Pentecost 14 – 14 Sep 2025

Every day we hear about harm and violence, some tragedies are front page news and others are hidden away and barely mentioned. In social media, news media and conversations with others we can be invited, pushed or pulled into positions that lead to more violence and polarization.

As I navigate these conversations, I have appreciated the words of Vic Welle, a peer mental health advocate from Wisconsin, who joined our Lenten book study online. Vic says:

“Any way forward must affirm:

•       The inherent dignity of all people including children as worthy of full human rights and protection from harm.
•       The inherent dignity of people with mental health challenges (or perceived mental health challenges) as worthy of full human rights and protection from harm.
•       The inherent dignity of trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people as worthy of full human rights and protection from harm.

If any way forward involves stripping vulnerable or historically marginalized groups of their rights and dignity, I want no part of that. I hope you won’t, either.”

I hope that in this increasingly difficult time, or maybe it is a time when hard things which have been present all along are exposed, that we at St. George’s will look to prayer, to community, and the wonder of creation to give us both the comfort and challenge to act for good in the world.

In prayer,
Rev. Laurel