{"id":3017,"date":"2018-08-19T20:09:52","date_gmt":"2018-08-20T01:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/?p=3017"},"modified":"2018-10-03T13:43:49","modified_gmt":"2018-10-03T18:43:49","slug":"freed-to-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/freed-to-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Freed to Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Whylie Cook, ELCA Advocacy 2018 Summer Intern<\/em><\/p>\n

Over this past summer, in response to this zero-tolerance policy, our office started to use the #FreedToLove<\/strong> as a faith-filled response to “love our neighbors as ourselves<\/strong>” (Matthew 22:39). “Faith is active in love; love calls for justice in the relationships and structures of society. It is in grateful response to God\u2019s grace in Jesus Christ that this church carries out its responsibility for the well-being of society and the environment” (ELCA Social Statement Church in Society). As Lutherans, we are committed to loving our neighbor because as we love our neighbor, we love God.<\/p>\n

Although we often joke about Lutherans always avoiding the first two rows of pews in worship, when it comes to living into being freed to love, Lutherans have started to move up closer to the Gospel. In response to the policy of \u201czero-tolerance\u201d, I have witnessed the incredible force of love demonstrated by Lutherans across this country. We have shown up, rallied, marched, and advocated all over this country for just immigration reform and to resist policies that separate children and imprison families.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are just a few of the ways I have been freed to love my neighbor this summer:<\/p>\n