Our nation is suffering today from collective PTSD. Amid the shards, wreckage and blood in the House of Representatives and the Senate, we are all in shock at the events we witnessed two days ago in Washington DC. Many fear this act of domestic terrorism is a symptom of deeper issues that have plagued our history for 400 years.
I had just finished a Zoom meeting to plan the 50th anniversary celebration of MISSIO Seminary. I walked back into the living room and Carolyn had the TV on. We saw what looked like an invasion of the Capitol building in real-time. At first it looked like marchers, having come from the Trump rally, were walking up the Capitol steps. I assumed that they planned to protest and wave flags. I saw a sea of Trump flags and American flags, and then I saw Jesus flags, which conjoined Jesus and Trump—followed by violence and death.
No matter your political persuasion, as followers of Jesus, we must reject violence—whether from the left or right. Violence does not follow Jesus into the world.
In view of the collective trauma, I am writing to ask you to join me in prayer (in a time of food insecurity I will not ask you to fast) for our nation today and tomorrow. We have scheduled a seminary-wide gathering next Wednesday and we invite you to join our students, faculty, staff and board as we voice our heartache and our prayers for our nation.
Over the next year we will celebrate what God has done for the last 50 years as well as what He will do through MISSIO Seminary in the next 50 years. I believe MISSIO Seminary has a special role to play in Philadelphia and in the NE corridor.
“Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and forever. Amen.”
-Book of Common Prayer
Frank A. James III, DPhil, PhD
President & Professor of Historical Theology
Missio Seminary
Please join us for prayer Wednesday, January 13th at 1 PM
