Shouzer

Every week, Time has a section of letters that were written to them about their last issue.  The majority of them are generally about the past week’s cover story.  One letter irked me in particular.  It read:

I was saddened by your interview with Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop-elect of the Episcopal Church of the U.S.A.  When asked about her focus as head of her church, she mentioned feeding people, providing primary education, promoting sustainable development and healing people with ADS, tuberculosis and malaria.  She made no mention of God, let alone Jesush Christ.  Her answers would have been more fitting coming from the head of the Gates Foundation than a national religious leader.  For 2000 years the church has taught that our works must flow from our faith.  Sadly, Bishop Jefferts Schori spoke only of works and of a church whose focus doesn’t include God.

I thought this was a ridiculous letter.  First of all, she shouldn’t have had to mention God.  How empty would it sound if she said her focus as head of her church was to preach scripture?  Duh.  That’s what everybody expects.  The real question is what will she do beyond that.

Someone in her position has more power and ability to help where the world needs it, so why not point out that she’s going to?  Do you really think she’s going to ignore her duties?  And who’s to say the work she’ll be doing won’t flow through her faith?  I suppose she could have said, “I’ll try to feed people, with God’s help.  I’ll promote primary education, with God by my side.  Through the power of God, I’ll help heal people with aids.”  But is that really what should be expected of her?

No, it’s a waste of my time to hear, and it’s a waste of her breath to say.  I grabbed this from Wikipedia about Mother Teresa’s order, called the Missionaries of Charity:

whose mission was to care for (in her own words) “the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone.”

“OMG!  She didn’t mention God?!?  She obviously didn’t deserve all the credit she got.  Then what good was all the help she provided?  Obviously she didn’t deserve her beatification.  She’s a disgrace.”

Obviously that’s not the case.  She didn’t have to mention God in every sentence she spoke or in every mission statement.  It was a given, as it should have been–and should be today for someone in a similar position.  I get sick of people thinking they’re better Christians, or better people altogether, than somebody else just because they throw Jesus’ name in every sentence.