Clergy from left, Deacon Amy Schmuck, Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, retired, The Rev. Mary Ann Hill. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com
By Deacon Amy Schmuck
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church
For several months, thanks to a member at our congregation, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, I and my ministry colleague have worn a colorful button on our vestments during worship that reads, “Make America Kind Again”. The response was positive, and so that congregation member bought MANY buttons for others to also wear or hand out. My husband has made it a habit to wear one on his bag, and when someone makes a comment on it, he offers it to them as a gift – a token – a missal – and pulls out the next button to wear out and about again.
I believe all the buttons have been distributed, and I know others have given them out to friends or strangers as well. This small act of kindness and small message of kindness has a possible ripple effect beyond what we might actually see and experience, but that is where trust in God comes into play. God will shepherd this message because God is bigger than America, and God is love.
Whatever ways you honor this milestone of 250 years of independence, may we all remember that the best element of being a part of America’s story comes in recognizing how much we need one another. When we embrace an attitude of interdependence, collaboration, community care, and love of our neighbor we engage in the best parts of our humanity, the best parts of our spirit, and hopefully we can live up to the words of our Declaration of Independence Preamble:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Through one of my many email subscriptions from Christian writers this poem, “Dear Mr. Witman,” was shared by Diana Butler-Bass on her blog. The author Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer wrote this in response to Walt Witman’s work, “I Hear America Singing.”
“Dear Mr. Whitman,”
September 20, 2025, by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
“I want to hear America singing
all those varied carols you mentioned.
But it’s noise now, Walt, more shouting
than song. As if volume makes a leader.
Any singer knows being louder
just makes discord, and harmony
needs constant attunement
to every other singer.
I want to hear America listening.
Want a citizen chorus that knows07
our voices are only as good as our ears.
I want a new song that begins
with a silence that stretches
from sea to shining sea—
the kind of silence that holds
every one of us, every part of us.
And when the many parts do arise,
glorious in their differences,
I want to hear inside them
the careful attention that tunes
them to each other, I want to hear
in our song the deep listening that makes
even the most uncomfortable dissonance
beautiful.”
For more information about the poet: https://ahundredfallingveils.com/about/.
Editor’s note: ‘All Shall Be Well’ is a column written by local women clergy, including The Rev. Mary Ann Hill, Rector, Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church (momaryannhill@gmail.com); Deacon Amy Schmuck, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church (deaconamy@bethluth.com); and ELCA Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, M.Div., retired (czoebidd@gmail.com).
