Bishop Charles Jenkins is the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Louisiana (our home of 9 years) and relays some of the struggles of rebuilding that come from a history of political malfeasance. Be sure to read it all.
As I travel across this nation seeking support for the work of the Church in Mississippi and Louisiana, I continually come across a major stumbling block. Church members who are by nature generous and who have the capacity to do great good in our rebuilding efforts are hesitant to invest in our Louisiana Diocesan efforts because of a near universal and total lack of confidence in our local and state governments. The antics of decade upon decade of Louisiana politics has come home to roost and the stumbling block for our efforts of rebuilding, recovery, and justice is huge. I do not know if Bishop Gray of Mississippi is hearing the same thing in his travels. People are not giving voice in my hearing to a lack of confidence in Mississippi politics, I hear such concern only about Louisiana. That may well be because I am from Louisiana.
In response, I confidently point to the good work of the Church in Mississippi and Louisiana and note that if we do not stand for the poor, no one will. If the Church does not raise a cry for justice, no one will. If the Church does not continue to feed the poor, house the homeless, heal the sick and give hope where it has been washed away, no one will. I think our efforts in Louisiana are exemplary as are those good works done in Christ’s name in Mississippi. I think the work of the Church in Mississippi and Louisiana is a work of which Episcopalians can be proud. I think our stewardship of all that is entrusted to us, most of which is for relief work, is exemplary.
(Via The Bishop’s Blog.)
