“This is Bishop John, sending you greetings from St. Paul’s Commons in Echo Park on behalf of all my colleagues on the diocesan staff and me; greetings and blessings on this eve of the feast of the Epiphany, when we remember that the way of love led the holy visitors to the place in Bethlehem where something had begun that would change the universe forever.
“There’s so much work left to do to build the realm of peace and justice and righteousness that the holy child pioneered. In the West Bank and Gaza, Orthodox Christians will observe Christmas tomorrow. Their celebrations will be shadowed by war, but remember what the gospel teaches, which is that the shadow can never overcome the light of Christ.
“The gospel makes the best case for love – and no one preaches it more brilliantly than our presiding bishop, Michael Curry.
“This Epiphany – mindful of the holy child, mindful of the children who have died in Israel and Gaza, urgently praying for those who remain at risk, beseeching every fighter, every commander, every politician to cease the dark work of war and turn instead to the light of the way of peace – this Epiphany, we’ve never needed to hear the case for love more.
“And by the grace of God, we can, because on Tuesday, Jan. 23 – in theaters all over the country and all over the Diocese of Los Angeles – a feature-length film, A Case for Love, which was produced right here in our diocese by Brian Ide’s Grace-Based Films; on Jan. 23, for one day only, A Case for Love will have its premiere.
“You can find the theater closest to you and the showtimes by searching on-line or visiting diocesela.org. Again, search for A Case for Love, to be shown on Tuesday, Jan. 23 only – and get a group together from your church or family, community or neighborhood, and go along to see it.
“While you’re visiting diocesela.org, please consider making a gift to the One Body and One Spirit Annual Appeal. You’ll find information about it right on top of the website. Our appeal makes dozens of grants each year to missions and parishes for repairs, new ministries, and other projects. We’ll be announcing another round of grants later this month.
“So this is our Epiphany work this year, my siblings in Christ: Follow the way of love to Bishop Curry’s movie on Jan. 23. Follow the way of love by making a gift to the annual appeal, which helps us keep all together on the road to the promised land. And in the spirit of Epiphany, follow the way of love in your heart by praying that the light of Christ will annihilate the shadow of war in the land of our Lord’s birth.
“I’ll see you at the movies and all along the sunlit, Christ-lit Epiphany road.”
Please join the 229 donors who, to date, have raised $333,191.86 in 389 gifts to the 2022-24 Annual Appeal, through which the Corporation of the Diocese makes grants to congregations and institutions seeking to meet unbudgeted expenses. Click here to make a gift or download a grant application packet.
A new round of grants will be awarded January 23, 2024, responding to applications filed by November 1, 2023. Application deadline for the next grant cycle is May 1, 2024. Details are here.