Voices: Bishop Budde’s ‘woke’ sermon wasn’t an ambush – it was a reminder of basic Christian values
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The very fact that Trump and the right have reacted so badly over Bishop Budde’s ‘meek and mild’ sermon suggests they aren’t well acquainted with either the Bible or Christianity, writes Kat Brown. Not since the last time the Duchess of Cambridge wore a coat to a carol concert has a church service been under such scrutiny. The National Prayer Service – I assume we’re all big fans? – saw Team Trump in church on Tuesday for a second day in a row... which must be an annual record.
It’s worth emphasising that Bishop Budde is the Bishop of Washington, a position she has held since 2011. Most coverage makes it sound like she’s some random unqualified bishop who’s just toddled in off a chessboard to cause a ruckus. Headlines described the bishop as “ambushing” or “lecturing” Trump to “have mercy”– this last always in inverted commas, much in the way of “Nazi salute”.
By ambushing or lecturing, do we perhaps mean “delivering a sermon as is usual in every church service and therefore doing her actual job”? There was outrage that the bishop spoke to Trump at a prayer service when, presumably, they should be focusing on the bland “thoughts and prayers” beloved of social media commentary after a mass shooting, rather than doing any reflecting themselves.
For someone who extols the support of God as often as Trump, he seems wholly unacquainted with the church. This might explain why he didn’t put his hand on either Bible he had at his swearing-in ceremony. Railing, as he has, about a sermon that preaches compassion is like turning up to a carol service and then complaining about all the songs about snow and babies.
