Sunday, September 19, 2010

National Cathedral's Dean Lloyd on Immigration: The New Math



 Today at Washington's National Cathedral, The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III gave a wonderful sermon at the beginning of this new school year, and spoke inspirational words of guidance on immigration, for example, "God will stop at nothing to bring us home..."

He has seen in American society the idea "you are what you accomplish."  Ironically, he sees "gracelessness" in action these days in the  attitudes, the firestorms of Americans toward immigrants. Yet we depend on immigrants, and we  are all ourselves descended from other countries.

Where is the spirit of God's grace, generosity and justice, he wonders. Police can arrest without warrant people who appear to be undocumented in Arizona. Where is the  compassion for children of undocumented immigrants who are being cut out of healthcare and schooling?

Dean Lloyd said we need as a nation God's New Math: a generous framework of grace to frame our conversation about this difficult matter. For if we only look out for ourselves and fend for ourselves, we will live in crisis indefinitely. We need to help one another.

The main message from God is "you are loved with a limitless, fathomless, all-embracing love."

It was a fine, indeed, an excellent sermon which I cannot do justice to in this short summary,. Listen to it in its entirety here at the National Cathedral website. Sunday services and many special events from the Cathedral are now streamed live online.  Please give generously to the Cathedral, an independent, self-sufficient institution that depends on monetary support from visitors and listeners.

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