7 NovembeR 2024
Dear Friends of St. Mark’s,
Let me begin by saying thank you to everyone who helped with our celebrations of All Saints and All Souls. We are fortunate that we are able to celebrate both of these feasts, and thereby honor the themes of each. That being said, changing the church over from All Saints to All Souls within such a short period of time was not an easy task for the Altar Guild. I am grateful for the hard work of our worship and music volunteers.
These past days began with ethereal liturgies and ended with civic elections. I know that many are very disappointed, and even fearful, while others are extremely pleased. I think the hard truth for everyone is that the polarization of the nation and world continues, and we see evidence of this even in Hawai'i. Whatever your position, it is particularly sad that the poorest and most vulnerable continue to suffer, while the wealthy and powerful play their game of chess. On the top of my mind are the innocents and children of Palestine and Ukraine who do not deserve the violence that is being inflicted upon them by nations and rulers.
As Christians our ultimate loyalty is to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not secular principalities, and yet we also have a duty to build just governments that seek the welfare of all people, especially the most vulnerable. For this reason it is a blessing that local voters approved amending the state constitution which has reserved marriage solely to opposite-sex couples. The Episcopal Church has supported same-sex marriage for some time now, and we can rejoice that the state is catching up to us. That being said, the scapegoating of our transgender siblings in this recent election cycle is alarming. Why must we beat down a group of people that are already victimized?
Amidst the malaise of our world, I am extremely grateful for our ministry together at St. Mark's. I am thankful for the wise faith of our people, I am thankful for the beautiful high masses offered week after week, and I am thankful for the intelligent and engaging forums we host on Sundays. I am grateful for the sacrifices of time and money from which our people bless the church, and I am grateful for the inclusive love of Jesus Christ that we champion together. I am grateful that our Christianity is not consumer-driven, and I am thankful that we prize people rather than profits. Our world certainly needs the vision of the Episcopal Church, and our neighborhood is a better place because of the safety and refuge St. Mark's provides.
Father Paul Lillie +
