Bishop offers a prayer for the inaugural weekend
If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. … And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love.
-- 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 13
Beloved,
As we sit on the precipice of a very dynamic weekend in our nation’s capital, including the Inauguration of the 47th President of the United States of America, the People’s March, President-elect Trump’s Victory Rally at the Capital One Arena, and events honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., many diverse groups will be traveling into Washington, D.C. As these days unfold, I invite the members of the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area to pray for peace and calm. We especially pray for our United Methodist churches and other faith traditions who will be gathering for services in the vicinity.
I am reminded of the rich history of our nation — a history marked by the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to another. It is a testimony to our democracy and to the enduring strength of our shared commitment to justice, equality, and liberty for all. For centuries, this nation has witnessed a transition of leadership, not through violence, but through the peaceful will of the people expressed in the ballot box. We stand on the shoulders of those who fought tirelessly to secure that right for all citizens, and we honor their legacy by continuing to uphold the principles of peace, unity, and respect for the laws of the land.
As the mantle of leadership is passed, let us engage in civil discourse, acknowledging our differences without resorting to divisiveness or rancor. Let us be reminded that true strength lies not in coercion or force, but in the power of love, understanding, and respectful engagement. Further, let us remember that the peaceful transfer of power is not just a political ritual — it is a testament to our commitment to the idea that we can disagree without destroying one another. It is a reminder that our strength is found not in the walls we build, but in the bridges we construct.
Dr. King continues to challenge us to live out the vision of a nation where justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. His call to nonviolent resistance, to become the beloved community, and to the radical notion of love as the ultimate transformative force, stands as a beacon and guiding principle for all who seek true reconciliation in a divided world. We honor his legacy, not by vapidly reciting his words or holding empty events in his honor, but by doing the hard work of embodying his clarion call to live as brothers and sisters in unity, equity, and peace.
May we hold fast to the vision of a nation where dialogue overcomes division, where differences are addressed with dignity, and where the peaceful transfer of power continues to be a shining example to the world of the strength of our democracy. On Tuesday, January 21, I will be joining other ecumenical leaders for a Day of Prayer for our Nation at the National Cathedral. I do so to stand in solidarity with other faith communities in a witness of unity beyond denomination and love beyond creed. I urge everyone to take Dr. King’s words to heart: "We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters, or we will perish together as fools." May we always remember that we are Christ-bearers, reflections of all that Christ upheld through this birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection.
As we gather in the nation's capital, I offer this prayer:
Gracious and Holy God, we acknowledge you as Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer, and we always endeavor to do your holy will. We pray your blessing upon all those who will gather in our nation’s capital this weekend. May they arrive with hearts of peace and not violence. May they engage those they meet as neighbors and not enemies. May they seek to uplift and not tear down. May their hearts be filled with love and not hate. And may we emerge from this weekend having exemplified the best of who we are as the United States of America. May our hearts be full of hope and our hands extended in peace, knowing that our collective journey toward a more perfect union continues. Amen and Amen.
In Christ’s peace,
Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling
Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area
The United Methodist Church