Koinonia Christian Center
Greenville, North Carolina

12:35 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, church.  Good afternoon.

Oh, please have a seat.  Please have a seat.  (Laughter.) 

Bishop O’neal, I thank you so very much.  We — we’ve had some time to visit before we came out into the sanctuary, and I just thank you for the leadership that you have provided for so long. 

You know, in times of crisis, and — and we’re looking at the images of the aftermath of the hurricane.  But it — it is easy in these moments of crisis to — to question our faith, to sometimes lose our faith for a moment, because what we see is so hard to see that we lose faith or a vision of those things we cannot see but must know.  (Applause.)

And you are such a leader in all of those ways, and I thank you.  (Applause.)  I’m honored to be with you.  I’m honored to be with you.  I’m honored to be with you.  Thank you.

 And, KCC family, thank you for welcoming me today.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)  Thank you.  And thank you for the opportunity to allow me to worship with you.  It does my heart and soul good. 

So, scripture teaches, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  (Applause.)

So, I first encountered the words of Galatians as a young girl at 23rd Avenue Church of God in Oakland, California, which is where I sang in the children’s choir and first learned the teachings of the Bible.  My earliest memories of those teachings are about a loving God, a God who asks us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, to defend the rights of the poor and the needy. 

And so, at an early age, I learned that faith is a verb.  It is something we show in action and in service.  And we show it by heeding the words of my pastor, who Bishop spoke with yesterday, Reverend Dr. Amos C. Brown, who often invokes the words that we all know: One must do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. 

That truth is important at all times and especially in moments of difficulty and disaster, especially in moments like this, as we navigate storms that have inflicted so much harm across our country.

And to all those who have loved ones who have been affected by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene, Doug and I, my husband, are holding of you close in our hearts and in our prayers.  And we are thinking of everyone who has been affected by these storms. 

Now, I know Helene’s impact was further west, but I also know that the people of Greenville, like all Americans, have been inspired by the way communities are coming together, Bishop, in the wake of these storms.  Amid ruined homes, downed power lines, swollen rivers that have been choked with debris, we have seen — we have seen children rescued by neighbors in a kayak; we have seen those who have lost everything gathering donations for others. 

You know, it’s been my experience to see that in a moment of crisis, isn’t it something when you know that, often, it is the people who have the least, give the most?  (Applause.)  Right?

Moments of crisis, I believe, do have a way of revealing the heroes among us, the angels among us, and of showing us all the best of who we are.  And these hurricanes have revealed heroes around all of us, heroes who do not ask the injured or stranded whether they are a Republican or a Democrat — (applause) — but who simply ask, “Are you okay?”; who ask, “What can I do to help?” — heroes who, as I like to say, see in the face of a stranger, a neighbor. 

Yet, church, there are some who are not acting in the spirit of community.  And I am speaking of those who have been literally not telling the truth — lying — about people who are working hard to help folks in need; spreading disinformation, when the truth and facts are required.  And the — the problem with this, beyond the obvious, is it’s making it harder, then, to get people lifesaving information, if they’re led to believe they cannot trust. 

And that’s the pain of it all, which is the idea that those who are in need have somehow been convinced that the forces are working against them in a way that they would not seek aid.  

And let’s let that sink in for a moment.  Right now, fellow Americans are experiencing some of the most difficult moments in their lives.  Yet, instead of offering hope, there are those who are channeling people’s tragedies and sorrows into grievance and hatred.  And one may ask, “Why?”  And I think, sadly, frankly, the motives are quite transparent: to gain some advantage for themselves, to play politics with other people’s heartbreak.  And it is unconscionable. 

Now is not a time to incite fear.  (Applause.)  It is not right to make people feel alone.  That is not what — and this is a church full of leaders — that is not what leaders, as we know, do in crisis. 

Now is a time to bring folks together, to come together, to be there for one another, and follow the example of all of the heroes all around us.  And now is the time to live up to the fundamental values that reflect our nation at its best: the values of compassion and community and honesty and decency — the values that define the people of Greenville, the — the people of North Carolina, and — and the people like a fellow who I met recently.  His name is Eddie Hunnell.  And I’m going to tell you a quick story about Eddie Hunnell.

So, I met him in Charlotte the other week.  He was visiting Grassy Creek for his son’s wedding when he saw a woman in the raging floodwaters.  First, he tried to rescue her by canoe.  When that didn’t work, this ma- — a perfect stranger, he’s watching — he jumped in the river and pulled her ashore. 

And when I talked with Eddie about his act of courage, here’s what he said to me.  He said, “Well I didn’t feel I had a choice.”  But, of course, he had a choice.  Of course, he had a choice.

But his choice was to take a risk for the sake of another.  Didn’t even reflect on the risk he might have been taking.  (Applause.)  Right? 

His choice was to follow his conscience.  His choice was, in the words of Isaiah, to be “a refuge for the needy in their distress.”  (Applause.)  He chose to remember that we are all in this together.

And if that is true during a terrible storm, it is also true when the storm passes.  (Applause.)  It is true in our everyday lives.

When Paul wrote his letter to the church in Galatia, he knew folks might feel the weight of the burden of doing good, that they may feel a temptation to turn away from others in their time of need, to believe, “What does it matter?”  But Paul reminded them and us that God calls us not to become weary of doing good. 

Because we each have the power — God tells us this — the power, each one of us, to make a difference.  And that tells us that the measure of our strength will be clear when we see what we can do to lift other people up — (applause) — just as Eddie did and as the heroes and the angels in this church and all over are doing after these storms.  Across North Carolina, Florida, and impacted communities, we are witnessing faith in action.  (Applause.)

So, I close with this.  Let us continue to look in the face of a stranger and see a neighbor.  (Applause.)  Let us recognize that when we shine the light in moments of darkness, it will guide our feet onto the path of peace.  And let us always remember that while weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.) 

Thank you.  May God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.

Thank you, church.  (Applause.) END