From the RectorDear Parishioners and Friends, In this season of peace and good will, our nation's attention has been fixed on the deaths of two very different people here in New York. One was the CEO of the largest health insurance company in the country. The other was a man struggling with mental illness. One was gunned down on the streets of Manhattan, while the other was choked on a subway train. Both deaths are tragic in their own right. The men who caused the deaths are being hailed, in some quarters, as heroes. I even saw on social media an image of the young man who shot the CEO depicted as a saint in an icon. Our governor has called on New Yorkers to show a little empathy, and I agree with her on that. Yes, we live in a world of broken systems--healthcare (especially for our veterans), mental health, criminal justice, immigration--the list goes on. We find ourselves pondering the untimely deaths of one man who was at the pinnacle of one of these systems, and another who was at the very bottom. Both were human beings. As Episcopalian Christians, how do we respond? First, I think we can turn to our baptismal covenant, especially the last two questions, for guidance. "Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?" and "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?" I will, with God's help. May God, who has given us the will to do these things, give us the grace and power to perform them. Father Rick
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