April 19, 2021

Written By Paul Walker

A friend reminded me that Dostoyevsky described many of his characters as both “sentimental and cruel”. That isn’t your typical pairing, is it? How can sentimentality be cruel?

I agree with my friend’s assessment that sentimentality is love without truth, and cruelty is truth without love. It’s the human condition before it recognizes that grace is truth and that truth leads inexorably to grace.

In Christ we have both grace and truth. St. John says this. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

“Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us according to your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Noonday Prayer – BCP p. 107)

Paul Walker

Paul was called to serve as Priest-in-Charge in 2008. He was called to be the 12th Rector of Christ Episcopal Church on September 23, 2009. He was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. Paul graduated from the University of Virginia in 1986 with a degree in English and received his Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1995. Previously, he served as Associate Rector at Christ Episcopal Church from 1995 to 2001, as Canon for Parish Life and Chaplain of the Day School at The Cathedral Church of the Advent (Birmingham, AL) from 2001-2004, and as Director of Anglican College Ministry at Christ Episcopal Church from 2004-2008. Paul is married to Christie and they have three children, Hilary, Glen, and Rob.

Previous

April 20, 2021
Next

April 16, 2021