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Dear
Cathedral Community,
In the
Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus climbs a hillside, sits down,
looks out at the gathered crowd, and begins to speak. What follows in
Matthew 5:1–12 ( the Beatitudes ) is not a list of rules or demands.
It is a blessing offered to people who are struggling. People who are
weary. People who are afraid, angry, grieving, and longing for
something better.
“Blessed
are the poor in spirit…
Blessed
are those who mourn…
Blessed
are the meek…
Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…
Blessed
are the peacemakers.”
Jesus
names the very conditions we so often try to hide or fix quickly. He
does not turn away from human suffering or complexity. Instead, he
declares that God is already present there.
Here in
Minnesota, we know these conditions well. We have lived through
seasons marked by deep pain, unrest, and division. We have witnessed
the rawness of grief and the urgency of protest. We have seen anger
spill into the open , sometimes constructive, sometimes destructive ,
and we have felt it within ourselves. These are not abstract
realities; they touch our neighborhoods, our relationships, and our
own hearts.
The
mission of the Church is not to escape these realities or to offer
easy answers. Our calling is to remain present, grounded in Christ,
and committed to the dignity of every human being. As Episcopalians,
we hold fast to the belief that God’s love is not selective. We are
called to care for the marginalized, to stand with those whose voices
have been silenced, and to resist any system or posture that denies
the sacred worth of another.
We must
also acknowledge that protest and anger live within all of us. Anger
often rises from fear, from injustice, from wounds that have gone
unhealed. Scripture does not shame these emotions, but it does invite
us to transform them ,to refuse hatred, to reject violence of spirit
or body, and to allow love to shape how we respond. The Beatitudes do
not promise comfort without cost; they point us toward a costly love
that seeks peace, mercy, and justice together.
Those who
are called to protect and serve , in public life, in community
leadership, and within the Church , carry a profound responsibility: to
serve all people. Not only those who agree with us. Not only
those who are familiar or comfortable. All people. This is the wide
vision of the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaims, a vision large
enough to hold the broken, the angry, the hopeful, and those still
finding their way.
The days
and months and years to come will be long. There will be moments of
fatigue and uncertainty. But a mustard seed is always growing. A
light is always present. For Christ is in each and every one of you,
and in every person you meet , if we believe.
May we
walk forward together with courage, humility, and hope.
Grace and
peace,
Tim+
The
Rev. Timothy M. Kingsley
Provost,
Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral
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