Beloved Ones,

“We all experience sadness, we all come at times to despair, and we all lose hope that the suffering in our lives and in our world will ever end. I want to share with you my faith and my understanding that this suffering can be transformed and redeemed. There is no such thing as a totally hopeless case… God is transforming the world now—through us—because God loves us.” —Desmond Tutu, God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time

These words from Archbishop Tutu speak deeply to our life of faith in a moment when many are carrying fear, grief, and uncertainty. As Christians, we do not deny suffering, but we also refuse to surrender hope. We believe that God’s love is at work even now, calling us toward healing, truth, reconciliation, and peace.

In recent weeks, the deaths of two American citizens in Minnesota during federal immigration enforcement operations have brought renewed sorrow and deep concern to many communities. In response, a group of Episcopal bishops from across the church, including myself and the retired bishops of Ohio, have issued a statement rooted in prayer, conscience, and our shared theological commitments. This is not a statement from the House of Bishops, but a witness offered by individual bishops seeking to speak faithfully together into a painful moment.

At its heart, this witness rests on enduring Christian convictions:

• Hope over fear. Scripture reminds us that fear is never God’s final word. We are called to trust that God’s reconciling and transforming love is stronger than forces that divide and terrify.
• Dignity over harm. Every person is created in the image of God and is worthy of care, protection, and respect, a truth that guides how we see one another and how we examine the world around us.
• Faithful complexity. We acknowledge that many who serve in law enforcement and public safety do so with sincere intentions and a desire for peace, even as we grieve the loss of life and hold space for lament and moral reflection.

The decision to speak publicly grew out of pastoral conversation with the Rt. Rev. Craig Loya, Bishop of the Diocese of Minnesota, as we listened to accounts of pervasive fear affecting communities in the state of Minnesota. These stories remind us that the Church is called not to withdraw, but to remain present, prayerful, attentive, and grounded in the Gospel.

One of the great gifts of The Episcopal Church is our commitment to staying in relationship across differences. We seek ongoing conversation shaped by prayer, scripture, and mutual respect.

I invite you to join in opportunities for shared prayer and discernment in the weeks ahead. Both of these opportunities are open to everyone:

• Weekly Compline through March 29 — Sundays at 7:30 p.m.
• Post-leadership call conversation — February 4 at 12:30 p.m.

You may read the full statement here, including this passage that speaks powerfully to this moment: “The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters? Our faith gives a clear answer: everyone’s. Safety built on fear is an illusion. True safety comes when we replace fear with compassion, violence with justice, and unchecked power with accountability. That’s the vision our faith calls us to live out—and the promise our country is meant to uphold. In the face of fear, we choose hope.”

May God grant us courage to face hard truths, grace to listen well, and hope to trust that suffering can indeed be transformed, because God loves us, and because God is not finished with this world.

God’s Peace,

+Anne

The Rt. Rev. Anne B Jolly
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio