In his Ash Wednesday letter, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean W. Rowe opens with Exodus, where Pharaoh blocks Israel’s freedom. Pharaoh clings to power and control, even as chaos spreads through Egypt. Rowe says Pharaoh cannot imagine liberation because he centers himself. He links that hardened heart to the Ash Wednesday prayer for “new and contrite hearts.” And he admits the prayer feels urgent this year.
Turning From Polarization Toward God’s Imagination
Rowe says many people now live in a “wasteland of Pharaoh’s imagination.” He points to violence, dehumanization, and injustice in public life. But he also warns that constant division makes it easy to harden the heart. Anger can rule us, and indifference can freeze us, so spiritual damage grows.
Supporters of Rowe’s message welcome his call to resist outrage. They may see Lent as a shared chance to heal communities and value how he names injustice while urging spiritual renewal.
Detractors may worry he paints political conflict too broadly. Some may think his language blurs responsibility for specific harms. Others may resist church leaders addressing public life because they fear partisanship.
Love of Neighbor as the Path to Conversion
Rowe urges Christians to turn from Pharaoh’s imagination to God’s, citing Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as ourselves. He argues this teaching shows people belong to one body, and hatred harms everyone. He quotes Howard Thurman’s “Jesus and the Disinherited” to warn that hatred corrodes moral life. But Rowe says leaving polarization is hard, and conversion takes effort.
Lent Witness and Planned Services
Rowe says Lent offers a focused season for fasting, praying, and seeking conversion together. He recalls the 1928 prayer: “Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned.” He also announces that bishops will host public liturgies during Holy Week to lament violence and hatred. And he invites Episcopalians to attend nearby services when possible.
He will host a Zoom prayer service on Palm Sunday, March 29, at 8 p.m. Eastern. He says details will follow soon. Rowe closes by comparing conversion to Paul’s transformation, which begins dramatically but continues for life.
Source:
Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s Ash Wednesday letter to the church
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