by Quentin Bernhard, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Pennsylvania [about the author]
Praying for our leaders, especially those in elected office, came up in conversation during a fall 2023 meeting of the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) Policy Council. Several people mentioned that it was difficult for members of congregations to do this in front of their fellow churchgoers, especially when it involved naming specific leaders and offices. Mere mention of an elected official’s name can elicit a sharp response, especially in our times of political polarization. It is at play in our expressly political institutions as well as in our families, our communities and our church.
This polarization, and how to begin to depolarize both ourselves and our interpersonal relationships, was the topic of a LAMPa fall workshop on depolarization as an act of discipleship in a democracy. While the conversation did not linger on prayers for elected leaders and the role of these prayers in worship, it did bring to the surface the challenges we all face in embracing others in their fullness and complexity – across our sense of division, brokenness, and different understandings of our values. That fullness and complexity is at the heart of our common humanity and yet is so often overlooked in our world. This happens in part because of polarization but also because of the harms and injustices of colonialism, white supremacy and other dehumanizing modes of oppression.
For me, praying for elected officials and candidates—and for all our leaders and community members, regardless of title or status—is a call for them to bring open hearts and minds, to open to the “mystery” of God, and to be open to be changed by it through Christ. It is also an act of hope, that peace and justice might be made real and that the Spirit of wisdom and revelation will allow our leaders to see our neighbors as they really are, fully human and fully loved by God.
Caring about what our leaders do, and acting on that care, is an expression of our love for our neighbors and our faith in a future, transformed by Christ, that we are part of bringing about. When officials and candidates belittle our neighbors here and around the world, consider them deserving of unending bombardments and military assaults, and name them as threats to the United States and its supposed way of life, often defined in Christian nationalist terms, we fall short of seeing that humanity.
Our prayers are important. And our actions make our witness known to our leaders—as disciples and agents of change for God’s world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Quentin Bernhard (he/him), ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow, is serving with Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) – an ELCA state public policy office – with Penn. roots and global perspective. After graduating from Muhlenberg College where he majored in history and political science and minored in Spanish, Berhard spent a year in Senegal through ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission. He has worked with community and advocacy organizations including the Allentown School District Foundation, the Lehigh Valley Zoo and the Climate Action Campaign, and is a member of New Life Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Tripoli, Penn.
Prevailing Human Rights
by Naomi Mbise, Lutheran Office for World Community Fellow
As we navigate through 2023, our world is experiencing human rights violations at an alarming rate. These serve as a stark reminder of the challenges we face in multilateralism. To adapt and protect fundamental freedoms and rights in a rapidly changing world, agility and commitment are needed.
Human Rights Day is 10 December. It marks adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), commemorating in 2023 its 75th anniversary (HR 75). The UDHR has laid the foundation for protecting human rights.
As we reflect on the past and celebrate achievements, let us also acknowledge the work that lies ahead. Embracing agility in human rights requires collective determination. Principles of human rights must not just be ideals but living realities.
In my work at the Lutheran Office for World Community, I am called to advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable. Showing up in spaces where policies of tangible support are created. I often find myself at the intersection of international affairs, grassroot and faith-based networks: working towards the practical realization of human rights within the context of our faith-based and humanity principles.
Courageous Faithful Action
We must not become indifferent to the persistent human rights violations around the globe. The ELCA social message “Human Rights” states, “Too often, we, as members of this society, are buried under the concerns of everyday life. The human rights abuses of people we don’t know or understand are too remote to stir us to action” (p. 8).
As a communion of churches and as people of faith we are called to engage. “The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) views engagement in the search for social and economic justice and the promotion of human dignity as fundamental elements of a holistic Christian ministry and witness,” affirms LWF’s “Faith and Human Rights: Voices from the Lutheran Communion” (p. 9).
In another noteworthy milestone, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) celebrates a decade since the adoption of our Gender Justice Policy in 2013. This marks a significant step forward in promoting equality and inclusivity. The LWF’s commitment to gender justice serves as a beacon for the positive impact that intentional policies can have on the realization of human rights.
Intentional Commitment
The protection of human rights requires intentionality. As guardians of human rights, we must be nimble in our approach, ensuring that our efforts remain aligned with the needs of the ever-changing global community. I find encouragement from author and podcaster Brené Brown, who has emphasized: We need courageous cultures. Brown says: you and I must create and hold spaces that rise to higher standards of behavior than what we experience in the news, on TV and in the streets. I think courageous cultures prioritize protection of human rights.
If you feel despair in trying to make a difference, I have some words of encouragement for you.
You can do more. Yes, you can do more because that’s humanity. You have the wisdom, capacity and power to do more – to create a space for freedom, for peace, for equal access to human rights and for justice. If you are enjoying fundamental human rights, why not others?
The call to action for human rights is clear: we can do better to rise above the challenges and foster an environment where justice, freedom and equality prevail. It is not merely a task; it is a testament to our shared commitment to a better world.
ELCA Presence in Far-Reaching Efforts of COP28
When you hear of the UN Conference of Parties (COP28) meeting in Dubai Nov. 30-Dec. 12, 2024, a faith voice from the ELCA is there in what may seem like far-away yet far-reaching efforts. Six representatives are attending either in-person or virtually to contribute to the dialogue with world leaders as they debate strategies and ambitions to effectively tackle the climate crisis.
The ELCA’s recent social message “Earth’s Climate Crisis” reads:
The ELCA presence at COP28 advances our duty through global dialogues that seek to address pressing environmental challenges.
Climate change affects everyday realities, in many areas such as food shortages, migration, rising grain prices and conflict over resources. With more than 100 faith-based organizations attending, there will be a Faith Pavilion. View COP28 activities from webtv.un.org and from https://www.youtube.com/@UNClimateChange.
Past COP output has brought ‘loss and damage’ fund discussion to the fore which can help nations address damage caused by the increased natural disasters. Being present as faith leaders has impact.
Consider registering for the Jan. 24, 2024, webinar to hear from ELCA COP28 participants: “Voices of Faith in Climate Action: COP28 and Beyond.” And get to know our representatives better in the introductions below.
Asked “Why is it important that the ELCA attends COP28?”, Christine Moffett, ELCA Program Director for Environment and Energy Policy, said:
“There are so many risks accompanied by the impacts of climate change, one of which being the loss of hope. It is important that as people of faith, as Lutherans, we answer the call from God to be stewards of God’s creation, which means to advocate and demand action to address and stop climate change, but in the same vein, to be hope bearers toward a future for all of God’s creation for generations to come.”
Moffett brings a background in both environmental science and political science. She holds a Master of Political Science Degree from the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam in Global Environmental Governance, Climate Change and Sustainability. In addition, she brings experience conducting community needs assessments in accompaniment with tribal nations. In this role with the ELCA, she advocates to the federal government around issues of stewardship of creation, environmental justice, climate change and sustainability, among others, all guided by ELCA social teachings.
Watch @loppca socials for timely COP28 reflections from Regina Q. Banks, JD. She is a womanist climate activist and professional advocate for economic, social and political justice. She currently serves as the Director of the Lutheran Office of Public Policy California, an ELCA-affiliated state public policy office, and Board Chair of Lutheran Social Services of Northern California. Banks is a proud alumna of Valparaiso University School of Law and Lincoln University (Mo.). She lives in her hometown of Sacramento, California, and in her spare time she works on multiple state and local social justice issues including housing security and ending the corrosive influence of money in public policy.
Savannah Jorgensen is the Legislative Coordinator with the Lutheran Office of Public Policy-California, where she previously served as an ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow. Jorgensen holds a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology and a Master of Science in Atmospheric Sciences from Valparaiso University and Texas A&M University, respectively. Her passion is climate change and environmental justice policy. This is her first time participating in COP, and she is excited to engage with and learn from world partners to further our work on climate solutions.
Asked “Why is it important that the ELCA attends COP28?”, Christine Moolo, ELCA Program Director, World Hunger Initiatives, said:
“In the U.S. and around the globe, Indigenous communities are leading the fight against the crisis of climate change. Indigenous leadership, knowledge, and innovation have been critical to protecting Creation, fighting fossil fuels, transitioning to just and sustainable economies and protecting some of the most carbon-rich places on earth. As the ELCA, we have the gift of relationship with Indigenous leaders and educators who continue to show us their ways to care for Creation. COP28 is another opportunity for the ELCA to honor and center Native voices from around the globe and consider how we can learn from and apply Indigenous wisdom and expertise in our local communities and in our nation.”
Moolo is working to extend and deepen the work of ELCA World Hunger in the areas of migrant, environmental, racial, gender and economic justice. She has the privilege to serve with the ELCA AMMPARO executive committee, the board of Lutherans Restoring Creation, the Pine Ridge Reservation Housing initiative and re-establishing the ELCA Community Development Loan Fund. Her previous role was as Manager for Love Mercy Do Justice ministries with the Evangelical Covenant Church, with a focus on racial justice education for congregations. Moolo is an Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Assessor and received her Master of Arts in International Development from Eastern University. Moolo currently resides on the ancestral land of the Peoria, Kikapu and Ocheti Sakowin people, today known as Palatine, Ill.
Tammy Walhof is the Director of Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota, an ELCA-affiliated state public policy office. She enjoys hiking and birdwatching. She has worked, lived and traveled throughout Latin America and been to five African countries, where she learned a great deal about the impacts of our actions on others. In 2022, Tammy and her brother (a forester) went to Iceland, to better understand the impacts of climate change on Arctic regions. Walhof has several decades of advocacy experience through Bread for the World, and Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota.
Asked “Why is it important that the ELCA attends COP28?”, the Rev. Matthew Zemanick, ELCA Program Director for Lutheran Disaster Response Initiatives, said:
“It is important for the church to be present in moments of crisis and important decision making. Mitigating the impacts of climate change and preventing a catastrophic 3-degree Celsius global mean temperature rise is the most important issue human society is facing. It is an honor to be present at COP with the ELCA to bear witness and contribute to solutions to the enormous challenges associated with climate change.”
Pr. Zemanick is responsible for developing emerging initiatives related to Lutheran Disaster Response’s (LDR) resiliency and preparedness programs. Before joining the LDR team, they served for nearly five years on Chicago’s southeast side as a parish pastor, community organizer and environmental justice chaplain. They grew up in the Patapsco River Valley in Central.
November/December Update: Advocacy Connections
from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director
IN TIME OF WAR: As weeks extend in the temporarily paused Isael-Hamas war, faith leaders continue to urge peace. Signed by the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop, several ELCA synod bishops and others through Churches for Middle East Peace, a Nov. 29 letter to President Biden says, “We condemn all acts of violence against civilians and grieve with Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones.” It urges: “You have a unique opportunity to turn the tide of history and finally demand that the fighting stop and that the parties involved resolve their differences through negotiations and diplomatic means. Please do not miss this opportunity. Millions of lives depend on the U.S., no longer being complicit in an unjust war that has already devastated the lives of thousands of civilians. Our prayers are with you in the days and weeks to come. We ask that God give you wisdom and courage to do all you can to bring an end to the killing and the violence.”
Our ELCA advocacy continues to urge Congress and the Administration to: 1) Publicly call for a ceasefire to prevent the further loss of life; 2) Prioritize the protection of all civilians, including by urgently securing the entrance of humanitarian aid into Gaza and working to secure the release of hostages and prisoners; and 3) Urge all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law.
FARM BILL EXTENSION: When Congress temporarily averted a government shutdown until early next year an extension of 2018 Farm Bill programs through Sept. 30, 2024, was also passed. Representatives of ELCA Pennsylvania synods visited Capitol Hill on Oct. 26 and shared experiences and priorities regarding feeding ministries, SNAP benefits, conservation programs and other components of the Farm Bill with U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) staff and offices of elected officials. We thank federal staffers and faith-centered advocates, including bishops, rostered ministers and Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania staff for this impactful effort organized with ELCA D.C.-based advocacy staff. Seeds planted by this fly-in include stronger relationships with USDA staff members, including connecting with ELCA World Hunger colleagues on new ways states and communities can provide healthy nutrition to low-income children during the summer months.
Contacting Congress on Farm Bill measures will be a critical priority for faith-based advocates as negotiations come to the fore in 2024. Our ELCA advocacy will continue to urge Congress to pass a Farm Bill reauthorization that promotes: food for hungry neighbors at home and abroad, healthy rural and farming communities, inclusion of people of all backgrounds, and creation care to feed future generations. Input from hundreds of Lutherans across the country who asked that their voices reach policy makers in the farm bill reauthorization process helped shape this ask, which is described in the ELCA “2023 Farm Bill Asks” summary.
CLIMATE-SMART FARMING FUNDING: As the Farm Bill reauthorization continues to be negotiated, members of the House Committee on Agriculture are worried about a move to steer conservation money intended for climate-smart farming into other programs. This would threaten the additional funding for climate-smart agriculture programs in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. It seems to be a hurdle toward achieving a bipartisan Farm Bill.
GENDER JUSTICE: For the first time, the U.S. government will contribute to the UNICEF/UNFPA’s Global Programme to End Child Marriage. This program was launched in 2016 to fight child marriage in 12 countries that have high prevalence rates, but the United States had not contributed funding for this work. The UNICEF/UNFPA work is separate from the bilateral work that USAID and the State Department are doing to end child marriage globally. Early and forced marriage is among types of gender-based violence identified in ELCA social teaching as the ELCA shares “rich convictions and significant commitments” to address justice for women and girls.
NOTEWORTHY LEGISLATIVE BREAKTHROUGHS: While it can appear that Congress is immobile in bipartisan immigration reform, some breakthroughs are taking place. Of note, the House has introduced the Afghan Adjustment Act which would enable Afghans with parole status to adjust their legal status;Bthe Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act (H.R.1325) which is responding to the community’s support of families seeking safety by shortening the length wait-period for work authorization; and most recently, the Immigration Court Efficiency and Children’s Court Act of 2023 which would help make sure that unaccompanied children receive due process and meaningful support navigating immigration proceedings streamlined through the creation of a Children’s Court. These bills are noteworthy in scope and support, and because they are responsive to concerns raised by people of faith including ELCA Witness in Society staff and other advocates.
The ELCA supported a campaign of gratitude for sponsorship of the Afghan Adjustment Act through the Immigration Interfaith Coalition, inviting tagging of lawmakers with expressions of thanks, in addition to urging passage through an Action Alert.
IN A TIME OF WAR: The devastating loss of life in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories since Oct. 7 grieve us all.
U.S. churches including the ELCA have spoken on the conflict several times (including 10/7/23 and 10/12/23); the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop, issued a statement on Israel-Hamas war (10/13/23); and an Action Alert for all of us to reach out to U.S. policy makers was advanced through the Peace Not Walls network; among faith-based responses to this situation.
Corresponding to calls from Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition in which the ELCA is a member, we are calling on Congress to act in ways that will help de-escalate the violence and stop further loss of life. Specifically, we call on Congress to:
Publicly call for ceasefire, de-escalation, and restraint by all sides;
Call on all parties to abide by the laws of war, including the Geneva Conventions and customary international law; and
Prioritize steps to secure the immediate release of hostages and ensure international protection for civilians.
We implore Congress to refrain from steps that only exacerbate the violence and increase the risk of expanding war into the broader region. Any Congressional effort that is one-sided and rushes to send new weapons to Israel will only intensify the conflict, leading to further deaths and destruction. Congress must work to prevent the spread of more violence, including against Palestinian civilians in Israel and the West Bank.
NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING REFORMS: In July, the Senate passed a reauthorized version of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) – the main vehicle of U.S. housing assistance and funding for tribal communities.
The legislation, which has not been reauthorized since 2013, was attached as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act which passed by a wide margin of 86-11. NAHASDA block grant funding to tribal communities has remained flat and not risen with inflation since its expiration over a decade ago – making renewal a core priority for many housing advocates. Final passage could be quite possible as the Senate conferences the wider bill with the House of Representatives later this year. Witness in Society staff are tracking the legislation and will be coordinating with partners on the issue in the coming weeks.
COUNTERING GLOBAL CORRUPTION: The Biden administration has launched the first ever U.S. strategy on countering corruption. Among other things, the new strategy aims to elevate anti-corruption work as a priority in diplomatic efforts and improve international anti-money laundering efforts.
In 2021 when coming into office, President Biden asked his national security team to take a lead on creating a comprehensive U.S. strategy to strengthen the U.S. government’s ability to fight corruption, combat illegal finance and improve accountability. This development is encouraging for priorities of the ELCA, as the ELCA social statement, The Church and Criminal Justic: Hearing the Cries, says both “This church knows that human evil is prevalent, ancient and often heinous” (p. 6) and “Drawing from the biblical witness to God’s wondrously rich forms of love and justice, we are compelled by a ‘holy yearning’ to address the need for a change in public mindset and for dramatic reforms in policies and practices” (p. 1).
YOUNG ADULT MIGRATION ADVOCACY: On Sept. 26 and 27, ELCA Witness and Society and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) staff provided support for the first ever Young Adult Migration Advocacy Day. Constituents met with the offices of 12 members of Congress from six states.
The day brought together 12 young adults virtually from across the nation to return to share their witness and recommendations with their elected representatives after immersing themselves in an educational trip to the border where they met with government and community stakeholders. The day of advocacy (see Facebook post) took place just as Congress was considering key federal spending bills and legislation.
CLIMATE WEEK NYC: In partnership with the U.N. General Assembly, Climate Week NYC was held from Sept. 17-24, 2023, and Witness in Society advocacy and Lutheran Office for World Community staff were present. Around 75,000 people took part in a March to End Fossil Fuels on Sept. 17.
Within this march, organized through GreenFaith, diverse people of varying faiths and traditions collaborated to create a “faith contingent” and host a prayer service before the March commenced. Some Lutherans visibly participated. LOWC and D.C.-based advocacy staff joined in conjunction with values of Lutherans to protect creation and promote climate justice.
Have you ever passed a congregation’s street sign and glanced for a symbol – say, that four-color globe overlaid with a cross that indicates “ELCA”? What you see tells you something about what’s going on inside. Or maybe you’ve seen a symbol on a bumper sticker – say, “26.2”, that once you’re in-the-know indicates the person could tell you something about running marathons.
With the launch on October 4 of “One Home One Future”, congregations of many varieties will start popping up with a new symbol that tells you something about what’s going on inside and that can start important conversations. It is a visible effort to invite creation care and climate action.
INVITATION FROM BISHOP EATON
“In the ELCA, we are called to care for creation and for each other. The ELCA is proud to be part of ‘One Home One Future’, a multi-faith campaign to strengthen vitality, relevance and community connections across generations in local congregations nationwide. We invite all of our congregations to participate no matter if they have an active creation care program or are just getting started,” said the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, ELCA Presiding Bishop, in a campaign launch video. “I look forward to seeing ELCA congregations participate in cities and towns across the country, and I am proud to stand together across faith traditions to protect our given and shared home.”
A banner to hang in front of your house of worship is one of the items in a free congregational toolkit for those that sign up for the campaign, along with free access to trainings, guides and more organized through ecoAmerica’s Blessed Tomorrow program. (The ELCA is a Blessed Tomorrow partner). Check out onehomeonefuture.org for details.
OUR CREATION CARE EFFORTS ARE NOT ALONE
When Bee Moorhead, Executive Director of Texas Impact in the ELCA-affiliated state public policy office network, spoke of her enthusiasm around the new campaign, she said it is easy for local congregations to feel “that they’re the only one in their community who cares about this issue. [Seeing] those signs is going to help them understand it’s not just them, and it’s not just their little congregation… [They] are going to be able to see all over the country, and all over their local community, that there are people who share those values.”
Plus, the resources help. “Our folks know that no organization, no matter how great it is, and no denomination has all of the answers and all of the tools they need. So the access to a library of information from all of our colleagues is really important.”
Explore “One Home One Future” for your worshipping community to strengthen your congregation and care for creation in ways that are inspiring, fulfilling and accessible. Moorhead is excited. “It’s going to bolster [our congregations’] courage and make them take steps they might not otherwise have felt confident to take.”
SYMBOL AND HOPE
And maybe wave or honk when you see the new symbol, because it tells you something about what’s going on. It is our duty to be responsible caretakers of God’s creation, motivated by hope. As stated in “Earth’s Climate Crisis,” an ELCA social message: “With God’s help humanity can turn from the present course, take loving and just action, and live more harmoniously within God’s beautiful and verdant creation.”
Allow Flourishing in Season of Creation
“The Season of Creation is a splendid opportunity for Christians around the world to embody the communion for which we human earthlings are created, and to do so in the quest for lifeways that build justice among people and allow Earth’s web of life to flourish,” said the Rev. Dr. Cynthia D. Moe-Lobeda, Director of the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary’s Center for Climate Justice and Faith. The celebration spans Sept. 1 through Oct. 4, shaped as an annual season instrumentally by the World Council of Churches, and is a time for Christians to come together to care for our common home (more).
In interwoven global awareness, local action and prayer, many of us are seeking to embody communion for the sake of God’s good creation. “Time after time a new report, study or press conference calls a ‘code red’ for our planet,” observes Christine Moffett, ELCA Program Director for Environment and Energy. “It is time for less talking about it and more acting about it.”
GLOBAL
Significant global decision-makers will be meeting in confluence with Season of Creation dates. New York City hosts the highest-level gathering of the United Nations – the United Nations General Assembly – on Sept. 19-26, 2023. Heads of state meet, including for a “Climate Ambition Summit” on Sept. 20 to accelerate action by all sectors of society to address the increasing threat of climate change. National governments have not done enough to stop global warming in the seven years since the Paris Agreement was signed, relays our Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) program director Daniel Pieper from content of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change March 2023 Synthesis Report. In that context, he notes that UN Secretary General António Guterres said “the world is running out of options to defuse the ‘ticking climate time bomb.'”
As a joint ministry with both the ELCA and Lutheran World Federation (LWF), LOWC colleagues find foundational affirmation from the Twelfth LWF Assembly: “the global ecological crisis, including climate change is, human-induced. It is a spiritual matter. As people of faith, we are called to live in right relationship with creation and not exhaust it.”
Stay attuned to COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, being held Nov. 30-Dec. 12, 2023, at the Expo City, Dubai. ELCA and LWF presence will be onsite to advance advocacy priorities.
LOCAL
GreenFaith has organized a March to End Fossil Fuels on Sept. 17 in New York City in conjunction with the Climate Ambition Summit. Several of our faith partners and some ELCA congregations and leaders will be participating. Lutherans Restoring Creation (LRC) describes the event as a time to witness “in search of a better way to offer healthy energy to our communities.”
While advocating for global impact is vital, in each of our communities we are aware of the splendor of and the degradation to God’s gift of creation. The ELCA’s most recent social message, “Earth’s Climate Crisis,” reads: “This social message is rooted in our duty to be responsible caretakers of God’s creation. It is motivated by that responsibility and by hope… With God’s help humanity can turn from the present course, take loving and just action, and live more harmoniously within God’s beautiful and verdant creation” (pp. 1-2).
The 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization will have significant impacts for all: those of us with farm-related vocations; those of us who go to supermarkets, farmers markets, SNAP provisions and global food aid for needed provision; and the communities and natural foundations that are needed to feed us into the future. If you didn’t use the Farm Bill background & template letters as an act of advocacy in service to your neighbor on “’God’s work. Our hands.’ Sunday” this year, revisit the resource and consider reaching out to policy makers to influence a policy outcome that can – as Pr. Moe-Lobeda characterized – “allow Earth’s web of life to flourish”.
PRAYER
Many of us sense these times as a “Kairos moment,” a descriptor from the social message of a decisive time in our relationship with God’s creation. In this Season of Creation, let us all join in prayer.
Additionally, LRC has shared a prayer composed by the Rev. Lee Gable and the Rev. Inge Williams called “Sowing the Seeds of Transformation.” It can be found in full online, but here is an excerpt:
O God, whose fingerprint is reflected in every leaf and person, you have entrusted us with the resources of Creation And yet we squander your generous life-giving gift as if there is endless supply. Transform our stewardship from immediate gratification to generational investment. … Inspire in us repentance and encourage our struggle for a just future As we join you in mending this wounded world and its people So that the fullness of your Kin-dom dream may become reality for all Into the ages of the ages. Amen.
Seeing Peaceful Sea of March on Washington
On August 28, 1963, an estimated 250,000 people gathered for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, rallying to draw attention to the nation’s racial inequities and insist on change. From the steps in front of the Lincoln Memorial, several leaders moved the crowd with resonance, challenge and inspiration, including delivery of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Just steps – literally – from the podium was Mark Raabe, long-term member of First Trinity Lutheran in Washington, D.C., who helps us all relive and reflect on that pivotal day.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
“From the pond to the Capitol, it was a sea of people,” said Raabe. “It was a different time. People were dressed up. There weren’t any white rabble rousers – they just weren’t there. The day was peaceful and passionate.”
“The whole thing started early in the day, on a big platform on the corner of Constitution and 15th – kind of across the street from where the National Museum of African American History and Culture is now – with entertainment and speakers.” The groundswell that brought people together seemed to fuse the individuals into one. “The same crowds that arrived early just peacefully moved to the Lincoln Memorial and lined the Reflecting Pool.”
Raabe brought his camera and has personally-photographed recollections of the profound day. Who was he most excited to see? “Lena Horne. I was secretly in love with her since I was a young high school kid,” he chuckled. Other attention-grabbing movie stars included Harry Belafonte, Burt Lancaster, Charlton Heston and others. Artists including Odetta; Peter, Paul & Mary; and Joan Baez entertained with aimed songs.
The core from center stage was speeches from active civil rights movement leaders. “Of course, there was Dr. King, Ralph Abernathy, Whitney Young from the National Urban League, James Farmer, John Lewis and [A.] Philip Randolph, head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union, which was a very strong position.” Also standing out for Raabe were Black and white “clergymen very active in the civil rights movement.”
“In 1963 there wasn’t any cable, and I’m not sure if the news on TV carried the speeches live or not, but news reel cameras have shown them many times since. No kidding at all – I knew this was a great moment and that the country would never be the same.”
PERSONAL PRESENCE
After a long career as counsel to a committee of Congress, Raabe can look back at his presence at the March in a professional capacity as a personal experience as well. “I didn’t have a lot of [varied racial] experience as a [white] kid growing up in Minnesota, not even in my law school class,” he recalled. But life experiences brought him greater exposure. “Only six years earlier [than the March] I was a newly married Navy guy, and we attended a Black Lutheran church in San Diego.” After visiting several churches at that time, the young couple was drawn to the vitality of the congregation they became part of. “We were absolutely received there,” he said.
“The March was more like a confirmation of some feelings I had about the Black movement before this,” and the exposure continued to impact his personal and professional choices going forward.
POWERFULLY PEACEFUL
“I went home that day and told my wife I had witnessed history,” Raabe marked. “There have been many watershed moments in civil rights, and this may have been the greatest watershed of all.”
There was “big discussion” before the March of possible erupting tensions. Would the March be peaceful? “The day was unbelievably calm – not on edge at all.” Even with such weighty matters before the nation, Raabe experienced the day as enjoyable. “It was a magnificent experience to be there and to hear the speeches and to be able to take it in at the moment.”
“I knew when Dr. King gave that speech that this was a speech for the ages. It absolutely was a stunning and emotional, real emotional, moment for me and the crowd.”
“As great as that day was, it showed the power of peaceful protest. When you have that kind of positive power in one direction for good,” there will be powerful impact, Raabe said. “You’re always going to have sinister forces of evil who don’t agree, or who respond by attacking verbally or even physically. Dr. King went to jail in response to what he was doing. Ultimately he paid with his life. But he accomplished incredible things in a peaceful way.”
“That’s kind of my approach to life. Do things by pointing out the morality or immorality of something and preaching that message rather than violence or destruction – George Floyd or any injustices we face. Violence only breeds more hostility and slows progress,” Raabe continued.
“My personal feeling is Dr. King showed by example what we could do by persistent, peaceful protest on strong moral grounds.”
Raabe was able to marvel at the crowd of 250,000 on August 28, 1963. In his mind’s eye, “It might have been even bigger.” The impact of that March on Washington certainly was.
Resounding Call from March on Washington Then and Now
By guest blogger Jennifer DeLeon, ELCA Director for Racial Justice [more]
As we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, the resounding importance of that pivotal event echoes powerfully into the present day. The factors that propelled the March, including ending racial segregation, fighting for economic justice and securing voting rights, remain as urgent and relevant as ever.
The struggles of the past continue to surface in challenges of the present. The legacy of segregation persists, reminding us that the fight for equality is far from over. The enduring outcome of redlining, a systemic practice that denies access to loans, insurance and other financial benefits to residents of mostly BIPOC communities, continues to fragment our society along racial lines.
In addition, although the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 represented progress, we find ourselves confronted with a disconcerting reality: a surge of legislative efforts aimed at curtailing voting rights that disproportionately affect BIPOC communities continuing to uphold racial divisions. According to the League of Women Voters, “In 2023, at least 322 bills restricting voting access were introduced in state legislatures nationwide.” This alarming trend underscores the need to draw a direct line from the struggles of the past to the challenges of the present, emphasizing the crucial importance of understanding history and rallying against injustice to ensure a more equitable future for all.
In our church, we continue to work towards living out the commitments we made in 1993 when we passed our social statement, Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture. “The Church that confesses Christ in public demonstrates its commitment through involvement in public life—globally and locally, nationally and in neighborhoods,” it reads (p. 6). It continues: “This church will support legislation, ordinances, and resolutions that guarantee to all persons equally: civil rights, including full protection of the law and redress under the law of discriminatory practices; and to all citizens, the right to vote” (p. 7)
In recent years, we have supported and will continue to advocate for the passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 and other similar legislation. As we commemorate this historic day, we invite you to join our advocacy network and work towards making the dreams expressed in the March a reality.
FEMA FUNDING CRUNCH: As August comes to a close, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) finds itself confronting a dire situation. The agency, responsible for responding to natural disasters in the United States, is on the verge of running out of critical funding – with the strain of coping with an overwhelming series of hurricanes, wildfires and floods pushing resources to the brink.
Witness in Society staff are collaborating with Lutheran Disaster Response colleagues to advance advocacy strategies to raise this as an urgent priority in Congress. As reported by Axios, “FEMA’s disaster fund is projected to fall into the red in late August because of tens of billions of dollars already committed to prior disasters, as well as anticipated costs for disasters that may strike this year. The fund’s deficit may grow to $4.2 billion by mid-September if Congress does not replenish it, according to FEMA’s latest monthly budget report.” This news preceded the devastation and aftermath of the wildfires in Maui.
CLEAN ENERGY TAX CREDITS FOR CHURCHES: In a July meeting with religious leaders, the Department of Energy announced that billions of dollars in tax credits and grants are available from the U.S. government for churches and other nonprofits to help them become more energy efficient. The money comes primarily from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, but there are also funds from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the 2022 CHIPS [Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors] and Science Act.
ELCA FARM BILL ACTIVITY: ELCA advocacy has focused Farm Bill efforts on the Pennsylvania delegation, leveraging ELCA presence in the Commonwealth to bring priorities to key decision-makers. All seven Pennsylvania ELCA bishops signed on to a letter to the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture. The letter to Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) calls on members of Congress to protect and enhance the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the Farm Bill reauthorization. Additional letters from the bishops were also sent to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), and Senators Bob Casey Jr. and John Fetterman of Penn. The 2018 Farm Bill is set to expire at the end of September 2023.
AFGHAN ADJUSTMENT ACT: The Afghan Adjustment Act (S. 2327/H.R.4627) was reintroduced on July 14. With bipartisan support, the Act now has even more support than when first introduced thanks in part to everyone’s advocacy. The bill supports the ability of Afghans benefitting from temporary humanitarian status to apply for lawful permanent residency and builds on efforts to help other at-risk Afghans. Urge your member of Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act using the Action Alert.
Many faithful people have taken the Bible’s message to welcome the stranger to heart and in action by accompanying migrants and seeking justice for their neighbors near and far. The experience of asylum seekers and vulnerable youth, and borderland conditions, are samples of situations where U.S. policy can demonstrate our values. ELCA faith leaders have provided invaluable insight and support in search of meaningful change.
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS PROPOSES INTERNATIONAL CUTS: The House and Senate Committees on Appropriations recently released their FY24 budgets for international programs. The House bill cuts topline funding by 12% in contrast to FY23. The Senate funding bill looks much better overall. The House and Senate will need to reconcile the two bills in the coming weeks. Staff are meeting with various congressional offices asking for protection of funding for anti-poverty and relief programs.
In another development, the State Department has announced that it will provide $61 million in additional humanitarian assistance to support Rohingya internally displaced in Burma as well as Rohingya refugees and their host communities in Bangladesh. The Rohingya rely on dozens of nongovernmental organizations present in the camps to address humanitarian needs, including Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) Bangladesh, a longtime partner of the ELCA, reports Living Lutheran (6/20/23).
Praying for our leaders, especially those in elected office, came up in conversation during a fall 2023 meeting of the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) Policy Council. Several people mentioned that it was difficult for members of congregations to do this in front of their fellow churchgoers, especially when it involved naming specific leaders and offices. Mere mention of an elected official’s name can elicit a sharp response, especially in our times of political polarization. It is at play in our expressly political institutions as well as in our families, our communities and our church.
For me, praying for elected officials and candidates—and for all our leaders and community members, regardless of title or status—is a call for them to bring open hearts and minds, to open to the “mystery” of God, and to be open to be changed by it through Christ. It is also an act of hope, that peace and justice might be made real and that the Spirit of wisdom and revelation will allow our leaders to see our neighbors as they really are, fully human and fully loved by God.
