President's Message

“May your humanity be honored

May you honor the humanity of all others

And may each one of you go forth bearing light, grace, compassion, and love out into a world desperately in need of you.”

Rev. Erica Thompson, Connecticut House of Representatives Chaplain on opening day, Feb 9, 2022

Walking into the capitol building to deliver the final benediction of the opening day ceremonies, a man hurled misogynistic insults at Reverend Thompson, called her a commie traitor, and spit on the ground in disgust. And just moments after uttering these unifying words, Rev. Thompson was accosted while walking to her car with a police escort. This time, a woman yelled “Take off your (expletive) mask and let us see your face, you traitor b----.”

In Reverend Thompson’s Hartford Courant op-ed, she offered a message that we can all carry close to our hearts but also on the tips of our tongues as we travel to Washington DC next week to advocate for the credit union movement: “My heart aches this week for the world and for the terrible harm we needlessly inflict upon each other. We must do better! . . . And may each one of you go forth bearing light, grace, compassion and love out into a world desperately in need of you.”

We did not leave our future to chance when our states united. Instead, we launched this government on March 4, 1789, under a written Constitution that left room for a familial coexistence complete with familial dissent, disagreement and discord. We made a deal that we would each limit some of our freedoms in exchange for a promise to work together to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

The very first word of the preamble to our Constitution is “We.” The people of the United States includes everyone from sea to shining sea — from those who “Feel the Bern” to those who would “Make America Great Again.” Like it or not, “we” bound ourselves by certain ideals that supersede partisan affiliation and transcend parochial concern.

Soon it will be morning again in America. Morning will come when we find compassion for the anguish and anger coming from the other foxhole. We will make sense of it all when, like the Good Samaritan, we put ourselves in harm’s way to help someone who may hate us enough to hurt us. Domestic tranquility will come when we each hold ourselves accountable for turning our backs on American unity and begin to bind our neighbors’ wounds without expectation of recompense or accolade.

In response to the woman’s vicious demand, Reverend Thompson did pull down her mask. She replied, “I am neither a traitor nor a b----. I’m a chaplain. The woman said, “Well, you have a beautiful smile.”

Day is breaking in America.

As always,
Bruce