Harrison Butker gave a speech. I'd like to have coffee with him. This is my invitation!

To Harrison Butker,

I would love to go out for coffee with you and have a conversation about the views you expressed in your commencement speech a week ago Saturday, May 11 at Benedictine College in Kansas.  Consider this letter an invitation. I’ll even buy. The location would probably need to be near me—so you would have to travel. You're 28, and I'm 60. I think we could learn from each other. I suppose we could Zoom—but that doesn’t seem all that interesting. Who wants to Zoom a coffee conversation with someone they’ve never met? 

Your speech has attracted a lot of attention. You don’t need the link, but someone reading my blog might want it. Full Text: Harrison Butker of Kansas City Chiefs Graduation Speech| National Catholic Register (ncregister.com) I’ve read it twice and read many commentaries and Social Media responses. I don’t know if you enjoy all of this attention, but in being the placekicker for the Chiefs you’re used to performing in front of large crowds.

In my ministry I’ve shared that there is more that brings us together than separates us. If we were having coffee, I would start by looking for common ground between the two of us. And I don’t think it would be hard to find. Both of us love our family. You mentioned your wife, Isabelle in your speech. I would tell you stories about my wife, Amy, who works on staff for a Catholic church. You have three kids, and I’d love to hear more about their lives. I would tell you about Hannah, our daughter who is already rocking the world. She and her partner, Carter, just became parents of Elouise. I would show you pictures of Elouise and tell you about her baptism that I had the privilege of officiating last month in the Presbyterian congregation I serve. Carter and Hannah are terrific parents—Mother’s Day was a special day in our household. I’d tell you about my step-son Drew, and how he served our country in the military in Iraq.

And both of us love sports. I’d love to hear stories of kicking for the Chiefs and what it was like to make a 57 yard field goal in the Super Bowl. Wow! My stories of being an athlete pale in comparison. I could tell you what it was like to defeat our cross-town rivals my senior year of college, and how I still love going to Laird Stadium where the esteemed (in my mind) Carleton Knights play on Saturdays. You’re reached a completely different level of success, but my love and passion for football probably is similar to yours.

Then I would tell you about my own faith. It would take a long time to discuss our journeys. I'd share how as a Presbyterian pastor I've been attending Mass ever since I met Amy twenty-six years ago. You were two years old when Amy and I met. Just yesterday I sang in the choir on Pentecost at the Catholic church in Lino Lakes. Father Mike Anderson gave a terrific homily about Pentecost and how the Spirit brought people who were very different together. He shared that the same idea applies in our day. He encouraged people at that congregation to reach out to the local Muslim community. We’re called to look for connections with people who are far different than us. 

For what It’s worth I’ve probably participated in the Eucharist at a Catholic Mass more times than some Catholics. I would tell you about the deep respect I have for the Catholic church. I would share stories about the priests and nuns I’ve known over the years for whom I have great admiration.  

I’d certainly like to talk about your speech. You were out there! Criticizing President Biden for making the sign of the cross at a rally. Was your statement more about Catholic identity or about your disagreement about abortion? You were clear about your views about abortion in your speech. But for you, a football kicker, to say that President Biden is not Catholic because of this act seems to be a huge stretch. 

I would want to talk about who gets to have the authority about faith. Who gets to decide who is Catholic or Presbyterian or even Christian. I’ve been preaching as a Presbyterian pastor for almost thirty years, but I’ve never declared that someone is not a Presbyterian. I’ve never really had a conversation about this. Technically the Session of our congregation would decide this. 

But who gets to decide who is a Christian? Isn’t this up to God? Do you get to decide this because you have a particular view. To me your view seems quite narrow—not consistent with what Father Mike Anderson shared in a homily yesterday at a Catholic church. 

I would also want to talk about the way of Jesus. I do feel qualified to talk about this as I’ve been reading and teaching and preaching about Jesus for longer than you've been alive. One of the four objectives of my life is to love like Jesus loved. I would certainly want to talk about how he reached out to Samaritans, loved prostitutes, and reached out to people who lived on the margins. Jesus asked them to follow him. He didn’t say that they had to accept a listing of ten beliefs or practice their faith in a particular way to be his followers. 

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the response of the Benedictine sisters to your speech. Benedictine Sisters respond to remarks of Harrison Butker (hayspost.com) They rejected what they called your narrow view of being Catholic and embraced an inclusive faith that they identified as being Benedictine.

Jesus was clear that what was most important to him was to love God and to love our neighbor as we love ourself. You didn’t speak about agape love in your speech. You opened your speech by talking about how you have a reputation for speaking your mind. But even the Pharisees had an opinion. They spoke their mind and were rejected by Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote that if a person speaks in the tongues of angels and does not have love that person is a noisy gong or clanging cymbal.  Paul wrote that “love is patient and kind. It’s not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4) I’d want to know if you are more interested in being a noisy gong or to live with patience and kindness—the biblical way of agape love. 

You have received a lot of criticism for your views of women. You talked about how your wife, Isabelle, truly found her vocation as a wife and a mother. I’d be interested in knowing more about your views of women’s vocation. From your speech I’m not completely sure how you look at this. 

I do know how I view the vocation of women. I want to create a world where women can freely use their gifts in whatever vocation they choose. I’m so proud of my wife, Amy, and the way she has used her many gifts to impact the church. I know that my daughter, Hannah, is going to make a terrific impact by using her gifts. And I’m excited to see how my granddaughter, Elouise, will use her gifts. Certainly Amy and Hannah use their gifts in their family, but just like with men their vocation extends in areas beyond the family. 

And you spent a lot of time talking about the Latin Mass. This is a topic that I don’t know a lot about. But I certainly would ask some questions. I would want to know what makes the language of Latin more sacred than the language of English—or any language. When Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples the day before he died, he probably spoke Aramaic. But I’ve never heard any Catholic want to have Mass said in the language of Aramaic. 

So let’s have coffee. I’m interested in learning more. And until people sit down and talk with respect about their views, all of us are going to fall into the polarization that is plaguing our world. And I don’t believe Jesus is happy about that.

 I’m willing to clear out my calendar. Let me know when you’re free. You can email me at pastor@colpres.org.