What Was and What Might Have Been?
Bishop Budde and a missed opportunity at the US National Prayer Service
What Was
My Facebook and other social media feeds have been full of people passing comments on Bishop Marianne Budde and her plea within a 'sermon' to Donald Trump at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday, 21st January.
On the one hand, many people I follow have called the Bishop brave and declared that she spoke 'truth to power.' On the other hand, many I follow believe she abused her position. Some have called her names, which I cannot repeat here. The abuse towards her by some has been repugnant. But the lionising of her troubled me, too.
I have wondered what might have been instead of what happened, and what happened seemed to be:
Public Chastisement: I don't think anyone responds well to being called out in public by someone in front of others—especially millions of people at one of your life's most important public events.
Misuse of a Sermon: How often have ministers misused a sermon to address one person in the congregation? Bishop Budde emulated and escalated that with her sermon.
A Missed Sermon: Many people have said, what about the rest of her sermon? This is being missed. And yes, it is being missed because her ‘plea’ overshadowed and ensured the rest of her sermon would not and now will never be referenced or remembered.
Worse, not Better: Nothing seems to have been made better by this sermon. Those angry with Trump have more grist to their mill. It all was a manifestation of the problems within identity politics. There are concerns about Christian nationalism under Trump, but we saw a different kind from Bishop Budde, who is on the other side of the same faith and politics coin.
A Missed Opportunity: What was the aim of the plea to Trump? I have no doubt the plea was made out of firm conviction and concern. But I doubt it was made with the hope that Trump would be chastened (whether he needs to be is a different issue). The weight of this missed opportunity, the potential for a different outcome, seems palpable. It's a reminder of the potential for positive change that was left unexplored.
A Missing Church: The American liberal Episcopalian church took the driving seat and left the wider church unseen. In fact, for many, this was not a blue-on-blue attack but a version of Christianity directly opposed to another on display.
The already existing polarising of culture, faith and politics became more so after this, not less. Liberal democrats and liberal Christians were electrified. Progressive Christians found alignment with the liberal Episcopal church. Those not siding with Bishop Budde could readily claim a QED. The problems of faith, culture, and politics they battled were manifest and writ large.
What might have been
I wish something different had happened. It seems an opportunity was missed. So I imagine what might have been with a different sermon and a plea that:
Validated a shared concern for God, and justice and care - given what Trump said about God at his inauguration
Recognised our challenging times and the need for something healing and reconciliation. This emphasis on healing and reconciliation could have brought hope to the situation. Imagine an offer from Bishop Budde to collaborate, no matter how hard that might be
Appealed to the faith claimed by all present on both sides. The Vice President, who has the ear of Trump, certainly has a strong faith.
What then might have been as they all left the service? Instead of animosity and resentment by one side or a 'yay we gave it to you' jubilation from the other, there might have been something else for the world to see - surprise.
Surprise that might have kindled a flame of collaboration. For the Kingdom of God to get under the skin of the hearts and minds of all present. And over the next few years, there might be something more than and better than what took place.