On January 1, 1956, John F. Kennedy published the book Profiles in Courage, which he had written with collaborator/ghost writer Ted Sorenson. It told the stories of eight U.S. Senators who had taken principled stands on governmental and political issues, believing those stands to be in the best interest of America, despite risks to their careers. Kennedy didn’t necessarily agree with their positions, but he admired their courage. His family later created a Profiles in Courage Award to honor more brave and outspoken people who put others before themselves.
On January 21, 2025, we watched as another American leader showed the courage that made her worthy of such an honor. The Right Rev. Mariann Budde has been the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington D.C. and Maryland since 2011, and on January 21st, in the Inaugural Prayer Service at the National Cathedral, Bishop Budde quietly, clearly, and respectfully spoke to the new President and to all of us about national unity and mercy.
She suggested three foundations of unity: honoring the inherent dignity of every human being; honesty; and humility. If the first of these foundations is unacceptable to a man who constantly mocks other people, including people with disabilities and American soldiers who have been wounded fighting for their country, it’s not surprising. If the second foundation offends a man who makes up lies almost every time he speaks publicly, it’s not surprising. If the third foundation doesn’t appeal to a man who says he was saved by God to make America great again, I guess that shouldn’t surprise us, either.
And Bishop Budde’s plea for mercy for the most vulnerable and frightened people in our country apparently bothered not only the President, but his many blind followers, who then threatened the Bishop who had preached the Gospel.
Bishop Budde spoke from scripture and from her heart, knowing she was risking her position and even, perhaps, her safety. She was speaking ttruth not just to a power structure, but to a man who relishes, salivates over, and perhaps even lives for, revenge.
The Bishop knew what she was doing. She later told an interviewer she had been nervous. But she did what was right.
And the attacks followed. The President insulted her on social media. A spokesman for the Proud Boys (I’ve never been able to figure out what they’re proud of) in Toledo called Bishop Budde an “instrument of Satan,” and said she should be defrocked and deported. She is a U.S. citizen, but that didn’t seem to matter. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, who claims he is an ardent Christian, said the Bishop preached “radical ideology.” Unity is radical? Honesty is radical? Mercy is radical? Apparently to some. But it seems to me the Bishop is preaching Christian ideology.
A spokesperson for the right-wing Alliance Defending Freedom said, “There’s no such thing as a ’trans kid.’ Just like there is no such thing as a ‘female bishop,’” in two sentences erasing millions of people and one brave and worthy prelate.
And then there were the angry people who “doxed” her, meaning that they publicly disclosed personal information, including her home address, which put her in immediate danger.
It’s reassuring that countless people have written to praise Bishop Budde. Her church reaffirmed its support and respect for her.
The United Church of Christ stands solidly beside her. Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, President and CEO of the UCC, wrote, “Our voices join with Bishop Budde. This is the time to do what is right….”
It so often takes courage to do what is right. We need that courage right now. Bishop Mariann Budde is an example to all of us.
This blog is the opinion of the author and does not represent the position of the Worcester Area Mission Society, United Church of Christ.