Miles Ellingham and Cormac Kehoe The Fence Speaking in Small Tongues
Mariann Edgar Budde The Guardian ‘Contempt is a dangerous way to lead a country’: here is the sermon that enraged Donald Trump
[There is a video of the sermon on YouTube.]
‘Graham’ ViaMedia.News Makin, Continued: Are They Being Investigated, or Not?
Mariann Edgar Budde’s sermon was described as “nasty” by President Donald Trump. Bold and courageous, yes. Nasty, no.
You have to understand; Trump thinks any woman who challenges his authority is “nasty”.
It was not nasty and probably well meant but the three penultimate paragraphs were personalised, polarising, and selective in their messaging in a way that seemed out of place in a civic service pulpit.
Until then it was a compassionate and relevant recital of some Christian personal and political ethics from a gifted pastor.
Bishops should be a focus of and for wider unity even when speaking truth to power.
Perhaps civic services beg a few questions if bishops cannot speak truth to power in them?
Truth sometimes hurts – particularly those who perceive it as ‘nasty’
PS. During our service this morning our vicar said, (quote) that sometimes the kindest thing we can do for people is to make them face up to their sin, and lostness before God. And yes, he was specifically referring to Trump.
Yeah, well, President Trump doesn’t hear platitudes too well.
The Rt. Rev. Budde is following a long tradition of Christian and other faith leaders who spoke blunt truth to power. Bishop Budde won’t, regardless o Trump’s authoritarian and kleptocratic impulses, but some of those leaders paid for it with their lives. They spoke out anyway.
“They spoke out anyway”…. such as Rev Dr Martin Luther King whose Memorial Day took place the day before (Jan 21). Others forcibly come to mind…
In 2023, Mariann Budde wrote a book ‘How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith’
Perhaps this Bishop believed it to be one of her ‘decisive moments’ to be brave?
You seem to be objecting, in part, to Bishop Budde’s paraphrase of the Hebrew Bible: “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” (Ex. 22:21.)
It was an invitation-only service for President Trump and those he chose to attend with him. A civic service, I would suggest, is open to any of the public who might be interested. Martin Budde has explained that the inauguration service is like a wedding or a funeral, in that it is held for the benefit of a specific group of people. She felt it right to address Trump individually, as she would address the couple at a wedding or a family at a funeral. As for the message being polarising, when have any of the right-wing evangelicals backing Trump… Read more »
“It was an invitation-only service for President Trump.”
Not quite. The Cathedral has held this service for decades. This time the service was announced in October.
It was a service for the new president, whoever that turned out to be.
But the President, whoever that turns out to be – and that is known in November – invites whom they please. Since the the 2024 election it was know that this would be a service for President Trump.
No, the Cathedral invited its interfaith and ecumenical partners.
I hardly think that Trump invited all the faith representatives listed.
https://cathedral.org/blog/first-look-a-service-of-prayer-for-the-nation/
How did she balance her call for unity within the main part, with her last 3 paragraphs? Was it possible to reformulate those 3 paragraphs which hint at a possible coming together, and practical suggestions?
As you say, you cannot in one sermon call for unity and also be polarising.
We can decide for ourselves here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xwwaEuDeqM8
Trump describes everything and everybody as nasty.
… who does not bow down and swear fealty — not loyalty — to him.
My word, no wonder President Trump called the Rt Rev. Budde’s speech “nasty”: It was the antithesis of everything Trump stands for.
And Trump’s speech at the inauguration was utterly charming and kind?????
Thank you, editors of Thinking Anglicans, for The Guardian reprint of The Rt. Rev. Budde’s remarks. “And the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings; who labor in our poultry farms and meat-packing plants; who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shift in hospitals ” Already, ranchers in North Dakota are worried their cow hands aren’t reporting to work. Slaughterhouses are running with too few workers, leading to possible shortages in grocery stores. In the Spring, farmers will have a hard time clearing fields and planting crops. Higher prices or shortages may… Read more »
Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, delivers a brave sermon in front of the inaugurated United States President, Donald Trump.
Are we to look forward to similar acts of bravery from our episcopal counterparts here in the United Kingdom, or are we more likely to see flying pigs being granted landing rights here at Gatwick?
I think the big problem in England is all those who may be asked to preach at such a national service have proved themselves to be so morally bankrupt that they have no right left to speak or credibility from which to be taken seriously. There are, of course, others such as +Newcastle who do speak out with courage, and deserve to be heard, even if those at the top choose to ignore them. They may not have the positional authority of ‘national’ level seniority, but social media gives an alternative authority of influence.
The problem for our bishops is that they have to speak in the Lords. They may well be saying all sorts of wonderful things, but I’m yet to find anyone who really pours over speech records from either house.
The only equivalent to the US service would be a coronation sermon, and well, the king just doesn’t have that much power; you can tell him to rule as mercifully as you want, but it’s Kier that has the power. Contextually, there’s not really anywhere for such a sermon to take place.
“Contextually, there’s not really anywhere for such a sermon to take place”
There is the House of Lords, and in that context we can mention the brave and courageous wartime speeches by George Bell, Bishop of Chichester..
“We don’t always know where the truth lies. But when we do know, when we know what is true, it is encumbent upon us to speak the truth – even when, especially when – it costs us”
Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington – January 21 2025
Well said, Peter, and its good to hear from you again. There’s an old old gospel song which concisely fits what you’ve just said. “Brothers and sisters, don’t you know? You’re gonna reap just what you sow.” Or, as the Bible puts it, ‘those who sow calumny will reap destruction’. If a country or a person persists in spreading lies, hatred, cruelty and fear, then they will reap a very bitter harvest. As my vicar said this morning, sin, judgement and punishment for sin aren’t very popular ideas nowadays – but that doesn’t make them any less real. Keep it… Read more »
A few weeks ago, the school where I teach hosted a fascinating talk by Professor Graeme Smith, public theologian, where he essentially argued that we should read the philosophy of President Trump through the lens of the American pragmatist philosopher Richard Rorty. To be clear, he wasn’t promoting or endorsing this approach. I have no claim to be anything approaching an expert on philosophy but the nub of Rorty’s approach, I gather, is on pragmatism not seeking ultimate truths. What is right is what works in the here and now. As an extract from the Guardian obituary for Rorty put… Read more »
The reaction from Trump and others is more than an objection to criticism. The whole point is that the MAGA movement believes that their policies are based on positive moral choices and, indeed, for many of them are based on their Christian faith. Some of the leaders are riding that for political advantage, but underlying it is a faith-based movement.
I am still struggling with Budde’s sermon, and trying to unpick it. Is she advocating open borders, for anyone who thinks they may be subject to persecution, including economic persecution? Is she advocating that those illegals who have already made a home in USA be allowed to stay? Is she asking for a faster process for those seeking immigration? Is she asking that churches and cathedrals be a place of sanctuary for illegals? Is she asking for a more sensitive approach to assessing asylum seekers? It may be a bit arm waving, but her plea for humility, truth and unity… Read more »
I have no idea what she thinks about borders, but I also think that’s not really the point of the sermon, rhetorically: it’s not really the sort of sermon for concrete policy suggestions. The point rather is to encourage Trump to reflect on who his choices might be hurting today. We can wax lyrical about borders till the Second Coming, but showing mercy and not doing harm to the innocent are basic moral imperatives of the natural law that always apply. To put this another way, as much as this sermon is being interpreted politically – because like, yeah, of… Read more »
Yes. I think that is the most direct answer. The fact of the absence of any effort to discriminate and distinguish tells you what you need to know. Being against mercy is being against mother and apple pie. A bromide. If you are inner city African American, paying taxes, and trying hard to make ends meet with child care and bills, handing over gyms and schools and playgrounds to house illegal immigrants isn’t ‘merciful.’ No matter how dulcet your tone. The point was to broad brush and paint Trump as merciless. Compare her performance with that of Cardinal Dolan, or… Read more »
Let me give another perspective. My father wrote a book ‘Britain and the United Nations’ in the early 1950s, and he had a chapter on the Palestine issue. His main comment was that the UN decided all kinds of things, but neither the UN nor US nor Britain did anything to effect anything. He was originally a military man, and a committed Christian. He co-authored books on Christian ethics and policies. Roll on, and we all kinds of calls and demonstrations for a cease fire (or cessation of hostilities – i don’t know what the difference is), from all political… Read more »
My father also edited a book in 1982 ‘Ethics and Nuclear Deterrence’ as a result of a Council on Christian Approaches to Defence and Disarmement, with a foreward by the then AC Robert Runcie. Runcie wrote ‘In these circumstances we have a duty to listen to each other, to use our minds as well as our hearts, and to wrestle with the deep ethical problems which these issues involve. Peace will not be won by superficial or sloppy thiinking.’ My father was not enamoured, at the time, with CND, although Bruce Kent wrote one of the chapters. The essays have… Read more »
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were shouting “jihad and caliphate” but couldn’t tell you whether they wanted rid of Israel? That sounds… highly unlikely. And why “of course”? Most people who support Palestinian rights have an idea of a final status they want to see, whether that is a 2 state solution on the 1967 borders, a single democratic multi-national state or (and it would be foolish to pretend this minority don’t exist) want a wholly Palestinian state with Jews expelled, exterminated, or relegated to second class status as Palestinians currently are in Israel.
I can answer that as a pro-Palestinian demonstrator. Yes.
Trying to use Black Americans as a shield for your shilling for the self-publicist, bigot, and apologist for sexual abuse Franklin Graham is unseemly. The US is an enormously wealthy country and can afford to help both refugees and poor American citizens. It chooses not to.
And the fact is that Graham, Trump, Hesgeth and their whole coterie are against mercy. They no more want to see your putative “inner city African American” helped than they want to help immigrants.
They want a border policy that considers each case on an individual basis, so that the reason you seek to immigrate is more important than your country of origin, your race, your religion, your political affiliation, your wealth (or lack thereof), your education (or lack thereof), etc. Trump (and those who support him) want a border policy that lumps individuals into groups–the wealthy, the educated, those from countries whose governments support ours, those with friends and relatives in the US who will vouch for and support them. Most of all, they want immigrants they can count on to support THEIR… Read more »
Immigration to the UK depends on wealth and qualifications. I have a close friend who was an immigration officer. Standard question, how will you support yourself while in the UK. Sometimes the answer was for a briefcase to be opened and hundreds of thousands of pounds in bank notes to be shown. They were quickly allowed in. Once in, who knows what happens. If the applicant was black, and they said they are coming to visit an aunt, and 30 mins later they said they were visiting a cousin, no way jose. They were obviously lying. [mojo] Certain professions are… Read more »
My sentiments exactly Nigel.
Until the final plea section, the Bishop was preaching in a considered, eloquent, and relevant way.
Had she concluded then, or continued in that vein, it would have been a widely acclaimed and exemplary sermon.
Changing gear to an implicit denial of the complexity of dominant policy issues, and also ignoring the electorally decisive democratic desire for major policy changes, was bound to have a divisive Cathedral and wider public impact.
As Bishop Rowan used to remind English Anglicans, there has to be some correlation between truth and unity.
Doubtless she has personal views on many of those points but, if you can’t discern what they are, that is evidence that she got the balance right between articulating Christian principles without advancing her personal political views.
No, she was just asking for a compassionate approach.
Perhaps Bishop Budde was mindful of the inscription on the Statue of Liberty.
Just so we are dealing with history and facts. The Statue of Liberty was given by France to celebrate the American Independence. Mid 19th century. De Tocqueville. France buddying up to the America that looked like herself, after a bloody revolution. Proud of LaFayette. Our friend! There is also a Statue of Liberty model in Paris. In 1903, because of Ellis Island, processing lots of legal immigrants from the Old World–compared to our southern border, wide open; no Ellis Island, bless them all arriving, doctors examining them, a true tabernacle of generosity). Old World coming to the New World. My… Read more »
On This Day – January 27 1825
US President James Monroe urges Congress to approve creation of Indian Territory, west of the Mississippi River, for the relocation of Eastern Indian tribes to ‘promote their welfare and happiness”
Just saying…
One more thing – peace, peace where there is no peace, and this quaint idea about urging for unity. Is that consistent with what jesus said? I think not. I seem to remember verses about him coming to divide.
There is no peace, there is no unity, it is a deeply divided community, but at least there could be mutual listening and respect.
To be clear, I don;t really have a major issue with Budde’s sermon, I am just wondering about the various reactions to it, and am fearful of where USA will go next.
“I am just wondering about the various reactions to it…”
Great reaction from Rex Huppke – a columnist at USA Today:
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/01/23/trump-response-bishop-budde-fox-news/77881230007/?
The Speaking in Small Tongues essay is in many ways heart-breaking. Welby’s personal life is one daunting set of challenges that would ruin many a man. I hope his traumas have been opened up before professionals skilled at treating such things.
I hope too that +Justin’s traumas find healing, and – despite his overseeing the loss of Anglican memory and identity – that history will come to treat him a little more charitably.
“The New Sonnet” is a sonnet by American poet Emma Lazarus1849–1887). She wrote the poem in 1883 to raise money for the construction of a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World) In 1903, the poem was cast onto a bronze plaque and mounted inside the pedestal’s lower level. This poem was written as a donation to an auction of art and literary works conducted by the “Art Loan Fund Exhibition in Aid of the Bartholdi Pedestal Fund for the Statue of Liberty” to raise money for the pedestal’s construction. Lazarus’s contribution was solicited by fundraiser William Maxwell Evarts. Initially, she refused but writer Constance… Read more »
Today (Sunday) we had people come to services who had never been at an Episcopal Church before — they were so impressed with Bishop Budde’s sermon that they wanted to check the church out.
Christian faith in the US has been so poisoned because the only variation that receives any media coverage is the ultra-MAGA sort that can be astonishingly cruel and hateful. They seem astonished to find out there’s another expression of Christian faith that’s available.
Will they come back? Who knows. But maybe the seeds of faith have been planted.