++Katharine's Sunday sermon

Preached this morning at Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans:

This morning's gospel has Jesus sending his disciples out to move around, to bring hope and healing wherever they go. He charges them to drive out division and to heal. Proclaiming the kingdom of God is about reconciling the world; driving out demons is about removing all the forces that seek to divide – and they're both are essential kinds of healing. Those who are sent out get quite direct and simple instructions – travel light – and some other, more puzzling instructions, about entering and leaving houses and towns.

Traveling light is something that most of us learn if we have to do very much of it. When I flew back into New York at the beginning of September, my plane got in early, but my bag didn't turn up for almost two hours. I had a good long time to repent of the volume of stuff I carried – it would have been so much easier to carry on.

The people of this city had little choice about traveling light as they tried to flee the winds and waters of Katrina. Some got out early enough to take a suitcase and drive away for what they thought would be a long weekend. They returned to find that everything they knew was gone. Suddenly they were traveling lighter than they ever would have chosen. Others who were unable to leave so early swam down streets with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Read the whole sermon at Episcopal Life Online.