Dear Loved Ones,

The events of this week in our nation’s capital will carry many descriptions, emotions and interpretations. Fear, disgust, shock and anger are just a few that come to my mind. We will all have our own. Our natural inclination will be to cast blame and direct our anger and indignation in one particular direction or another.

As people of faith, we are challenged to resist these inclinations, or better yet, to channel them in constructive ways. Can we direct what we feel, not toward people, but toward the systems that we may feel have failed us? Can we take the emotions we feel and channel them into working energetically for healing and reform? Can we carry the grace and love of Christ into the conversations we will inevitably have with our friends, neighbors and colleagues, advocating for peace, understanding and reconciliation?

I invite you this week to pray for our nation, and for our fellow citizens who may see the world differently than you do. Jesus calls us to love our enemies. This is always challenging, but will be much more so in the coming days and weeks. Let’s resolve together to approach our neighbor with love, humility and respect, listening deeply for what we may learn from them. Because along that path lies healing.

+Amen, let it be so,

Pr. Miles

Sunday January 17th

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