Dear Friends,
We have been hearing much in the news lately about Presidents. First came the death of Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States. Carter lived to be 100, and most people, regardless of their politics, experienced him as a person of humility and grace. Apparently, Carter revealed that in 1974, when he was the Governor of Georgia, he told his mother that he was thinking about running for President. His mother looked him up and down and replied, “President of what?”
Then on Monday we have the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. For us, the new administration means that beginning on Sunday, January 26, once again we will be praying for “Donald, our President.” Trump is a controversial, divisive figure. Very few people don’t have a strong opinion about him, positive or negative. But one thing we can all agree on is that whoever occupies the Oval office needs our prayers. I will be praying for President Trump: that he be filled with the Spirit of God; that he uses his power to promote justice and peace; that he respects the dignity of every human being. Like it or not, Trump is the leader the country has chosen. It is in all of our best interest to pray that he serves the nation well.
But perhaps you are not quite ready to pray for “Donald, our President.” If so, allow me to suggest an intermediate step (and please receive this with the spirit of humor intended). You can pray for me, “Donald, your President.” You may be asking, as did Jimmy Carter’s mother, “President of what?” Well, earlier today I appointed myself the President of a newly-formed organization that I just now invented: the Greenwich Village Episcopal Mets Fans, henceforth to be known as GVEMF. How do you pronounce Gvemf? It is pronounced, “Gvemf.” I note that when I say the word forcefully, it sounds like the noise my cats make when they are hacking up a hairball.
The mission of Gvemf is to acknowledge that in Greenwich Village, there are a few Episcopalians who are not actively rooting against the New York Mets. In pursuit of its mission, Gvemf will have no membership dues and no budget. Gvemf will have no meetings, no board of trustees, and ipso facto, no meetings to obsess over who will be on the board of trustees. The important thing is that I, Donald, be the President.
What are the requirements for belonging to Gvemf? We want this to be an inclusive community, so I am setting the membership bar low. You must live, work, or worship somewhere in the vicinity of Greenwich Village, Manhattan. Or, at least at one point in your life have wanted to do one of these three things. You must be an Episcopalian, which means that when you walk past Grace Church on Broadway, you think deep spiritual thoughts and declare, “Gosh, maybe someday I’ll actually go inside there.” Finally, you must be a Mets fan, which requires you to root for the Mets, unless they are playing against a team you like more than the Mets. So yes, Yankee fans, it may be a tough pill to swallow, but you can belong to Gvemf. Whoever you are, and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you can pray for “Donald, our President.” You can pray for me, and let God sort out who’s who.
Seriously, friends, when the time comes, let’s commit ourselves to praying for Donald Trump, our 47th President. God bless America. Let’s go Mets.
See you in church,