In a recent sermon, the Very Rev. Gary Hall of the Washington National Cathedral called for the removal of Confederate imagery from the church’s stained-glass windows and said that new images should match “our shared aspirations for a diverse, just, and compassionate nation.” We couldn’t agree more, which is why PETA rushed a letter to him offering to sponsor a replacement window that promotes compassion and respect for humans and nonhumans alike.
As we learn from the life of Jesus, Christians are called to stand up for the marginalized and downtrodden.
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.
Isaiah 1:17
The stained-glass window that we proposed would promote a diverse, just, and compassionate world in which victims of violence are lifted up and a symbol of injustice is taken down. Since it first opened its doors, the Washington National Cathedral has boldly confronted the nation’s most pressing moral and social issues, and we hope officials there will continue that legacy by accepting our offer.
