Red Church Doors

Yes, the front door of St. Matthew's is red. (The "real" front door—the one facing toward Mifflin Avenue, even though most parishioners enter through the parish hall door that faces the parking lot.)

Most Episcopal churches have red front doors, and, as a boy growing up in Washington, I noticed that the red door was pretty common for other denominations. I've seen it on Lutheran, Methodist, and other churches. As usual with traditions, there are a lot of suggested reasons for the red door. One website collected several; here's the one I like best:

The red door tradition originated during the Middle Ages in England when it was a sign of sanctuary. In those days, if one who was being pursued by the local populace, shire reeve (sheriff) or gentry could reach the church door he/she would be safe. Nobody would dare to do violence on hallowed ground and, in any case, the Church was not subject to civil law. The red door was fair warning to pursuers that they could proceed no further. One who claimed sanctuary in this way would then be able to present his/her case before the priest and ask that justice be served.

These days, many who claim the name of "Christian" actually demean or even attack people who are unlike themselves. It is not so with us.

In my few years with the Episcopal Church, I've met quite a variety of people: rich, poor, black, white, college professors, mentally handicapped, gay, straight, transgender, We've got judges and ex-convicts. It's remarkable that all these people get along; it's extremely remarkable that there's nothing remarkable about it. Being gay is the biggest non-issue in the place. Nobody sees any point in talking about it. 

We need to remember that red door. People who are called "unworthy" by American culture really are welcome here and we will do what we can to help you feel at home.

Michael Curry and the Protest

Someone posted a video of Donald Trump on the Episcopalians on Facebook page and asked the question why Bishop Curry would protest against a man of faith such as Trump. "No other president talked like this."

The response was instant and vehement. Some questioned whether the original person was being serious, but most focused on the disagreement between Trump's words and his actions. Here's my response:

If you read the "Reclaiming Jesus" statement, which is central to this discussion, you will see that it does not name Donald Trump. It makes six definite policy statements: It rejects white nationalism, mistreatment of women, attacks on immigrants and refugees, a public pattern of lying, autocratic authoritarianism, and xenophobic nationalism. The old saying is "if the shoe fits, wear it." So if Trump is indeed a white nationalist who advocates mistreating women, advocates mistreating immigrants and refugees, has a habit of public lying, and is moving toward being the autocratic leader of a xenophobic nationalist nation, then it's an anti-Trump statement.

If "Christian" now means now means lying, mistreating women, and hating everyone who isn't my color and ethnicity, I want a new label for myself because that's not what Christ taught me. 

I suspect something deeper is going on here. Christian Dominionism has become a powerful movement within the Evangelical world, and I suspect that Trump seeks to speak their language to use their political power as an instrument to further his own dreams of dominion. It won't work. They will see through him and, when they are powerful enough, they will get rid of him. He's like a little boy who has taken a lion by the tail.

The rest of us should be more afraid of the lion.