On Cathedral Day last fall, I shared a message with our in-person and online congregation that I want to highlight as we begin a new year. I hope it will inspire you as, together, we navigate the days ahead. 

“I worry that because of our grandeur and beauty, because of the investment of time, talent and treasure in the creation and care of this incredible space, we will forget our purpose, forget who we are. One of my worries is that Washington National Cathedral, the institution, will overshadow Washington National Cathedral, the body of Christ.  

“It is hard to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is hard to give as we have been given to. It is hard to forgive those who have hurt or wronged us. It is hard to be like Christ in the world. But that is exactly what we are called to do—to be like Christ. 

“These are trying times we are living through; times when it seems like the very norms and standards that hold our country together are coming apart all around us. We are seeing a rise in hate speech, political violence and extremism. We are seeing a resurgence of racism that is so blatant, bold and ugly that I am not sure if I am living in 2025 or 1935. Our leaders unashamedly lie, proclaim their hatred for their political enemies and look for what they can tear down rather than what they can build up. 

“I believe now more than ever that one of the most important things the church can do, that this Cathedral can do, is to speak into these times with the values of our Christian faith that abhors racism, violence, dishonesty and hatred. 

“I have said it many times, but the health and well-being of our democracy depend upon the presence of our Judeo-Christian values as the rock upon which this country stands. As John Adams put it, ‘Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.’ 

“That is why we say this Cathedral stands at the intersection of the sacred and the civic. That’s why we have focused our programming on finding a better way—a better way to live together, to listen to one another, to find common cause.  

“This is not about making America a Christian nation; such an idea is an anathema to our Constitution. We are a nation of many religions. But our behavior, our politics, needs to be anchored in a common set of values that promote justice, peace, love of neighbor and respect for every human being. Our country needs this Cathedral and every other religious institution of goodwill to stand up, speak out and demand the return of such values. 

“So here we stand—118 years after faithful men and women gathered on this hilltop, set a cornerstone, and prayed that a house of prayer for all people might rise to the glory of God and the healing of the nation.  

“Their world was also divided, anxious and searching for hope. Yet they built anyway—stone by stone, gift by gift, prayer by prayer—because they believed this Cathedral could help call a country to its better angels. 

“Now it is our turn.  

“Our turn to remember that we are not curators of a monument but stewards of a mission. Our turn to make sure this house is not merely admired, but alive with worship, alive with compassion, alive with truth spoken in love.  

“May we, who have inherited so much, dare to give as boldly as those who came before us. May we be the living stones who build upon their foundation. And may God, our help in ages past and our hope for years to come, guide this Cathedral and each of us into the future with courage, faith and love.” 

Click to read or watch Dean Randy’s full sermon.