January 9, 2021
Beloved Communion, sisters and brothers all,
Presumably, you have been following the news this past week. Your hearts, I suspect, are heavy. These are difficult days. Whether as a church or as individual followers of the Living Christ, we are called to walk in these days putting our deepest values into action.
Prayer puts us in contact with the Living God. At times of crisis being in prayer can give us the moral clarity to speak and act prophetically. Prayer and action go hand in hand and give each other what they themselves are lacking.
I humbly submit to you what my colleagues and I on the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches have produced to be faithful to this moment, drawing on our collective moral instinct. I am attaching an open letter signed by myself and 23 other members of the Governing Board calling for the removal of President Trump from office.
Being the salt of this earth will depend on our moral clarity. Let us recommit ourselves to a discerning life together. I recommend to the dioceses and regions of the Communion that each of our communities have a night of prayer for our country, perhaps the night before the Inauguration.
And let us recommit ourselves to the communal support that is so necessary during these difficult times. Just living in this world is difficult right now, let alone being faithful in it. Let us be particularly on guard for how we treat one another in a time of general tension. Let us not take each other for granted, but instead be there for each other as a supportive family. For this reason, Paul addressed his co-disciples as “sisters and brothers.”
In love and the search for justice,
+ Francis
Bishop Kedda 