Sin

By The Rt Rev’d Jennifer A. Reddall, sixth bishop of Arizona, on Ash Wednesday (February 14, 2024)

Sin.

Today is the day when we come, with penitent hearts, before the altar of God to confess and to make a right beginning for the season of Lent. 

It is a day of reflecting on sin. Mostly our own sins—but also how the sins of others profoundly affect us. (And how our own sins profoundly affect those around us). 

Three of our churches suffered from the sins of others last week. St. Andrew’s, Sedona had the pride flag on their church sign torn down and destroyed. St. Paul’s, Winslow had the rainbow Episcopal shield on their sign painted over. And the Church of the Transfiguration, Mesa had their entire HVAC system disconnected and stolen from the church property. 

These are all property crimes, not physical attacks on a person. And for that I am grateful. But to be the victim of another person’s sin is to be confronted with our vulnerability, both personal and corporate. I have no idea what would motivate someone to steal an HVAC unit… (I mean, they are expensive, but the scale of planning to execute such a crime exceeded my expectations).  But the motivation to eliminate the signs that say “This church is safe for LGBTQ+ people” is all too clear. 

These are only a few of the stories of vandalism that I’ve heard from our congregations over the past year. Three in one week is a lot. It makes me wonder if this is just a blip, or if this is a harbinger of things to come. The arson attack on St. Stephen’s, Douglas is also not far from my mind; is destroying a flag or a sign a first step towards destroying a church building? 

We hold our vulnerability and our faith together. To follow Jesus means sometimes we follow him to the cross, and not just to resurrection and renewed life. 

But as I sit with this today, I know that vulnerability is not equally shared by all of us. LGBTQ+ folks tend to be more vulnerable to hatred and attacks than those of us who are straight; women tend to be more vulnerable than men; people of color tend to be more vulnerable than those of us who are white; poorer people tend to be more vulnerable than those who are wealthier. 

So I pray today for healing for communities who have been harmed. I pray for those who are afraid and traumatized by attacks like this. I pray for those who have committed these actions, that they may find repentance and offer restoration. I pray for myself, and all of us, that we may see our own sins as clearly as we see the sins of others. 

And I am grateful for the mercy and grace of Jesus, who is the one who redeems us and saves us from sin.