don’t even take a breath before we plunge into opinions and arguments that are out of our depth, or nastily debate issues that require far more context and nuance than can be reduced to a 280 character tweet. And I want to be clear that I am not at all saying that we don’t have the right to our beliefs and convictions. Many times we need to forcefully passionately take sides. But when we take the dive into the abyss of our surety, our chances of meaningful conversation and dialogue vanish. Alone in our “rightness.”

Proverbs 17:19 says, “Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin.” And Jesus said, “No one is good—except God alone.” (Luke 18:19).

Oh, and I deleted the post. And apologized. To God be the Glory. 

20s-30s Fellowship Halloween "Craft" Night

Halloween is for "crafts"! The 20's-30's fellowship will meet at Trinity at 6 PM on Sunday, October 29th for Halloween "Craft" Night. Bring your favorite craft beverage - beer, root beer, ginger ale, etc. - and we will share pizza around the fire pit and in Pierce-Bishop Hall. We'll have some pumpkins to carve if you want to participate. 

The Patriarchs and Heads of  Churches in Jerusalem Unite in  a Call for Peace and Justice  Amidst Unfolding Violence

The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, an ecumenical group of Christian  leaders which includes the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Archbishop Hosam  Naoum, have issued a statement calling for peace and justice amidst unfolding  violence. 

Their statement in full is produced below: 

The Holy Land, a place sacred to countless millions around the world, is currently mired  in violence and suffering due to the prolonged political conflict and the lamentable  absence of justice and respect for human rights. We, the Patriarchs and Heads of  Churches in Jerusalem, have time and again appealed for the importance of respecting  the historic and legal Status Quo of the holy shrines. In these trying times, we come  together to raise our voices in unity, echoing the divine message of peace and love for  all humanity. 

As custodians of the Christian faith, deeply rooted in the Holy Land, we stand in  solidarity with the people of this region, who are enduring the devastating  consequences of continued strife. Our faith, which is founded on the teachings of Jesus  Christ, compels us to advocate for the cessation of all violent and military activities that  bring harm to both Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

We unequivocally condemn any acts that target civilians, regardless of their nationality,  ethnicity, or faith. Such actions go against the fundamental principles of humanity and  the teachings of Christ, who implored us to "love your neighbour as yourself" {Mark  12:31). 

It is our fervent hope and prayer that all parties involved will heed this call for an  immediate cessation of violence. We implore political leaders and authorities to engage  in sincere dialogue, seeking lasting solutions that promote justice, peace, and  reconciliation for the people of this land, who have endured the burdens of conflict for  far too long. 

In our capacity as spiritual leaders, we extend our hands to all those who suffer, and we  pray that the Almighty may grant comfort to the afflicted, strength to the weary, and  wisdom to those in positions of authority. We call upon the international community to  redouble its efforts to mediate a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land, based on  equal rights for all and on international legitimacy. 

Let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul: "For God is not a God of disorder but  of peace" (1 Corinthians 14:33). In the spirit of this divine message, we implore all to  work tirelessly towards an end to violence and the establishment of a just and lasting  peace that will allow the Holy Land to be a beacon of hope, faith, and love for all. 

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the  Holy Spirit be with us all during these challenging times. 

- The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem

A Litany for the Restoration of Peace in the Holy Land 

God of peace, we pray for the people of Palestine and Israel in these perilous and  dangerous times. 

For all who are fearful for the safety of their loved ones and themselves, we pray that  the assurance of unfailing love, even in the midst of danger, settles upon them. Shelter  them from despair and protect them from harm. 

For all who are wounded, we pray they find healing. 

For all who have died, we pray they find rest. 

For all who grieve, we pray they find comfort. 

For leaders on all sides, we pray for a renewed will to lay down arms, for the strength to  put the grievances and wrongs suffered by their people to rest, and for the conviction to  embrace a path of reconciliation and peace that preserves the rights and dignity of all of  your children. 

God of mercy, help us to remember there is no border that can separate us from your  great love and protection, no stone that can sound the well of your deep mercy. 

God of justice, we pray with hopeful hearts that your beloved children of the Holy Land  will be spared a future of sustained violence and unrest and that a recognition of the  humanity of all people will prevail. 

We ask all this in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen. 

– American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

A Prayer from The Most Rev. Hosam E. Naoum

Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem 

O God of all justice and peace we cry out to you in the midst of the pain and trauma of  violence and fear which prevails in the Holy Land. 

Be with those who need you in these days of suffering; we pray for people of all faiths - Jews, Muslims and Christians and for all people of the land. 

While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace, we  also call for you to bring justice and equity to the peoples. Guide us into your kingdom  where all people are treated with dignity and honour as your children for, to all of us, you  are our Heavenly Father. 

In Jesus’ name we pray. 

Amen.

One in God's Love

Dear Beloved of Trinity Church,  

The world gasped in horror at the images from the most recent outbreak of violence in Gaza. And gasp, we should. Horror is a correct and appropriate response. But what do we do after we  gasp? How do we fully understand the situation? How do we process? How do we respond?  

Politicians will rally their supporters mostly to secure a victory in the next election. Pundits will  offer their “unbiased” insights to enlighten the “misguided.” Preachers will offer prayers and  sermons to appear both pastoral and prophetic. And whether we are consciously aware of it or  not, each of us inevitably will take a side, and then, everything we hear, see, think, and say will  be filtered through our position, “our side,” which is undoubtedly the right side.  

There is no question that the attack by Hamas against innocent people is evil and wrong. Likewise, this does not give Israel permission in the cause of self-defense to do whatever they deem appropriate to crush and destroy the Palestinians. Defending does not mean annihilation. 

The current violence and carnage are as old as humanity. It is another chapter in the ongoing  story of sinful people acting in sinful ways. Broken people acting in broken ways. Traumatized  people acting in ways that traumatize more people. It’s the story of sin and our inability to be fully human, as God intended. And since we cannot live fully into our own humanity in God,  again and again and again, we dehumanize others because we’re scared, insecure, and broken. 

I must now ask myself and us, “What should we do as the people of Trinity Church, as  Christians, and as human beings?” And let me tell you that whatever we do will not be perfect  and, for many, will fall miserably short of their expectations. 

I would, however, like us to gather for a conversation on Sunday, October 22, in Pierce-Bishop  Hall during our Adult Forum hour. We will discuss not just the current issue in Israel and  Palestine but how we live with the atrocities of our world and the atrocities in our own lives. The things we cannot fully understand, the things we will never be able to solve. What does it  do to our souls and our common humanity? How do we resist the temptation to let these  events eat away at our humanity, leading to further dehumanization of the other?  

I am fully aware that there is no way that one forum conversation will be sufficient. Still, I believe it is necessary to take one step, a first step, to find our way to the next step on our journey to healing, redemption, and the fullness of our humanity when we are truly one in God’s love. 

Peace and blessings, 

Paul

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