by Dustin Wright, intern, Lutheran Office for World Community at the United Nations<\/p>\n
In one of the most cherished verses of the Hebrew Bible, the prophet Micah exclaims \u201cWhat does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?\u201d (6:8). As Lutherans, we simply cannot help but respond to God\u2019s saving love by doing as Micah encourages. We walk humbly with God through prayer and worship, act in kindness by supporting and welcoming our neighbors, and do justice by advocating for and accompanying those who have little voice in our communities and around the world. While it is not particularly controversial that we should do this, discerning how to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God can often be difficult — especially in the aftermath of a long campaign season, which left many of us exhausted.<\/p>\n
Looking at such a challenge through the lens of Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon\u2019s theology of vocation can greatly assist us (Melanchthon was a colleague of Luther\u2019s and one of the first Protestant intellectual leaders). Both Luther and Melanchthon believed that all of us, not just pastors, are called to multiple vocations. In a time where the lives of monks and other clergy were deemed more holy than that of the common believer, the reformers argued that even the most mundane ways we serve others were equally important. As Luther states in \u201cThe Large Catechism,\u201d<\/p>\n
Is it not a tremendous honor to know this and to say, \u201cIf you do your daily household chores, that is better than the holiness and austere life of all the monks?\u201d\u2026 How could you be more blessed or lead a holier life, as far as works are concerned? In God\u2019s sight it is actually faith that make a person holy; it alone serves God, while our works serve people (LC IV.145-146).
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We can live out a calling to serve through our chosen careers, and we can also serve through other vocations, like being a loving parent or child, a supportive friend, and even an active citizen.<\/p>\n