Russ Randle of the Diocese of Virginia has been chosen by Bonnie Anderson, president of the Episcopal Church’s House of Deputies, as the first recipient of the President of the House of Deputies Medallion for Exemplary Service. Randle was chosen for his 14-year commitment to aiding the often-persecuted Episcopal Church of Sudan.
It is really this, the magnetic quality of a life dedicated to love, that is I think the genuine power to create “strong ties” over a large population. We can look at the life of Siddhartha, Gautama Buddha, whose path today has over 300 million followers. Closer to our own time, the great attraction that Mother Teresa’s life has had is unrelated to any single act of self-sacrifice.
The mountains in the countryside of Rio de Janeiro State have been affected by the worst rainstorms in their history. In cities such as Teresópolis, Petrópolis and Nova Friburgo, hundreds of people have instantly died due to mudslides that caused entire hills to collapse. It is by far considered the worst catastrophe in Brazilian history.
It seems incongruous to argue, as supporters of the Covenant do, that it is exceedingly significant document that is required to save the Anglican Communion, but that it pass only the most minimal test a democracy allows.
Like the ancient “Fathers of the Church” King emphasized that “the least of these” are children and “icons” of God, whose treatment is the measure of our “salvation or damnation” as persons and as a nation. Like them he argued that excess wealth is “robbed from the poor.” Like them he cautioned us against the ineluctable tendency of consumption to addict us to status and power.
Martin Luther King gave his last Sunday sermon at Washington National Cathedral on March 31, 1968. Some of that sermon is reproduced below, but we
Antony was confused as he meditated upon the depths of God’s judgements, and he asked God, “Lord, how is it that some die young and others grow old and sick? Why are there some poor and some rich?