Dame Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury, Spoke for a Christianity of Love and Kindness - How Radical!

Sarah Mullally, 2019

“In the midst of such profound global uncertainty, the possibility of healing lies in acts of kindness and love.”

How does a Christian defend kindness and love against their deadliest enemies: fear, indifference, and vengeance? On October 3, 2025, in her first major speech after becoming the new Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverand Sarah Mullally spoke for a Christianity of love, compassion, and mercy. Throughout her speech, she reached out with a larger lesson! She looked to the big picture. She spoke, not just for rejecting fear, but for the larger moral principle – the principle of hope:

“Hope is made of the infinite love of God, who breathed life into creation and said it was good. Hope shimmered in the courage of Abraham and Sarah and the challenging call of the prophets. … Hope is found in Christ’s triumph over sin and death.”

In an era dominated by right-wing rage, love is suddenly controversial? Apparently it is. Conservative Reverand Paula White prayed against “every demonic network that has aligned itself against the purpose and calling of President Trump.” Baptist minister Russell Moore reports that conservative congregations are telling their ministers not to preach from the Sermon on the Mount, because they find it “weak” and too “liberal.” Are such views in any way consistent with Bishop Mullally’s vision of hope and compassion?

Paula White Prayed against Trump's Enemies

Mullally neither named leaders of the right-wing movement, nor did she shame them. Instead, she stood up for the biblical message. She focused on the positive, ignoring the negative: instead of refuting other social trends, she sought to uplift the issue. For example, she said:

"In every church you will encounter Jesus Christ, and his teaching to love one another: our source and our standard. This is both gift and responsibility. Jesus Christ is the life-changing hope that brings us together as church, even in our own brokenness and messiness – and sends us out into the world to witness to that Love."

After praying about God’s “generous mercy” from the Book of Common Prayer, Mullally stated her life’s mission:

“Washing feet has shaped my Christian vocation as a nurse, then a priest, then a bishop. In the apparent chaos which surrounds us, in the midst of such profound global uncertainty, the possibility of healing lies in acts of kindness and love.”

The speaker never mentioned the politicians who seek power by spreading racism and greed. She didn’t need to! Instead, she wisely recognized that those politicians merely symptomize a society that thinks small while clinging to false ideals:

“In an age that craves certainty and tribalism, Anglicanism offers something quieter but stronger: shared history, held in tension, shaped by prayer, and lit from within by the glory of Christ.”

As she pointed out the risks of “certainty,” of course, she implicitly attacked the false feeling that we can overcome strife by clinging to dogma. The evil of “tribalism” arises when we blame our misfortunes on persons outside of our own community or group. 

Antisemitism may be the oldest tribalist evil. So, continuing to oppose antisemitism, Mullally drew a moral lesson from a recent synagogue shooting. Not only did she sympathize with the victims, but she also emphasized the larger point, that we must overcome the “fractures” that separate us instead of uniting us. That larger point reinforced her theme:

“Mindful of the horrific violence of yesterday’s attack on a synagogue in Manchester, we are witnessing hatred that rises up through fractures across our communities.”

Communities, tribalism—Mullally urged the world toward unity. To see the bigger picture, to care about one another with love and compassion.

We do, I have noticed, live in an era when too many people misuse the Christian faith, and other faiths, as weapons to divide us. People express bigotry against those whose faith differs from their own. People too often wish to destroy other faiths rather than to live by the principles of their own faith—principles of love and kindness. 

Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana’s Sermon about the Summer of Love: Is Love the Answer to Nazism?

Pope Francis' Sermon for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees

Throughout this quiet but thought-provoking speech, Mullally repeatedly examined society’s practical and moral failings. Yet she appealed to solve them, not by nuts-and-bolts politics, but by renewing Christian principles: faith, compassion, and service. The big picture is often the best.

by William D. Harpine   

____________

Note: in the Anglican Communion’s structure, the Archbishop of Canterbury exercises direct authority only over her own church region. However, the worldwide Anglican community considers her to be “first among equals.” Her leadership comes not from authority, but from the force of her wisdom, combined with the respect that believers give to her office. What better way is there to lead, then to lead by moral power?  

Copyright © 2025 by William D. Harpine

Image of Most Reverand Sarah Mullally: 

Roger Harris, public domain, some restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons