Grace Cathedral

Dear Friends,

After Tuesday’s election, it seems like the world has never needed Grace Cathedral more.

I’m writing to you from the Peet’s Coffee shop on Brannan and Sixth where it is impossible not to overhear the conversation at the next table. My neighbor is addressing someone else, “A convicted felon and he gets elected… devious, smart people with a plan… dysfunctional!” He sounds so hurt by the events of this week.

You may be hearing conversations like this, too. I have heard from immigrants who worry about mass deportations and from friends who feel the election revealed our culture’s deep misogyny and racism. Yet others wonder about whether or not their marriages are at risk. My neighbor is now talking about what this election will mean for the future of democracy and for wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Grace Cathedral includes such a wide diversity of people. We have some who are very pleased about the election, as well as others who feel overcome by grief. The world has never needed Grace Cathedral more.

We kept vigil on election day with morning and evening prayer and with Yoga on the Labyrinth. After the election, we put up a sign saying, “Enter in hope: Leave in peace. Pray Here.” This communication brought many more people than usual into the cathedral for silent prayer.

Thousands of additional others have reached out to our online channels. They have also joined us for daily online morning prayer, our Wednesday noon Eucharist, and the Vine. This week, a few hundred people came to our special Choral Evensong with Multifaith Prayers for the Nation. I can’t tell you how many people I have seen quietly walking the indoor and outdoor labyrinths!

In times like this, our core commitment to the dignity of all people and the integrity of the natural world is particularly important. John writes, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” With Jesus as our light, we remember that there is something beyond the human world of misunderstanding, intimidation, selfishness, and disappointment. We all have a share in the realm of God and I feel so very blessed that we are all in this together.

Please be sure to join us this Sunday at 11 am (November 10) for our annual All Souls’ Requiem. This is such a special and beautiful service. This year, our choir will be singing Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem accompanied by a full orchestra. It is one of the most beautiful musical offerings of the year in San Francisco. I look forward to seeing you here.

Love,

Malcolm