Do Not Commit the Sin of Empathy
Is Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde a heretic or is she what Christians were supposed to be all along?
Alluding to the parable of the houses, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde warned that an increasingly polarized and divided America has no hope for stability in her prayer for the nation homily. Her ending statement implored President Trump to “have mercy” on the people fearing for their futures, namely transgender and undocumented Americans.
This homily and prayer for the nation stirred a range of reactions. While many netizens voiced support for the Episcopalian bishop, others accused her of being a “Satanic soldier” and of being a false prophet. Some even called for Budde to be deported. Ben Garrett, a deacon at Refuge Church in Ogden, Utah, said that Budde had committed the “sin of empathy”.
Garrett went on to call Budde a “snake” and brand her as a “deceiver” in the same tweet — all over upholding one of the most basic teachings in Christianity. These words caused many Christians, particularly those who are more progressive, to express concern for the what their religion has come to mean.
The Bible repeatedly emphasizes caring for migrants no matter their legal status in both the Old and New Testaments. It is likely that, as Budde sees more politicians claim to rely on Christian values to lead their people, she wants American Christians to see what their religion actually teaches. After all, Jesus Himself was someone who consistently identified with and championed the marginalized.
Bishop Budde’s pleas for mercy are a call for Trump to exercise his presidential power wisely and a call to American Christians to assess their beliefs. In this country, Christianity has become synonymous with hate, but Budde and her supporters don’t think it has to be that way. Before she pled for mercy on transgender and undocumented Americans, Budde helped Matthew Shepard’s parents lay their son to rest.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde consistently stood her ground against hateful factions saying that Christians need to “work for justice and the full embrace of all God’s children.” Her homily is a reminder that Christianity doesn’t need to be what it is today. Despite seeming like they are far and few between, many Christians oppose the distortion of their faith as a weapon against the marginalized.
