You missed a terrific opportunity to deliver a bold, unbound Gospel regarding economic injustice (or perhaps state violence) in your message to OWS as they put pressure on The Body of Christ to do the right thing. Instead, you spit out a terse and completely uncharitable response couched in the careful language of the cleverest of all creatures: the attorney.

No. It is worse than that. You imply a violent response from a group that, since the beginning, has made peaceful, non-violent resistance and civil disobedience a core strategy. Your implication is flatly wrong. I urge you to investigate merely one story regarding over-zealous, over-militarized police abuse and confinement of these protesters, then briefly imitate the victim of an unaccountable state brutality. Yeah. That.

When our vestry proposed a community garden in a small corner of St. Andrews’ large and well-kept front lawn, an objection was raised on the opinion that it would be “ugly.” I considered the ample space under our stewardship and could not understand how one would choose idle, empty, fertile ground over planting seeds and reaping a harvest for the express purpose of passing it along.

Yes, this movement is a big deal. A big, ugly deal. But, finally - FINALLY - the narrative of equality and equity is being taken up. This is The Gospel writ large! Look closely… it’s the most archetypal, fundamentally Christian community that we have seen in a long, long time, no?

Your dismissal of these as nothing more than a mob is a telling and sad step backward. It has left a dark and permanent mark on my relationship with The Episcopal Church. Everything that now emanates from your office touting new and fresh thinking will ring hollow and insincere in light of this revelation.

There is no God in your response. No Jesus. No love. Without these, your statements feed the notion that a church is nothing more than a rank political and financial entity.

You could have helped, but you did not. I pray you reconsider your position. It’s important. But I am not hopeful.