Notes from the Corner Office
From The Messenger 2/13/26
Dear Beloved Community,
WWJD. Have you ever seen those bracelets? The letters stand for “What Would Jesus Do?”
This phrase has always bothered me because that “would” allows for human opinion to discern the mind of Jesus. The assumption is that the person asking the question knows what Jesus would do. That feels like the sin of pride. How can we humans believe we can know the mind of God? My experience has been that WWJD is often used as cover for passing judgement on someone’s behavior. “Jesus wouldn’t do that!” Really? How do you know?
I think a better acronym would be WDJS – “What Did Jesus Say?” How did Jesus tell us to live? What did he say was important? I believe this is a more gospel-centered approach. Our answer to the question WDJS isn’t based on our opinion but on what scripture tells us.
This has all been on my mind as I try to make sense of what is happening not only in our country. My personal feelings of grief, anger, dismay and confusion sometimes threaten to paralyze me. My thoughts become muddled. The only refuge I find is in the gospel and the words of Jesus. I find clarity when I use the gospel as the lens through which I look at our world. The question of what is “truth” becomes much easier to answer when I rely on Jesus’ words rather than my own. Any time I have fumbled, it is because I have relied on my own perspective and interpretation, or that of others rather than that of Jesus. Jesus is the pundit we should all listen to. Which leads me to the following:
With the publishing of the 155 bishops’ letter on February 1 along with individual statements and postings by Episcopal clergy across the church and the country, the question of how do we, the congregation of St. Gabriel, respond to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency’s enforcement and removal operations (this is the official ICE terminology) is being asked by some.
[Edited: I hope that many of you will take advantage of the opportunity to share your opinion. ] I truly want whatever the congregation, the vestry, and I decide we should do to reflect the broadest possible opinion while still being proactive.
These are turbulent times we are living in. Our response should be the result of thoughtful prayer and discernment, asking ourselves, “What Did Jesus Say?”
In the peace and love of Christ,
Everett+
