I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty, and you gave me drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison, and you came to me.

(Matthew 25:35-36, The Message)

In 1738, after a long practice of preaching TO people from a high steeple Anglican Church, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, took a radical step to preach WITH people who had gathered in a field near Bristol, England. On that day, John Wesley wrote these words in his journal:

“At four in the afternoon, I submitted to become more vile and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation …”

For Wesley, to become more vile meant that he had to move beyond his comfort zone and enter the world of the poor, the oppressed, the imprisoned, and, in fact, anyone who was in need. The struggle to take the words of faith we embrace and literally use them as the foundation for courageous acts of faithfulness, forged what we know today as our United Methodist theology. It is what we believe, and it is what we do.

Today I write in the midst of massive change and transition. In less than a week, the United States has become a place where the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized, the immigrant, the LGBTQAI+ community, and so many others are experiencing great fear and anxiety as a result of executive orders and campaign promises being lived out by the new administration.

Those clear tensions and anxieties present significant challenges to a church that is tempted toward complacency and the avoidance of conflict.  However, in what is yet another seminal moment for the church, we are being presented with an opportunity to become more “vile” by getting out of our comfort zone to enter the heartaches and fears of others. This is the moment, the opportunity, to take the gospel TO the people.

Today, I call upon all United Methodists in New England and New York to embrace a posture of radical welcome and hospitality. I call upon all churches to provide a safe space of welcome to immigrants and the marginalized who are afraid, intimidated, and threatened. I call upon all leaders, both lay and clergy, to take bold steps to lead our people into the gospel and into the very communities where our churches reside. As Romans 15:7 says so clearly, “Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”  This is our time and our moment to become more “vile.”

To those of you who have already taken bold steps to minister to the urgent needs of the immigrant and the marginalized, I applaud your efforts and want you to know that we stand with you and alongside you as you do all you can to live into your baptismal vow to “resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.”  We will do whatever is needed to support and encourage your ongoing work. Thank you for being “vile.”

To those of you who are afraid of words like resistance, advocacy, intervention, and conflict, I urge you to examine how Christianity is defined not secularly, but biblically. As I Peter 3:13-15 states, “Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and to not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.”

I want you to know that we stand ready to support you as you struggle, as John Wesley himself did, to move from the safe and predictable to the fearful and uncertain world that has emerged around us. I pray that you can become more “vile.”

To those of you who are immigrants, refugees, and ones who are seeking safety and peace, I want you to know that we stand with you and alongside you. Our prayers are with you, and we pray that our actions may remind you of how deeply you are loved and valued.

And to all of us, may we be reminded that together we are the body of Christ, siblings created by the same God, called to see one another as colleagues, friends, and neighbors and reminded always that when one of us suffers, we all suffer together (I Corinthians 12:26).

This is a day when the struggle for human rights has reached a new level of importance. It is a day when we must find ways to minister to those around us for if we do not, there is no guarantee that anyone will. This is the time for the church to live out its faith in acts of compassion, grace, justice, joy and love.

In the midst of all that we have experienced in the last few days, there is still much that we do not know. While we are being briefed by state government officials, they acknowledge there’s much they do not know. It’s important to remember that specific strategies used today may rapidly change tomorrow as policies and actions emerge. We pledge to all of you that we will keep you informed about actions and directions that are recommended to us.

Most of all today, let us reaffirm who we are and what we are called to be as the church: a place of welcome, belonging, safety, and peace. Let us support one another as a people who, by faith, are called to take bold steps to live out our faith, not just talk about it.

Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about?
When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and gave you a drink?
And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’
Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth:
Whenever you did one of those things to someone overlooked or ignored,
that was me – you did it to me.’

(Matthew 25: 37-40, The Message)

Sounds like we need to become more “vile.”

May it be so. Amen.

Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton
Resident Bishop