“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33
Dear People of East Tennessee,
I am writing to you today because a spirit of confusion continues to be present on the streets of our country. In a short time, we have witnessed a situation devolving to the point where federal agents have killed two United States citizens in those streets. These two people, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, were in the streets to bear witness to human dignity. As Episcopalians, we understand human dignity to belong to every creature made of God, and we commit ourselves at our baptisms to defend that dignity for everyone.
Regardless of political ideology, creed, or color, when a government is not practicing the things that make for peace, it is bad for all of us. Our constitutional system, while imperfect, has long recognized that the people of our country have the right to free speech, assembly, and due process. It is reasonable to expect that the Federal Government would be safeguarding those rights rather than killing its own citizens for exercising them.
As Episcopalians, what happens in Minneapolis impacts us in East Tennessee because we are one body in Christ. In East Tennessee, we take action out of what we have heard in communal prayer. I call upon our leaders to remember St. Paul’s insistence that God is not a God of disorder but of peace and I call upon our people to do whatever is in your power to participate in the things that make for peace.
Renée Good and Alex Pretti should be alive today.
Bishop Brian Cole
As a diocese, we have a long history of supporting Bridge Refugee Services. Should you be seeking organizations to support immediately, please consider both Bridge Refugee Services or Casa Maria in Minneapolis.