Clergy Epistle

Beloved in Christ,

In his sermon on Sunday, Fr. Dion Thompson reminded us of the power words in Micah 6:8. “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” You may have heard of “The Ring of Gyges,” a mythical magic ring that the philosopher Plato recounts in The Republic.

According to the myth, a shepherd name Gyges finds a ring that gives him the power of invisibility and anonymity. Through these powers, he ascends to become King in a rather cruel and wicked way. Given the power of invisibility and anonymity, Gyges’ self-serving nature manifested in utter wickedness.

In a situation where we have the choice to be anonymous, how do we interact or live in the world? One reason why I wear a clergy collar in public is to remind me that I am yoked by my baptism and ordination to reflect Christ’s love in this world. Believe me, it takes a lot of work and most of the time, I fail! However, the blessing that I receive is that my identity is not anonymous, and that lack of anonymity helps me to pause, reframe, and strive to do justice, live in loving kindness, and walk humbly with God.

All of us, by virtue of our baptisms, are marked as “Christ’s own forever.” Whether the world sees the marked crosses on our forehead or not, the oil and chrism that has marked us forever become a part of who we are and alters our ontological-DNA.  As we bear this mark that may not be visible to the world, the question for each and every one of us is simple: given the power of invisibility and anonymity, will you choose to live into your baptismal vows? Will you do justice, love in kindness, and walk humbly with your God? Or will you give in to lures of wickedness?

In Christ,

Manoj