February 6, 2026
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I have just returned from a week’s retreat during which I was disconnected from the wider world. Upon my return, I have become acutely aware of the anxieties many of you are dealing with as you read about tensions and conflicts in the country, most recently the tragic deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis amid intensified immigration enforcement and the protests that have followed.
My heart has been heavy hearing from so many of you—clergy and parishioners—who are carrying these burdens. In Christ we are one body, and when one part suffers, we all feel it. In this case, the anxieties are on all sides. Families, communities, law enforcement, and protesters alike are grieving and afraid. Some are afraid to leave their homes. Law enforcement officers and their families are afraid of what each day might bring. Many are dismayed by the level of force used to quell demonstrations and detain noncitizens, and many are dismayed by the actions and vitriol of some of the protesters. And all of this in the context of highly complex and very real issues of immigration, among other things, in our country.
It is impossible to talk about these things without being “political”: all of this has to do with the polis and the governing of people. But as Christians, let us look to the Scriptures and theology, rather than partisanship, to inform our attitudes and actions. How shall our ultimate identity as citizens of the City of God inform our participation in the City of Man?
To this end I commend to you some resources prepared by clergy in our diocese, that I hope may be of assistance as you navigate these days.
- “Between Two Cities,” an article from the Very Rev. Cn. Dr. Bryan Hollon, president and dean of Trinity Anglican Seminary
- A sermon from the Rev. Joshua Bennett at Church of the Ascension this past Sunday
- “My church helps resettle refugees. They’re terrified of ICE.” An opinion article by the Rev. Paul Calvin, rector of Church of the Redeemer in St. Paul, MN, published in USA Today
Above all, let us hold fast to our Sunday intercessions for the peace of the world and the unity of God’s people, and to our daily cry: “Give peace in our time, O Lord, and defend us by your mighty power.”
May the Prince of Peace guard our hearts and minds, and equip us to be agents of His reconciliation.
Grace and peace to you,
The Right Reverend Alex W. Cameron
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh