Category: Racism

A Biblical Perspective on the Treatment of Immigrants

For a number of years, we have witnessed quite a lot of political rhetoric and harsh treatment of immigrants to the United States, especially along our southwestern border. The treatment of immigrants, whether legal or not, was a biblical and moral issue long before it became a political issue. It is time that people of faith and people of conscience take back the narrative!

When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God. – Leviticus 19:33-34

Recently, the governors of Texas and Florida have lured immigrants onto busses and airplanes with promises of housing and employment in other states. Upon arrival in those places, the immigrants discovered they were lied to. Taxpayers have footed the bill for that transportation, making all of us complicit in the unjust and inhumane treatment of those aliens. We've also paid for solutions such as uncompleted and ineffective walls on the border, separation of family units, locking immigrants in cages, and sending National Guard units to patrol the border with no actual authority to do anything. Some politicians have borne false witness against the vast majority of immigrants by claiming they are mostly criminals or insane. In fact, the data clearly shows that immigrants are far less likely to commit crimes than our own citizens. In spite of claims to the contrary, undocumented immigrants cannot vote or receive benefits such as Social Security and Medicare.

Politically motivated disinformation and unjust and sometimes brutal policies carried out in the name of U.S. citizens have often been executed by and applauded by people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ and who claim to be pro-family and believe in the sanctity of life. Nothing about these horrific solutions to our "border crisis" reflects the teaching of Jesus, protects families, or respects the sanctity of immigrant lives.

Many of those entering illegally are not simply immigrants – they are refugees, fleeing violence and/or poverty in their own countries. There are international laws pertaining to how refugees are identified and how they are treated. We helped write those laws!

Some immigrants have been tricked into paying for transportation into the U.S. only to be abandoned or, worse, left inside a hot container to die.

As you can see by clicking the links in this reflection, fact-checking false claims about immigrants is not difficult. It is incumbent upon us as people of faith and as responsible citizens to deal with facts and seek the truth.

I am not suggesting that we have "open borders" or abandon all immigration laws. But I am advocating for less political theatrics and more collaboration on just and humane ways to treat those who are seeking a new life as neighbors in our country. The Partnership for Central America is one example of how to mitigate illegal immigration by making it more desirable to remain in one's country rather than seeking refuge in the U.S. The most comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform legislation in a generation has been drafted. Political lust has prevented its adoption by Congress. What if people of faith took back the narrative to get it adopted?

Using human beings as pawns in a political game is cruel, un-American, and certainly contrary to biblical standards. The treatment of immigrants is a huge and unambiguous issue in the Old and New Testaments. Here are some examples and reflections from General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church. Feel free to share them and print them out.

Also, here are some online resources for gaining a deeper understanding of what is at stake according to several different religious bodies.

United Methodist Immigration Resources

Episcopal Church Migration Ministries

Interfaith Immigration Coalition

I hope you will give this prayerful consideration and, if you are moved to speak or act as an advocate for just and humane immigration policies, may God give you the grace and the will to do so!

Blessings,

The Very Reverend Ron Pogue

August 15, 2024
Precious in God’s Sight

When I was a child, I loved attending Sunday School. I had some amazingly loving and deeply faithful teachers whose influence profoundly affected the formation of my faith in a loving God. I can see them and hear their voices now as if it were only yesterday – Mr. Frantis, Mrs. Brittian, Mrs. Baber, and others. They loved us and shared their faith in Jesus with us. They reinforced the faith into which our parents were trying to guide us.

However, when I looked back on that time from the perspective of a young adult in the late 1960's, I realized something was wrong. They taught us to sing (with gusto) "Jesus Loves the Little Children." In that song, there is a line that says, "Red and yellow, black, and white, they are precious in his sight." But the church I attended was 100% white. From its members I overheard conversations from time to time about the place of our neighbors who were black, brown, and yellow. When I looked back, I realized that, while Jesus loves people besides white people, my white church people didn't. Jesus might love them, but they weren't really welcome in my church. Jesus might love them, but they weren't worthy of the dignity and respect enjoyed by white people. Jesus might love them, but our behavior toward them didn't have to look like we love them as he loves us. Jesus might love them, but they had better not act "uppity." (And what about brown children?)

If you grew up in a racist culture like I did, you know what I am talking about. Perhaps for you, as for me, recognizing that something was wrong was an epiphany, a time for repentance, and the beginning of transformation. My world could no longer be all white with a little color around the edges.

This all came to me during a time when black people were turned away from white churches. It was a struggle for one like me, who was taught that people of all colors are precious in the sight of Jesus, to reconcile that message with the actions I was witnessing. Given the rhetoric of the day, I suppose I could have rejected that message and clung to what seemed to be the majority view reflected in the rhetoric and behavior of my white world. But the security, control, and privilege of that world was slipping away. Abandoning it or confronting it could be dangerous. White people said harsh and hateful things to other white people who didn't participate in keeping non-white people "in their place." The message wasn't wrong; my white, privileged, dominant world was wrong and I couldn't live in it anymore. I had to set out on a journey toward someplace else. I'm still on that journey.

Recent events in our nation have brought me to the sad truth that many of my fellow white people are still trapped in that world. It is even sadder that they seem to be completely unconscious of it. They say and do things that are blatantly racist yet are oblivious. I know it's true because I've been there and I still find myself trying to overcome some of those prejudices that were planted in me long ago. People of color who loved me enough to point out the harm, sometimes hatefulness, of my words and actions stuck with me until I began to understand where they were coming from and how my words and my behavior affected them. Many of those people are still in my life. I give thanks to God for them. I've sort of been their lifelong project and I'm still not finished. They patiently continue on the journey with me. And as we travel, we sing that song hoping our rainbow beliefs are evident in our lives. Maybe the colors of our rainbow are still a little bit pastel, but we hope they are growing more vibrant with each step we take together. Together.

So, what I wanted to suggest today to my friends of all colors, races, religions, genders, and nationalities is that it might help heal our fractured, hurting world if we would sing this song and test ourselves to see if our words and actions show that we really believe it is true. Whether you believe that Jesus is God Incarnate, a wise prophet, or just a very gutsy nice guy, could it be true that he loves all the children of the world? Are all of us – red, yellow, black, white, brown – really precious in his sight? If I am one of the Jesus people, shouldn't they be precious in my sight as well? How do I love and treat people who are precious in Jesus' sight? Who are precious in my sight?

This isn't a final exam! It's a pop quiz to monitor progress in a lifelong course. I invite you to take it with me and see if we can be the difference we'd like to see in God's amazing, changing world.

Blessings,

The Very Reverend Ron Pogue
Interim Rector
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church
Keller, Texas

June 10, 2021
Will the New Year Really be New?

As I reflect on the past year, with enormous help from the media, I'm faced with these questions: Will the new year really be new? Are we going to be in for more of the same with the Coronavirus Pandemic? Will we make any progress in healing the racism, wealth inequality, and political divisions in our nation? What's the difference between December 31 and January 1? Really? Will January 1 be any different from December 31? Why is it we make such a fuss over the changing of the year?

The fact of the matter is that even those among us who are most committed to following COVID protocols will be engaged in some degree of revelry on New Year’s Eve. I suspect even many of the “stay the course” brigade will have a list of resolutions. Our lists might include things like losing weight, getting more exercise, having a healthier diet, doing a better job of recycling, gaining discipline in attending worship and saying our prayers, spending more time with the family, reading more books, wearing a face covering in public, and being a generally all-around-nicer person.

I have friends who are opposed to new year's resolutions. They believe having resolutions only sets one up for failure. That may be so, but then any resolutions, goals, or objectives do the same thing, don't they? Any attempt at change, growth, or progress involves some risk of failure. I happen to like resolutions because I believe it is better to fail at trying to do something worthy than to succeed at doing nothing.

With or without resolutions, I ask again, how will January 1 be any different than December 31 or any other day?

If there is a difference, maybe it is one of perception. The slate is not really going to be wiped clean, but we like to try to see it that way. And, in so doing, perhaps there is at least some extra room for something new to emerge in our consciousness, in our pattern of behavior, or in our way of life. Maybe, just maybe, looking at this particular tomorrow opens up room for something new and different. If that happens, we may understand God's words to the Prophet Isaiah, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it” (Isa. 43:19)?

So, I'm going make some resolutions. And, I'm going to look at January 1 as a different kind of day and as the start of something new – a transition – and pray with all my might that God will have something to do with it so that it will not just be up to me. When I am forced by circumstances to spend more time alone, I can use that time to open up to God and God’s new thing. Maybe my first step, or yours, will create space for grace to see things through. Let’s do it together!

Blessings,

The Very Rev'd Ron Pogue
Interim Rector
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church
Keller, Texas

December 30, 2020
Does My Faith Work?
Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’, and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone…For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

(James 2:23-24, 26)

For almost all of my 48 years of ordained ministry, I have advocated openly for the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our society. In light of that, no one who knows me is more surprised than I am at my reticence in addressing the issues of our day. I have been confused by various versions of the facts. I have struggled with many emotions such as shock, despair, grief, disappointment, failure, and anger, perhaps made more pronounced by the long period of isolation due to the Coronavirus. I have not used my voice because I simply could not get to the place where I thought I might be able to find words that would help rather than make matters worse. I’m going to try today to state what I believe and what I believe our response can be.

Unity – I believe that it is the responsibility of leaders to speak and behave in ways that draw people together rather than drive them apart. So, I want what I have to say to cast a vision of a better future and call forth the best in people to work together for good. The work that lies before represents our role in the answer to our prayer, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Divisive partisan rhetoric is damaging the unity that is necessary in order for our nation to pursue the noble vision of the Founders. In addition to that, the Christian faith is being used in ways that encourage disunity. Remember that our Savior prayed for his followers, “That they may be one.” Let’s tell our favorite politicians to stop the divisive rhetoric. Differences are inevitable, but politics is supposed to be about finding ways to resolve differences.

Systemic Racism – I believe that we must heal the systemic racism that continues to oppress people of color. We don’t live our lives in isolation from others. We belong to families, companies, schools, churches, political parties, communities, and many other groups. Each of those groups is a “system.” So, to say that racism is systemic is to acknowledge that the systems in which we function with others, long ago infected with the disease of racism, continue to manifest the symptoms of racism. The policies of retail systems continue to discriminate against people of color, such as locking up products intended for African Americans. The methods of restraint and degree of force used by police continue to be applied more severely with people of color. Our legal system continues to mete out more and harsher penalties to people of color, especially if they are poor and can’t hire a prestigious law firm to represent them. People of color who can’t afford private schools often continue to find themselves in segregated classrooms.

Systems don’t heal themselves. The people who live in them have to take intentional actions to transform them and heal them. Junior Warden Christopher Mullaney has a quote from Mahatma Gandhi at the bottom of his emails that sums it up: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” I must address the infection in the systems of which I am a part as well as the infection in my own soul. We as Christians, especially privileged white Christians, need to get to work to heal the systemic racism that is oppressing and killing our neighbors.

Law Enforcement Reform – I believe that we must insist on law enforcement reform. I grieve the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Like so many who have fallen before them, they are victims of an unhealthy system. The involvement of law enforcement personnel in their deaths is a slap in the face of their colleagues as well as all those they are sworn to protect and to serve. So is the fear of retribution, inherent in many police systems, making other officers reluctant to intervene. I believe that most law enforcement officers serve with honor and integrity. But the consequences for those who tarnish their badge are not working. Greater accountability needs to be put in place. Some assignments given to police should be assigned to others. Painful or deadly procedures that are allowed must be reviewed and modified. The purpose of policing should be reviewed. Officers who intervene and report violations have to be protected. As we think about these issues, let us be mindful of the abuse Jesus suffered at the hands of his captors.

Protests – I believe that we need to listen to the voices of those who have taken to the streets because other methods of getting our attention have not worked. I support peaceful protests and condemn the actions of those who took advantage of the protests to destroy property, steal, and hurt others. Their actions actually interfered with the protesters’ legitimate right to assemble and speak freely. The actions of those who have used force and chemical agents against peaceful protesters, including clergy, likewise interfered with those legitimate rights. We can follow the example of Bishop Mariann Budde and sit down with protesters so we can listen and, hopefully, hear what they are trying to say. We will probably learn something and find ways to do something.

Inequality – I believe we must address wealth and income inequality in our society. The unequal distribution of resources exacerbates so many social problems and people of color are affected most of all. Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler is a reminder to Christians that we must not be possessed by our possessions. He also pointed out that “The love of money is the root of all evil.” The observation that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer is no longer an adage; it is a fact. Laws, policies, corporate governance that ignores this fact are doing great harm to our common life. Let’s work to understand and to change this.

God's Creation – I believe that human beings have to stop damaging God’s creation. We are called to be stewards of creation and to use its resources wisely. When people are allowed to do harm to creation, we all suffer and those who come after us will suffer even more. Let’s make sure those who make environmental laws and those who must abide by them take this seriously.

To Sum it Up – On the Day of Pentecost, the Sunday after George Floyd was killed, we reaffirmed our Baptismal vows.
- Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
- Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
- Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
- Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
- Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
To each of these questions, we answered, “I will, with God's help.”

These vows are disciplines that define us as disciples of Jesus Christ, the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls. In our response to the unrest, division, injustice, and outrage that is becoming a part of our daily experience, can we hold these vows in our hearts and minds and practice them as disciplines? Can we ask for God’s help to understand the implications of our Baptism for our words and actions? Can we ask ourselves, “How am I living these vows in relation to everything God has given me, the neighbors with whom I disagree and can’t understand, and my own spiritual health?"

My personal mission begins with fostering hope. I want this message to foster hope in this community of Christ’s disciples and beyond. In Paula Jefferson’s sermon on Trinity Sunday, she encouraged us to let God open our eyes. In the Eucharistic Prayer, we ask God to “open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world around us.” I’ve been praying that prayer as I’ve watched all of the horrible things I have listed above and God has responded by showing me signs of many good things as well:

I am heartened by the youth and diversity of those who are calling for change.

I am impressed by the restraint of so many law enforcement officers in the face of provocation.

I am touched by the clergy and volunteers at churches on protest routes around the country who are providing water, snacks, band aids, and listening ears to those in the streets.

I am moved by the calls for peace, justice, and reform from religious and civic leaders.

I am inspired by the examples of police chiefs walking hand in hand with protesters.

I am amazed by the people who came out to line the route of George Floyd’s funeral procession.

I am encouraged by actions already taken to begin reforms in policing.

I am motivated by the words of Dr. Shafi, Councilman in the City of Southlake, Texas: "Please join me in building strong, inclusive communities, where every person, every family, and every child is loved, respected, and cherished."

I am cheered by the children in the scenes I’ve seen in attendance at protests and other gatherings, including some of our own children from St. Martin’s whose parents are teaching them what this is all about.

So, let us daily ask God to open our eyes to see the hurt and anger and need that requires our attention and action. Let's put our faith into works of mercy, peace, and justice. May God also open our eyes to see places where God is already at work bringing faith, hope, and love in ways that heal and transform lives so that we can join God in that mission. Let us watch for those places where God’s people “walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.”

Blessings,

The Very Rev'd Ron Pogue
Interim Rector
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church
Keller, Texas
June 12, 2020
Protect the Children First, Then the Border

On several occasions during the past weeks, I have commented and asked questions regarding the new policy of President Trump that separates children from their parents along the southern border of the United States of America. Several people have asked if I don’t hold the parents accountable for putting these children in harm's way and bringing them across the border. My answer is, “I certainly do.” Here’s what I mean.

Among the stories that form and shape our faith, there are certain stories that rise to the level of paradigms. Paradigmatic stories in the Hebrew Scriptures and in the New Testament are told again and again to shape the faith of a people. Two of those faith-forming stories directly address the responsibility of parents protecting their children.

The first is the story of the Hebrew parents of a newborn son in Egypt who placed him in a waterproof basket and hid him in the tall grasses of the Nile because Pharaoh was threatened by the Hebrew slaves due to their large population (Exodus 2:1-10). He had ordered the murder of infant Hebrew children. It was an early example of population control. Pharaoh's daughter, who was bathing in the river, heard the baby cry, found him, and rescued him. She named him “Moses,” meaning “drawn from the water.”

I hold the parents of Moses responsible for placing their son in harm’s way when a tyrant was murdering Hebrew children. They took extraordinary steps in desperate hope that his life would be spared. He grew up to lead God’s people out of the slavery into which he had been born.

The second story is found in the Gospel According to Matthew (Matthew 2:13-15). Mary and Joseph had a son and named him Jesus. After the visit of the Magi, King Herod gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, “in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi” (Mt. 2:16). Joseph had a dream in which an angel warned him to flee (Mt. 2:13). So, Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus across the border into Egypt to save him. The life of Jesus was spared while Herod slaughtered many innocent children.

I hold the parents of Jesus responsible for placing their son in harm’s way when a tyrant was murdering Hebrew children. They took extraordinary steps in desperate hope that his life would be spared. He grew up to bring salvation not just to his own people, but to all people for all time.

Beyond these biblical paradigms, there are other stories of parents putting their children in harm’s way in desperate hope that their lives would be spared. For example, English Colonists came to North America in the 17^th an 18^th Centuries fleeing tyrannical monarchs and undesirable conditions in England. Others colonists came also from other countries, seeking a better life.

I hold the parents of those colonial children responsible for placing their children in harm’s way when conditions in their homelands had become unbearable. They took extraordinary steps in desperate hope that their lives would be spared and their future brighter.

History is replete with accounts of parents fleeing danger and tyranny to save their lives and the lives of their children. These parents crossing our border have similar stories. Many of these families are walking and hitchhiking across Mexico in desperate hope of reaching the United States of America, where they will seek asylum and a new and brighter life. I hold them responsible for that.

In the past, our government has normally kept families together in detention facilities while their cases were being processed. The exception has been in those instances where minor children appeared to be in physical danger or were unaccompanied. Under this new policy, all children have been separated and placed in 100 detention facilities in 17 states, to remain there for an unspecified period and without a plan to ensure that they will be reunited with their parents.

The President has signed an executive order to halt his earlier policy of separating children from parents. However, some 2,300 children and youth still remain separated from their parents, some under one year of age.

Borders are the invention of human beings, not God-ordained. While I do hope our government finds reliable and just ways to secure our national borders, I don’t believe God cares about borders. However, I do believe that God cares about how we treat people who cross our borders.

There are at least 97 passages of Scripture that address the treatment of foreigners. Here’s one: “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Ex. 19:33-34). The protection of the rights of aliens under the United States Constitution is grounded in that Scriptural admonition. In numerous instances, God’s people are admonished to care for foreigners, widows, and children. Jesus became indignant when his followers were trying to keep children from him. He commanded them to bring the children to him, “For it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs” (Mk. 10:13-16).

In our Baptismal Covenant, we vow to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself” and to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” I don’t see how I can honor those vows and stand silent while these children are being separated from their parents.

Those persons who are trying to bring order out of this chaos and care for these children are doing the best they can under very difficult circumstances. It is the separation from their parents that I believe is causing them harm, not the actions of their caregivers. I raise my voice to call upon our elected officials at every level and in all three branches of government to end the practice of separating children from parents whose only crime is crossing the border of our country.

Attorneys and jurists are pointing out that these actions are not proportional to the crime. I join my voice with theirs.

Elected officials are challenging the use of children to leverage immigration legislation. I join my voice with theirs.

Historians and social scientists are calling our attention to the similarities of statements about criminals among the undocumented immigrant population and historical accounts of the Jim Crow era in our country. They are insisting that lies and hyperbole must not be used to foster fear and bigotry against a class or race of people. I join my voice with theirs.

Physicians are speaking out about the harmful medical and psychological effects of “captivity trauma,” which these children are experiencing. They are calling for an end to this harmful practice. I join my voice with theirs.

Our Presiding Bishop and most Bishops Diocesan, including our own Bishop Brian Seage, have spoken out against the policy and denounced it as immoral. Leaders of many other religious bodies have also denounced the policy and called on the government to return those children to their parents. They are also condemning the heretical misuse of sacred Scripture to justify the actions of the state as “ordained by God.” I join my voice to theirs.

I hold these parents responsible for putting their children in harm's way in desperate hope of saving them and giving them a better life. That's what responsible parents do! For Christians, the family is sacred. This issue is, for Christians, first and foremost a spiritual and moral issue. It has become political because those values have been violated by our political leaders. It's not "who we are."

Our government leaders have the ability to uphold our laws, protect our borders, and ensure that families are not separated. It doesn’t matter what political leaders put such a policy in place or what political party you belong to. The policy is contrary to the Scriptures and teachings of our faith. Please join me in calling on our leaders to find better, just, and effective ways to secure our borders.

I’ll see you in Church!

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

June 22, 2018
Red, Yellow, Black, and White, they are precious in God’s sight

When I was a child, I loved attending Sunday School. I had some amazingly loving and deeply faithful teachers whose influence profoundly affected the formation of my faith in a loving God. I can see them and hear their voices now as if it were only yesterday – Mr. Frantis, Mrs. Brittian, Mrs. Baber, and others. They loved us and share their faith in Jesus with us. They reinforced the faith into which our parents were trying to guide us.

However, when I looked back on that time from the perspective of a young adult in the late 1960's, I realized something was wrong. They taught us to sing (with gusto) "Jesus Loves the Little Children." In that song, there is a line that says, "Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight." But the church I attended was 100% white. From its members I overheard conversations from time to time about the place of our neighbors who were black, brown, and yellow. When I looked back, I realized that, while Jesus loves people besides white people, my white church people didn't. Jesus might love them, but they weren't really welcome in my church. Jesus might love them, but they weren't worthy of the dignity and respect enjoyed by white people. Jesus might love them, but our behavior toward them didn't have to look like we love them as he loves us. Jesus might love them, but they had better not act "uppity."

If you grew up in a racist culture like I did, you know what I am talking about. Perhaps for you, as for me, recognizing that something was wrong was an epiphany, a time for repentance, and the beginning of transformation. My world could no longer be all white with a little color around the edges.

This all came to me during a time when black people were turned away from white churches. It was a struggle for one like me, who was taught that people of all colors are precious in the sight of Jesus, to reconcile that message with the actions I was witnessing. Given the rhetoric of the day, I suppose I could have rejected that message and clung to what seemed to be the majority view reflected in the rhetoric and behavior of my white world. But the security, control, and privilege of that world was slipping away. Abandoning it or confronting it could be dangerous. White people said harsh and hateful things to other white people who didn't participate in keeping non-white people "in their place." The message wasn't wrong; my white, privileged, dominant world was wrong and I couldn't live in it anymore. I had to set out on a journey toward someplace else. I'm still on that journey.

Events of the last week and year have brought me to the sad truth that many of my fellow white people are still trapped in that world. It is even sadder that they seem to be completely unconscious of it. They say and do things that are blatantly racist yet are oblivious. I know it's true because I've been there and I still find myself trying to overcome some of those prejudices that were planted in me long ago. People of color who loved me enough to point out the harm, sometimes hatefulness, of my words and actions stuck with me until I began to understand where they were coming from and how my words and my behavior affected them. Many of those people are still in my life. I give thanks to God for them. I've sort of been their lifelong project and I'm still not finished. They patiently continue on the journey with me. And as we travel, we sing that song hoping our rainbow beliefs are evident in our lives. Maybe the colors of our rainbow are still a little bit pastel, but we hope they are growing stronger with each step we take together. Together.

So, what I wanted to suggest today to my friends of all colors, races, religions, genders, and nationalities is that it might help heal our fractured, hurting world if we would sing this song and test ourselves to see if our words and actions show that we really believe it is true. Whether you believe that Jesus is God Incarnate, a wise prophet, or just a very gutsy nice guy, could it be true that he loves all the children of the world? Are all of us – red, yellow, black, and white – really precious in his sight? If I am one of the Jesus people, shouldn't they be precious in my sight as well? How do I love and treat people who are precious in Jesus' sight? Who are precious in my sight?

This isn't a final exam! It's a pop quiz to monitor progress in a lifelong course. I invite you to take it with me and see if we can be the difference we'd like to see in God's amazing, changing world.

I'll see you in Church!

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
Saint John’s Cathedral
Denver, Colorado

July 12, 2016