Patricia Kisare, Director for International Policy Advocacy

As I reflect on the birth of Jesus during this Advent season, one area of the nativity story I have increasingly become curious about is the health needs of Mary and baby Jesus. From our perspective today, we know that maternal health is intrinsically linked to the well-being of mother and child from pregnancy to birth and all the way to second birthday. It is one of the biggest worries for many expecting parents. As I think about what must have been an exciting but also frightening experience for Mary, I can’t help but wonder whether Mary had these same worries when she was pregnant with baby Jesus. Did she have care—traditional or otherwise—available to her? My assumption is that even Mary, who was carrying and would give birth to God, must have worried about the health of her baby and that of herself.

As Christians, we all know that the annunciation and birth of Jesus Christ was a miracle. Despite her circumstances, this young and poor mother was able to deliver her baby safely. Perhaps Mary didn’t necessarily need maternal health care the way most of us would. After all, she was to deliver the Messiah. But for many women around the world, lack of maternal health care can mean death to them and/or their child.

On one hand, giving birth to a child is a miraculous, wholesome, life-giving occasion. On the other hand, 300,000 women continue to die every year from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Furthermore, more than 5 million children die each year from preventable causes. Nearly all of these deaths occur in developing countries.

In my work as policy director for international issues, I work with other faith-based partners to bring to Congress’ attention some of these challenges and advocate for policy changes as called for by the wider church. Improving child and maternal health care is one of the issues on which we continue to work—particularly as we reflect on the birth of Jesus. While policy change alone is not a panacea, we can help mend areas and systems throughout the world that we know have hindered progress. It is my prayer and hope this Advent season that soon we will be able to solve the tragedy of maternal and newborn deaths.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits –

who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

(Psalm 103: 2-5)

Patricia4

Patricia serves as Director for International Policy Advocacy in Washington, D.C.

Bryan Jaster, Winchester, VA

Warm-up Question

What’s the largest fire you’ve ever seen? Did anything bad or good result?

Fire the Seeds to Bear Fruit

By now most of us get it, or have at least heard it: fires are good for the forest. But what does that mean? University of Minnesota forest ecologist Lee Frelich can help. He explains what the Boundary Waters Canoe Area would look like if fire were somehow completely controlled for the last century. The short answer: a sea of half-dead Christmas trees.

“You would get essentially a sea of Balsam Fir, then the budworm would come, and it goes out and kind of kills half the trees,” Frelich explains. “So you’d have this kind of crappy, half-dead forest which is full of brush and branches and which is not very attractive for people or wildlife.”

But that is really just explaining why an absence of fire can be bad. One fascinating and little known piece of the fire ecology puzzle are the species of trees that actually fire dependent. The Jack Pine has closed cones that only open to release their seeds when waxes on the cone melt in the heat of a fire.

“Camping in the Boundary Waters,” Frelich says, “I’ve taken twigs with cones on them from the forest floor and put them next to the campfire. They are exposed to the heat and they wait 10 or 20 minutes, then they pop open. The next morning you can shake that twig and the seeds will fall out. They are kind of programmed to wait a little bit, you know, because if the seeds fall directly into the fire, they’ll be consumed.

“The seeds fall over the next few days, so they’re likely to land on a forest floor that is no longer on fire. In the case of the jack pine, the seeds germinate much better if the leaf litter has been burned away. Jack Pine, in fact, has drier foliage than other species of trees which makes it easier for a fire to run through Jack Pine. It is almost as if they purposely promote fire.”

There is a whole system in the BWCA, Frelich says, that is adapted to fire. Another wonder of fire ecology: Bicknell’s Geranium. Its seeds will only germinate in sunlight. Buried under leaf litter, the seeds just wait for it to be burned away. After the 2006 Cavity Lake Fire in the BWCA, which burned 32,000 acres, the wild geraniums were everywhere. “That site had last burned in 1801,” Frelich says. “Those were 200-year-old seeds germinating.”

For full article: https://www.minnpost.com/intelligencer/2011/09/why-forest-fires-are-good-and-amazing

Discussion Questions

Have you ever thought of a forest fire as being a force for good? Why? Have you seen a forest fire? If so, where?
What would happen if all forest fires were extinguished as quickly as possible?
Should we intentionally start fires in forests or allow forest fires to come naturally? Why?

Third Sunday of Advent

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

Ok John the Baptist – is this really good news?

People come to John to be baptized, which sounds like a pretty normal thing to do, and John calls them a “brood of vipers (snakes)”. Imagine if you or someone else asked to be baptized and your pastor said “You are a bunch of snakes!” Crazy talk.

In this story the crowds – aka the outsiders – are attracted to something John is saying. Rather than bolt when John describes the need to bear fruit worthy of repentance and warns that trees not bearing good fruit will be thrown into the fire, they stay and ask an important question: “What should we do?”

When forests get overgrown and stagnant they need fire for seeds to sprout and new trees to grow People need God’s judgement to burn and turn us away from self-centered lives into lives that bear fruit and love like Jesus in the world.

So, John’s response after pronouncing Fire is to call the crowds to go and bear Fruit.

To the crowds – Share a coat and food.
To the tax collectors – Collect no more than you need.
To the soldiers – Don’t extort, be fair.

Do these things because Jesus is coming and he is even more powerful than I am, John says. He is able after the fire has done its work to remove the chaff – the leftover yuck – and gather the wheat, the new fruit. This is good news.

Discussion Questions

Would you have stayed to continue to listen to John if you were part of the crowd he called “brood of vipers?” Is there someone in your life you would rather not listen to?
Is it difficult to think of God’s judgment as something “good”? Doesn’t Jesus say “don’t judge”? When have you or someone you know had something bad or a bit of judgment come that ultimately was good?
What is something in your life that needs to be removed or “burned” away? What is something in our world that needs to be judged by God?

Activity Suggestions

Grab markers, paint, crayons and big poster sheets.

Make a big poster Advent wish list. Draw or make lists of as many items you could give away or share like food, clothes, time with someone, possessions and anything you can think of.

Each person pick one item they will do this week. Next week come back and tell the story of what you did to respond.

Closing Prayer

God Fire and Fruit, Help us to listen to you when you have words that seem harsh to us. Give us the gift of judgment and the call to respond as we prepare for Jesus to come. Thank you for people like John who tell and show good news in the world. Give us courage to do the things we have promised this week and to bear fruit today. Amen!

Mary Minette

Mary Minette, Interim Director of Advocacy, traveled to Paris as world leaders met to discuss a global agreement to address climate change. She served as part of a delegation representing ACT Alliance, of which the ELCA is a member. Follow our Advocacy Blog as she shares her daily reflections and the status of the negotiations.

UPDATE: On Saturday, December 12, leaders from 195 nations concluded the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris by approving a global agreement to address climate change. This agreement includes a commitment to keep global warming well below 2 degrees.

A global climate agreement is adopted!

After years of negotiations, the Paris Accord was approved on Saturday, December 12

12/12/2015

On Saturday, December 12, leaders from 195 nations concluded the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris by approving a global agreement to address climate change. This agreement includes a commitment to keep global warming well below 2 degrees.

We stand at a critical moment, when the world has come together to decide the framework for our shared future.

People of faith showed up in unprecedented numbers for the climate talks in Paris because we believe that this moment includes a moral obligation to our most vulnerable neighbors, to future generations, and to all of God’s creation to act on climate change.

The Paris agreement sets the world on a pathway to stewardship, justice and sustainability. All countries have, for the first time, agreed to take concrete steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to review and increase their commitments over time.

The Paris agreement includes financial pledges to help developing countries adopt clean energy technologies and adapt to already-occurring impacts of climate change. It also includes provisions that will help the most vulnerable countries avoid the worst of human suffering from irreversible climate damage in the future, and it sets the world on a more sustainable, low carbon, development pathway.

The outcome of the Paris talks reflects momentum brought by a growing global movement of people and communities around the world, including communities of faith, who are leading the way in pushing for a better future.

As we leave Paris and return to our own communities, we must continue to act in solidarity with those who are most vulnerable to climate change, with those yet to come, and with all of God’s creation.”

Along with membership in ACT Alliance, the ELCA is also a member of the Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches. Together these organizations had a delegation of over 100 in Paris for the summit. You can read ACT Alliance’s response to the Paris Accord here.

Paris reflection: Day 5

COP21 End Game

12/11/2015

Today is the last official day of the Paris Climate meeting, and this morning in Le Bourget things are quiet. The calm in the halls is deceptive—many of the country delegates and much of civil society spent the night here, dissecting and discussing the latest draft produced at 10 p.m. last night by the French presidency of the COP. Early this morning, COP President Laurent Fabius closed the all-night session, telling delegates that they should spend the day working through their differences and that there will be a new “final” text Saturday morning and a target adjournment for the COP of 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

As expected, some big issues are still to be resolved on this last day. Although the current text now mentions a global temperature goal of less than two degrees Celsius, with an aspirational goal of 1.5 degrees, there are still disagreements about when and how national emissions reduction contributions will be presented, evaluated, and potentially increased in ambition.

The issue of “differentiation”—how the agreement will treat countries that are less responsible for climate emissions and less able to reduce their emissions because they lack the means to do so and are still working to bring significant parts of their populations out of poverty—is reflected in the current draft in a number of different ways, but the language is not consistent and few parties are satisfied. As I noted earlier in the week, to reach the aspirational 1.5 degrees goal, all countries must reduce their emissions and adopt low carbon energy sources, but not all countries can reach those goals easily. Because of this, the differences in their capabilities must be reflected if the agreement is to succeed.

How these vulnerable countries can be helped to both adopt low carbon energy pathways and adapt to the inevitable impact of climate change is also still murky. The parties seem to be in agreement that wealthy countries will work to mobilize at least $10 billion in assistance annually by 2020 and beyond, but how that funding will be increased as needed is still to be agreed upon.

Regular review of goals and a transparent process that allows for evaluation and comparison between countries is critical to ensuring that these goals are increased over time. As I noted yesterday, current INDCs will only allow us to stay below three degrees Celsius, so increased ambition, and this review process, are key to success. Some countries are still fighting to prevent strong and transparent review. Perhaps they have something to hide?

And finally, the issue of loss and damage (how the agreement will deal with irreversible, and in many cases, catastrophic impacts of climate change) is still under discussion, although a number of proposals to bridge gaps between different positions are on the table.

Paris reflection: Day 4

Aspirations vs. Reality: How to Evaluate the Outcome of Paris?

12/10/2015

Yesterday in COP21, Secretary of State John Kerry gave a speech to a packed room of reporters. He outlined the current official U.S. view of where things are with the negotiations for a new global climate agreement. Overall, his tone was optimistic and upbeat. He talked about the transition to a new, clean energy future by pledging to double the amount of grants that the U.S. makes to climate adaptation efforts in developing countries by 2020 (the year the agreement will take effect), and for the first time, pledging U.S. support for a worldwide goal of keeping global average temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

In the past two days, a group of more than 100 countries, including the U.S., came forward to push for a more ambitious climate agreement. Calling themselves the “high ambition coalition,” they have collectively agreed to support an “ambitious, durable and legally binding” deal that includes the below-1.5 temperature goal, a clear pathway for a low-carbon future, strong updates of nationally-determined goals every five years, and a strong commitment from developed countries to support vulnerable countries with at least $100 billion annually.

seule planete

This is a hopeful sign that the agreement reached at the end of this week will be strong. However, many are pointing to the reality that the existing national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions submitted by more than 180 countries before the start of the COP, sets the world on a pathway to a global temperature increase of 3 degrees Celsius.

With that kind of gap between vision and reality, how will we be able to evaluate the outcome of these talks?

If the agreement does include a five-year process to re-evaluate those national commitments with enough transparency that the commitments can be verified and compared, the hope is that the political will to make the changes required to bring the world to a 1.5 degree pathway will come over time. As countries realize that more significant reductions are possible and even economically beneficial, they will come forward with more significant cuts at the five-year reviews.

A new draft text was released yesterday afternoon, and many issues are still in dispute, including the review process and the global temperature goal. Parties met late into the night.

Stay tuned!

U.S. Climate Action Network Press Conference
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On Wednesday, Dec. 9, Mary spoke as part of a panel of experts from the U.S. Climate Action Network in response to Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech at the Paris Climate Talks. Here is the statement she gave:

“Loss and damage is of paramount concern to people of faith following these talks because we know that the most challenging and irreversible impacts of climate change—sea level rise, long term drought, massive storms and other natural disasters—are already falling hardest on our most vulnerable neighbors.”

“The faith community is highly supportive of the announcement Secretary Kerry made today, indicating that the US will double its commitment to adaptation focused development assistance by 2020. This money is sorely needed, and we hope that this is only the beginning of a process to increase funding for adaptation post-2020. We in the faith community stand ready to help make that happen, just as we stood with the Administration when it made its commitment to the Green Climate Fund.”

Click here to watch the full press conference.

Paris reflection: Day 3

Advent Reflection: In Paris, waiting for light (with hope)

12/9/2015

All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it (John 1:3-5).

In Advent, Christians wait for the light of Christ, lighting candles and speaking of hope.

This Advent, light has multiple layers of meaning for me as I sit in Paris watching, hoping and working for a new global agreement to address climate change.

Paris1

Paris is frequently referred to as the City of Light, but this December it’s a city emerging from the darkness of the recent terrorist attacks that left more than 100 people dead. In the last few days I’ve seen Parisians going about their daily business—shopping, sitting in cafes, walking their children to school in the morning, hurrying home at the end of the day with baguettes and groceries. There are a lot of armed police and security guards—standing on street corners, in the metro stations, in big department stores filled with Christmas shoppers—but people seem determined to go on with their ordinary lives and their preparations for the holidays.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.

In the vast complex in the Paris suburbs that houses the climate talks, signs of hope and light are faint but present: countries may disagree, but they are talking. Every few days a new draft text comes out and there are fewer “brackets” (which are placed around disputed phrases) and greater consensus. I came into the meeting with many questions. Will leaders only agree to keep temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius or can they agree to a more ambitious and safer 1.5 degrees? Is their goal of raising $100 million per year in financial assistance for developing countries even possible? How often will countries review their national emissions reduction commitments? All of these issues were still up in the air after more than a year of negotiations.

But talks seem to be coalescing around common points of agreement, and hope is growing that an agreement that will move us toward a cleaner shared future is possible.

Last week, African heads of state gathered here to announce the African Renewable Energy Initiative to develop at least 10 gigawatts of new renewable energy generation capacity by 2020, and at least 300 gigawatts by 2030, potentially making the continent, which is now one of the most energy impoverished regions, the cleanest in the world. The African Development Bank and other financial institutions, including the World Bank, pledged an initial $5 billion to support the initiative. On Monday, the group of seven advanced economies (G7) and the European Union pledged an additional $10 billion in grants and loans to support this plan.

“The light shines in the darkness .…”

At the beginning of the talks, the list of remaining issues was long. As the days pass, those issues are beginning to find solutions. An agreement from Paris will not solve every problem faced by God’s creation, but it moves us closer to a more hope-filled future. Today we expect a new, more streamlined draft from the French leaders of the Conference of the Parties. I am hopeful that this momentum will continue and that the negotiations will end with a strong agreement to tackle the challenge of climate change.

“… and the darkness did not overcome it.”

Paris reflection: Day 2

It’s “Loss and Damage” Day

12/8/2015

Today the focus is on one of more difficult issues that negotiators are grappling with at this two-week-long meeting—how will the global community manage the impacts of climate change that are becoming more inevitable the longer we wait to reduce carbon emissions? “Loss and damage” refers to the long term and slow onset impacts that are difficult, and in some cases impossible, for people and communities to manage. This includes sea level rise that consumes coastal lands (or entire low-lying island nations), rising ocean temperatures that decimate fish populations and the livelihoods of fishing communities, and long term drought that drives small farmers from their land.

Wealthy industrialized countries, which are responsible for the majority of the emissions that are causing climate change, have long resisted action to address loss and damage out of fear that doing so would create significant financial liability. However, in 2013, countries agreed to create the “Warsaw Mechanism on Loss and Damage” to study the issue and develop strategies and resources to manage.

The Warsaw Mechanism is due to finish its initial work in 2016, so now leaders look to answer the question: what will happen after that first work period is over. Vulnerable countries argue that the new climate agreement must meaningfully address loss and damage, and should result in developing ways to support them as they face a difficult future.

Unfortunately, much of the media coverage of loss and damage this week is focused on money and liability, even though many of the irreversible impacts of climate change will not be easily quantified but will still challenge the international community in unprecedented ways. For example, people who are forced to leave their communities due to climate impacts, such as sea level rise or long-term drought, are not considered refugees under international law and are therefore not eligible for humanitarian assistance. In a more extreme example, if a small island nation disappears due to rising sea levels, there are no means currently available to address its loss of territory and sovereignty, or to help its citizens who have lost their country.

The longer countries wait to reduce emissions, the more urgent this debate will become. At this point, it seems that the Warsaw Mechanism will be included in the new agreement and will be given an ongoing mandate to develop solutions to build more resilient communities, to work with other UN agencies to address climate migration, and to find and encourage innovative ways to manage risk. But today at COP21, there is an opportunity to make sure that the Paris agreement provides assurances to vulnerable people, communities and nations that they can face the future with hope.

Paris reflection: Day 1

To avoid catastrophic climate change, who must act?

12/7/2015

Today is my first day in the Paris climate meeting, but the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) have already been meeting for a week, with the goal of completing a new global agreement on climate change by the end of this week.

dc2 So how does it look?

A new draft agreement was completed on Friday. A number of subgroups continue to work on specific issues, including the all-important question of money, and something called “differentiation” in the agreement. Differentiation is essentially the idea that while all parties are responsible for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help combat climate change; different parties have different responsibilities based on their abilities and on their share of climate emissions. Here is the big question and the reason this addition is controversial: How are countries’ responsibilities measured or determined? If responsibility is determined by historic emissions, the United States and the European Union are the parties who should do the most. If it is determined by current emissions, emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil will need to accept more responsibility for their increasing emissions.

For the world to avoid catastrophic warming and remain well below an increase of 2 degrees Celsius, all countries will need to act, and all will need to accept and assume responsibility. Some countries may need help—financial and technical—to comply and to ensure that economic development that lifts people out of poverty is sustainable and low carbon producing. Others, including some emerging economies, may need flexibility to address ongoing development needs and still-significant levels of poverty.

This issue of differentiation may hold the key to a strong and durable agreement here in Paris, but it remains to be seen whether new economic powers will accept new levels of responsibility for their emissions. Equally important is whether wealthy countries will pledge sufficient funds to help the most vulnerable countries adopt sustainable, low carbon development pathways and adapt to current and ongoing impacts of climate change.

Daniel Lenski, Lutheran Office for World Community

After working for one year at the Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) in New York, I was excited to return to Germany and learn how the current refugee situation had changed my home country. Though I had expected some changes, I was surprised just how the refugee crisis has changed the everyday life here in Steinbach, a town of 10,000 inhabitants near Frankfurt.

One day after my arrival, I was invited to the staff meeting at my home church. We spoke about the situation of the refugees in Steinbach almost the entire morning. Both pastors in my Lutheran church dedicate a huge amount of their time on this situation. They spend time with the refugees, help to organize sustainable circles of support, and recently, the congregation discussed the option to offer church asylum to those in need.

Around 50 refugees are already staying in Steinbach. 120 more are expected to arrive by the beginning of next year. The municipality is eager to organize the necessary accommodation, using for example the old changing rooms of our soccer stadium and the building of the former youth center. And there are so many details needing to be organized: Herbert, one of the pastors, checked in with the municipality to make sure that every refugee has enough space in his or her future rooms.

I am positively surprised about the involvement of so many volunteers in my home town: people donate bicycles, blankets and clothing. Sixty people are on a volunteer`s mailing list of the group “Refugees in Steinbach” – led by a member of our church. The rooms of the Church Center are occupied with German courses. And the parish council has decided to build a new house in order to offer more housing to refugees – and to low-income individuals, once the refugee crises has come to an end.

Of course, there are critical voices as well. My neighbors are concerned whether it will be possible to integrate individuals without any knowledge of German culture. Some people remark that many municipalities can hardly fulfill their normal duties since so many resources are allocated to the refugee situation. And also that some of the volunteers will need a break one day.

But most Christians I have talked to agree with the parish’s efforts. Last Sunday, we celebrated an ecumenical divine service, dedicated to the refugee situation. The small church was packed. “Mary and Joseph knocked at Christmas at so many doors – but they were closed. Let us do it differently – even if we don’t know what’s going to happen” – Pastor Herbert encouraged the attendees to continue their efforts to make Steinbach a hospitable town.

ELCA Advocacy

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!

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Washington, D.C. – Mary Minette, Interim Director of Advocacy

www.elca.org/advocacy

COP21 PARIS: In the beginning of this month, 150 heads of state are gathering in Paris to negotiate an international agreement that addresses the global issue of climate change. President Obama gave remarks at the first session of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (#COP21), stating that, “the growing threat of climate change could define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other.” ELCA Advocacy Interim Director, Mary Minette, arrived in Paris on Saturday to participate in the summit on behalf of ACT Alliance. Mary is joined by a number of partners from ACT Alliance, World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation, as well as ecumenical partner church leaders. Visit the ELCA Advocacy blog to read the first update and keep up to date on the negotiations!

SYRIAN REFUGEES: In light of the tragic attacks in Paris, ELCA Advocacy joined our U.S. partner, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), to take action to support and protect Syrian refugees who are forced to flee violence in their communities. On November 18, the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, also called for support of refugee resettlement saying, “We are not naive about possible new threats of terrorism, but denying refuge to thousands of desperate people is not who we are as Christians, nor will it guarantee our security. Multiple ELCA bishops from across the country voiced their thoughts on resettlement as well. “The United States is a welcoming country with a religiously diverse society, and our refugee resettlement program should continue to reflect this.” Learn more and find out how you can take action at www.LIRS.org.

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH: As we prepare for the season of Christmas, ELCA Advocacy is supporting the Reach Every Mother and Child Act, an initiative in Congress that would improve strategies and access to healthcare for mothers and young children across the world. Lutheran social ministry organizations both here at home and abroad continue to provide health services—including child and maternal health, to those in need of it. You can share this message and offer your support at theELCA Action Center!

MONEY IN POLITICS: In the coming weeks, Congress will vote on a $1.15 trillion omnibus spending package that will likely include a campaign-finance policy rider. The proposed rider threatens to do away with spending limits set for political party expenditures in elections. This proposal in Congress comes in the wake of several narrow Supreme Court rulings, including Citizens United v. FEC, which greatly increased the role that money plays in our political process. Check out the ELCA Action Center and the Advocacy Fact Sheet on Money in Politics to find out how you can get involved and prevent more money from distorting our politics.

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New York, NY – Dennis Frado, Lutheran Office for World Community

PRESENTATION ON CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE SDGs: On Nov. 5, Daniel Lenski (LOWC) together with Lynnaia Main (The Episcopal Church) gave a presentation on the participation of civil society in the development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a student seminar, organized by United Methodist Women. The students were from American University in Washington, D.C., and had a particular interest in the role of faith-based organizations within the U.N. system. Daniel also discussed the role of the LWF and the ELCA in the implementation of the goals.

DAVID WUNCH VISITS LOWC: On Nov. 20, David Wunsch, director of Unit Operations and Programs, Global Mission, visited LOWC. He attended the International Peace Institute discussion on leadership and global partnerships in the face of today’s refugee crisis, which featured a conversation with U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Annika Söder. Wunsch also attended a plenary session of the General Assembly on “global awareness of the tragedies of irregular migrants in the Mediterranean basin with specific emphasis on Syrian asylum seekers.”

FAREWELL TO DANIEL LENSKI: After completing a one-year internship with LOWC, we bid farewell to Daniel Lenski. He came from the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau/EKHN, Germany. Daniel followed several issues at the United Nations, including those related to gender justice, reform of the Security Council, freedom of religion and belief, the post-2015 process, and other thematic discussions, such as the process of debt restructuring and the situation of migrants, among others. LOWC is grateful to Daniel for his service and to EKHN for supporting him.

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California – Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

www.loppca.org

As California grieves the San Bernardino massacre, Solaris musicians who sang in the Capitol’s rotunda the day before continue their California appearances, comforting and gently challenging audiences with sounds of care, peace, community, joy and gratitude. LOPP-CA Director Mark Carlson heard them at the Parliament of World Religions and remarked how good they would sound in the rotunda. One thing led to another, and they were the first group in a daily holiday concert series that runs through Dec. 23. Prior to a concert in the St. John’s Lutheran sanctuary, they lifted the spirits of more than 100 homeless men and women camping overnight in St. John’s social hall, part of the intermittent Safeground hospitality at a few Midtown churches. At dinner with Carlson, they had brought up the “gun culture” they had experienced in New Mexico and Arizona, where they had just been, an experience that clashed with their Canadian roots.

As California prepared to send a strong delegation of public officials and advocates to Paris, a November highlight was the California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL) Cool Climate Awards service at the Catholic Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland. Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Davis received the top award in the energy efficiency category. Their choir sang “For the Beauty of the Earth,” among an eclectic mix of musicians and choirs. Carlson, who is a CIPL steering committee member, nominated them for the award. He also presented the water stewardship award to a Catholic girls middle school in Los Angeles County.

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Colorado – Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado

www.lam-co.org

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR 2016: The Policy Committee of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado met in early November to discuss the ministry’s 2016 legislative agenda. Items adopted included:

A continuing commitment to anti-hunger work through the programs that were federally reauthorized this summer under the banner of child nutrition
Support for poverty reduction measures like raising the minimum wage and supporting robust investment in social and human services programs
Improving access to health care through effective implementation of Connect for Health Colorado and expanding Medicaid enrollment among especially vulnerable populations
Calling for racial justice in the processes and structures of contemporary society and encouraging congregations to be a prophetic witness to that call
Promoting the construction of more low-income housing by renewing the state Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

LOW-INCOME HOUSING: LAM-CO Director Peter Severson spoke at the Colorado Social Legislation Committee’s Fall Forum in November, addressing faith community responses to the housing crisis in Colorado, particularly in urban areas. The forum was titled, “Can We Afford to Live in Metro Denver Anymore?”

LOOKING AHEAD: The Colorado General Assembly will convene for its annual 120-day session on Jan.13.

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Illinois – Jennifer DeLeon, Lutheran Advocacy Illinois

www.lutheranadvocacy.org

Although we are not hearing news stories about the unaccompanied migrant children, we know they are here and need our help. That is why we are collaborating with Mary Campbell, ELCA manager for relationships in Latin America and the Caribbean, ELCA Global Mission, as part of an outreach network to the three synods for educating, recruiting, and involving congregations in the AMPARO (Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunity) strategy. LA-I will offer workshops to educate, recruit and train individuals and congregations to participate in three areas: volunteer for the Guardian Angels program (immigration court visitation), become a welcoming congregation, and recruit advocates for immigration issues identified by the Washington office in partnership with Assistant Director of Migration Policy and Advocacy Alaide Vilchis Ibarra.

In November, we met with the Metropolitan Chicago Synod to begin the planning process of rolling this campaign out to the synod, and we went with Mary Campbell to the Chicago immigration court where many of the children have to make the trip to Chicago from Indiana and Wisconsin. Some have legal representation and others do not and need our help. As part of the Guardian Angels program, you can help guide these families in obtaining the resources they need for their next court date. If you live in Illinois, please consider becoming a volunteer for the Guardian Angels program. For more information, contact Jennifer.Deleon@lssi.org or Mary.Campbell@elca.org.

For a more in-depth look at the migrant children issue: Our Communities in Crisis Central America Report.

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Minnesota – Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy Minnesota tammy@lcppm.org

November was a month filled with many coalition meetings and collaborative plans.

PAYDAY LENDING: Work continues on a joint summit to build a broader understanding of payday lending. The event, scheduled for Jan. 28, will include basic background on payday lending, faith perspectives on lending and usury, tips for countering payday lending industry arguments, prophetic messaging and preaching, and healthy alternatives.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING/HOMELESSNESS: After listening to weekly proposals, the Homes for All Policy Team moved into decision-making for the 2016 session. Previously, the coalition decided to support bonding for supportive housing development/rehab, existing housing preservation, homeownership support (land trusts), and public housing rehab (energy upgrades/conservation). In December, we’ll decide what else to support from the more than 14 programs and policy proposals.

CLEAN ENERGY/CLIMATE: LA-MN participated in a three-year proposal for Clean Energy & Climate Cluster work under Minnesota Environmental Partnership, including expansion of grassroots education and action. Lutheran Advocacy-MN has also been part of a multi-organization effort pulling together a Clean Energy State Table, beyond but interrelated to the Minnesota Environmental Partnership cluster effort.

IMMIGRATION: As anti-immigrant/refugee fervor increases, LA-MN has been consulting colleague groups to find appropriate ways to counter fear and misinformation. Given rhetoric, LA-MN’s work will primarily focus on changing the tone to create a welcoming environment.

NOVEMBER EVENTS AND PRESENTATIONS: Director Tammy Walhof presented LA-MN and effective advocacy to church forums, interns from a partner, and the Southwestern Minnesota Synod Council.

LA-MN helped sponsor several climate education events, and Tammy continued “clean energy/climate conversations.” Facebook Twitter: @LuthAdvocacyMN

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New Mexico – Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran advocacy Ministry New Mexico www.lutheranadvocacynm.org

The 2015 Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM annual Advocacy Conference took place on Saturday, Nov. 7, at St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Albuquerque. Approximately 75 advocates attended, including ELCA Lutherans from around the state and many of our ecumenical partners. Breakout session topics were hunger in New Mexico, predatory lending, solitary confinement, and the 2016 LAM-NM advocacy agenda.

During lunch, state Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino spoke about how his Roman Catholic faith informs his legislative work and about the upcoming legislative session.

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Ohio – Nick Bates, The Faith Coalition for the Common Good nick@oneohionow.org

The Southern Ohio Synod Advocacy Taskforce partnered with synod hunger leaders in hosting “The World’s Largest Potluck” for an advocacy day on Nov. 18. Joined by partners with Lutheran Social Services and the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, advocates spoke with multiple legislative offices on the important role that public policy plays in ending hunger in our communities.

The day was grounded in the image of a potluck – where everyone contributes a little so that everyone can have a lot. Advocates explained to legislators and staff that we can end hunger in Ohio with small changes in public policies. Specifics regarding state imposed barriers to SNAP benefits were discussed. The group also spoke about the importance of improving Ohio’s Earned Income Tax Credit to help more hard working families struggling to get by.

The advocates reminded everyone that we need to remember that hunger is year round, and not just a problem during the holidays. “We are grateful to all of the generosity that pours out at this time of year, but we pray and challenge our state leaders to prioritize ending hunger in 2016,” Southern Ohio Synod Bishop Suzanne Dillahunt said. “Through public leadership, and our partnership, we can eradicate hunger in Ohio.”

For further information please contact Nick Bates, Southern Ohio Synod Advocacy Ministries at Batesyep@gmail.com.

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Pennsylvania – Amy Reumann, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Associate Director

www.lutheranadvocacypa.org

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania’s Policy Council and bishops met the first week of December to adopt a 2016 agenda. All expressed profound gratitude to the Rev. Amy Reumann as she departs to head ELCA Advocacy in Washington, D.C. Amy led Lutheran advocacy in Pennsylvania for more than six years equipping disciples to speak from their faith as well as bearing bold personal witness to the gospel in the public square. She will be deeply missed, but Pennsylvania is heartened and happy for the gifts she brings to the wider church. Associate Director Tracey DePasquale will serve as interim director.

LAMPa celebrated the passage of a bill to expand the state Housing Trust Fund, which will improve access to safe, affordable housing and eliminate blight. The payday lending industry has made its now annual appearance in the chaos of the close of a budget process. Staff visited lawmakers and continue to work with the broad statewide coalition in opposition to this new attack on the state’s excellent consumer protection laws.

Tracey attended the second meeting of the new State Food Security Partnership, offering perspectives of the experience of the ELCA World Hunger network. LAMPa also reached out to our congregational hunger ministries to join a letter to the governor seeking additional funding for hunger in his next budget proposal. Amy preached and taught an adult forum at Trinity in Reading and participated in an interfaith prayer service and march on climate change at the state capitol.

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Virginia – Charles Swadley, Interim President and CEO

http://www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org/

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy will hold its annual meeting Dec. 8 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond. The speaker will be Michael Cassidy, CEO of the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. The Center will recognize State Sen. John Watkins as the Legislator of the Year, and the Virginia Poverty Law Center for its work in health care, predatory lending and fighting hunger.

On Nov. 18, the center hosted a summit on childhood hunger, bringing together more than 50 leaders from multiple faiths across the commonwealth. Discussion centered around an agreement toward common advocacy for legislation to support universal breakfast in the classroom. And coming up on Jan. 20, VICPP will hold its annual Day for All People at the Virginia Union University in Richmond.

Mental health problems are particularly visible in the U.S. prison system, with a population of more than 2 million, 400,000 of whom have a mental health diagnosis, reports Karen Cameron of Virginia Consumer Voices. Among Virginia’s incarcerated population, 1 in 4 have had a mental health diagnosis. Virginia has had some unfortunate experience with this issue, with the deaths of Jamycheal Mitchell in the Hampton Roads Regional Jail as he waited for a bed to open up in the over-crowded Virginia state hospital system, and Natasha McKenna in the Fairfax County Jail. Both had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, but neither had access to mental health care while incarcerated.

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Washington – Paul Benz, Faith Action Network

www.fanwa.org

The state legislative “committee days” were held in the capitol before the week of Thanksgiving in preparation for the 2016 60-day session, which begins on Monday, Jan. 11. Faith Action Network (FAN) was there for meetings with legislators, coalition partners, and to prepare for our Interfaith Advocacy Day on Feb. 4. To view our 2016 legislative agenda click here. Our key issue remains reducing wealth inequality. FAN will be support a 2016 ballot initiative effort to increase our state’s minimum wage and fund our sick-leave policy. Other priorities will be criminal justice reforms, such as post-secondary education in our prisons, legal financial obligation reforms (debtor prison), and repealing our death penalty statute. Passing a state voting-rights act will also remain a key priority for FAN.

FAN is also in the midst of planning our second major event of the year – Interfaith Advocacy Day in Olympia on Thursday, Feb. 4. We also participate in and co-sponsor the Spokane Legislative Conference on Saturday, Jan. 30, and we are the sponsor and convener of our Yakima Advocacy Conference in central Washington on Sat., Feb. 6.

FAN’s signature event of the year, our annual dinner, was held on Sunday, Nov. 15, with the theme of “Yes We Can!” More than 400 advocates from more than 67 faith communities, community and labor partners, and elected officials and their representatives attended. Our featured speaker was the senior pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Seattle, the Rev. Dr. Carey Anderson, who addressed the racial injustices that are facing our communities and nation.

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Wisconsin – Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin

www.loppw.org

LOPPW is thankful for advocates who raised their voices in the midst of some troubling legislation that passed in Wisconsin this year. We have faith those voices will endure and multiply.

WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: LOPPW led a workshop on children in poverty at Peace Lutheran Church in Waunakee. The director participated in a World Hunger event in Iowa, where she made contact with hunger leaders from the La Crosse Area, Northwest, East Central, Greater Milwaukee, and South-Central synods.

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: LOPPW’s director worked with a volunteer to prepare for the first Care for God’s Creation team in the South-Central Synod. The director and an LOPPW intern attended an all-day meeting with several faith-based and secular partners to discuss creating a statewide table to combine resources to advocate for cleaner air and address other environmental concerns in Wisconsin.

ANTI-TRAFFICKING: LOPPW/Cherish All Children’s team has decided on three locations in three synods for conferences and has created planning teams for each event. We are thankful for help from a Women of the ELCA grant. LOPPW submitted the grant proposal in the spring of this year. The director has met regularly with one of LOPPW’s interns to help shape a resource on trafficking that our intern is developing.

SYRIAN REFUGEES: LOPPW added educational and worship resources to the LOPPW website in response to e-mail exchanges between state public policy office and Washington, D.C., staffs.

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What advocacy efforts are going on in your synod or state? We want to hear about it!

Contact us at washingtonoffice@elca.org

Dave Delaney, Salem, VA

Warm-up Questions

Many people use landmark events or big experiences as a way of dividing life into chapters or as points of reference to remember when other smaller things happened. When you are remembering something and trying to fix when it happened, what points of reference to you use? (“Oh yeah – that was in 9th grade,” or “that was before we moved,” or “that was before Trump was running for president” etc.). Do you remember that it was before or after some other large experience? Do you remember what your relationships were at the time or who else was there? Do you rely on location? Do you think in terms of big news events or holidays? Or do you just use the calendar?
If you wanted to identify an event or events in our own historical time the way Luke sets the stage for John the Baptist, what things would you mention? Just the month, day, and year? Would it be a list of current world leaders? Would you list the distinctive social conditions that would help your story make sense (like the mood of the nation or the highlights of the campaign season or the tension in the world regarding Syria)?
In this age of social media, when all 500 of your online friends can know what you had for breakfast, do you still wish that you could get someone to notice something small that you consider important – a cause or an event or an idea?

Good News in the Wilderness?

The Arts Council of Bakersfield, a city in central California, sponsors an event every month called First Fridays in a section of downtown that has wide sidewalks where local artists obtain permits to set up displays of their work. The event fits in beautifully with the complexion of that part of the city, which is dotted with small art galleries, theatres, cafes, organic food shops, a doggie day spa and other specialty businesses designed to appeal to people with a bit of disposable income. The artists reportedly enjoy very respectable sales on these days.

For most of 2015, however, visitors to First Fridays have had an additional experience while browsing at the corner of 19th and Eye Streets in the form of a 23-year old street preacher named Nathaniel Runels. His preaching consists of standing on top of a small crate painted with the words “Jesus Saves” and preaching against the evils of moral sin. He tends to center his attacks on traditional forms of sexual immorality and he delivers his messages at the top of his lungs as people pass, so they are forced to hear him whether they want to or not. He is apparently acting within the confines of the law; even though people have generally found him to be more annoying than inspiring, the police have not arrested him or even told him he can’t be that publicly disruptive.

Starting in early November, however, large crowds have gathered at the corner and attempted to shout down the self-described “open-air preacher.” Runels reports that he’s been spit on, had his clothes painted, and had water poured on his shoes, all in an attempt to get him to stop. David Gordon, head of the Arts Council, is beyond frustrated. He’s heard complaints from vendors who say the preaching scares away customers and draws a mob at the corner that impedes traffic on the sidewalk and, at times, the street. He says he’s tried working with Runels, suggesting the young man arrive to preach at 9 p.m., when First Friday ends, or move to a less busy corner — all to no avail.

Some have suggested that he be required to purchase a permit like other vendors since, even though they dislike his message, his sermons could be considered a kind of “performance art,” and “shouldn’t art challenge the thinking of those who interact with it?” Others have said, “I guess he didn’t read the Bible where it admonishes people to pray in private, not on the street-corner for people to see.” Still others, including David Gordon, think he’s just doing it for the attention. Gordon doesn’t want anyone getting hurt, he wants to avoid traffic jams at that corner and for his art vendors and First Friday guests to have a good experience.

Discussion Questions

The news stories do not say whether anyone has been inspired to faith or repentance as a result of Runels’ preaching. Do you think you would be?
What is your reaction to this way of preaching? Do you think it is right that someone should be preaching out in public for everyone to hear whether they like it or not or do you think that preaching should be confined to churches and other spaces where people choose to listen?
What if the content of Runels’ preaching were different and he were emphasizing God’s love and forgiveness or reassuring people that God really does have a steady hand on this seemingly chaotic world? Do you think people would be more receptive to his preaching

Second Sunday of Advent

Malachi 3:1-4

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

Luke is very concerned in this section of the gospel to locate John the Baptist in a very specific historical context. It is not just a vague “once upon a time” story, but a story that is fully immersed in the events and circumstances of its day, as the gospel should be. John being out in “the wilderness” does not suggest that he is removed from the great movements of governments and armies that dominate the lives of the people. Luke wants to use the large-scale markers of time to draw attention to this seemingly small event. He will do something similar – but with history rather than the current political landscape – at the end of chapter 3 when he situates Jesus in a long lineage of ancestors that stretches all the way back to Adam.

“The wilderness” in Luke’s gospel where John the Baptist is preaching is not just a miscellaneous spot in the middle of nowhere. Luke tells us that John was preaching in “all the region around the Jordan.” This area is filled with symbolic importance. It is the place where, 13 centuries earlier, the Israelites crossed the Jordan river into the freedom of their promised land, so it represents a kind of starting-over place for people who want to move from bondage and slavery to sin into the freedom of God’s love.

Hence John’s baptism is a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Unlike our American “wilderness” that is full of wild vegetation, the biblical “wilderness” is very dry and barren, so it is also thought of as a place of death, but not only death – it is also where life can begin again if it is watered. It is also the place from where people believed the Messiah – Israel’s savior – would arrive to establish God’s rule once again in the land. The theme of God’s chosen one entering the land from the east to bring peace and redemption was such a powerful idea that Isaiah envisioned even the land itself getting involved.

An internet search for aerial photos of “the Judean wilderness” reveals how barren and dry it is, but also how steep the climb is from the Jordan river to Jerusalem where the Israelite temple was. The terrain is also very hilly between the Jordan river and Jerusalem at the top of the ridge. Imagine all of that being flattened out and turned into a huge ramp for the Messiah to enter. That is the image that Isaiah projects with the promise that hills will be brought low and the valleys will be lifted up.

That language about the hills and valleys also carries a symbolic meaning. One of the great themes of Luke is that under the Messiah’s reign the lowly will be raised up and those who are high and lofty will be brought down. This has already been shown with Mary, Jesus’ mother, in Luke 1.

When Luke says that John was administering a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins, we might have trouble visualizing that. We should probably think of people walking through the Jordan river from its east bank to its west bank (reminiscent of the first Israelite crossing to freedom), stopping in the middle to have John pour water over them as a sign of God’s grace and a pledge that they will seek to live a life of constantly turning to God for all things rather than falling back into greed and despair.

Discussion Questions

What do you know about John the Baptist’s background? If you can’t remember the story of his birth, go back and read Luke chapter 2.
One of the important things to remember about biblical prophecy is that it typically does not refer to just one event or point in history, but keeps on being meaningful at other points in history long beyond the original meaning. How does Isaiah’s prophecy strike you today? Where in the church, in your life, in your community, in your school, or in the whole world does it need to be proclaimed that people should prepare the way of the Lord by setting out a clear path, evening out the lows and highs in human experience, straightening out things that are crooked, or smoothing things that are rough. What kind of work would it take for “all flesh [to] see the salvation of God”?

Activity Suggestions

If you have math and geometry enthusiasts in your group, you can figure out the angle at which someone has to travel to go roughly 18 miles from the southern Jordan river at 1500 feet below sea level to the top of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem at 2700 feet above sea level.
If you found yourself suddenly standing on a soapbox in the middle of the monthly art fair in Bakersfield or at the busiest intersection in your town and you were expected to preach, what would you say? Would you preach that people should repent? Would you announce that God has big plans for the world? Would you talk about your own faith in Jesus? Brainstorm or write down some of those thoughts.
Most of our ordinary “preaching” opportunities do not come in the form of public soapbox speeches – they happen when we show love, care, comfort, and understanding to someone in need, or we give someone a meal in Jesus’ name, or we offer to pray with someone who is troubled about something, or we have just a few seconds to answer a question about what the cross around our neck or the slogan on our t-shirt means. Take some time to put together an “elevator speech.” This is a summary of what is true and important to you about the Christian faith – something that could be shared with someone in the amount of time it takes to go up 4 or 5 stories in an elevator.
Do you have complete information about your own baptism? When and where were you baptized? If you don’t know, check with parents or even the congregation where you were baptized to get that information, then be sure to remember and celebrate that date each year!

Closing Prayer

God of salvation, we pray that just as you have revealed yourself in all times and all places, always bringing up the lowly and rescuing the lofty from their futile heights, reveal yourself to us again today in this world. Bring all people to wilderness places, where they will see you and be claimed by your love in repentance and forgiveness of sins. In Jesus’ name we pray.

Andrew Fuller, Advocacy Coordinator

In the midst of the sea that is the $1.15 trillion omnibus spending package facing Congress, there is a campaign-finance rider that would do away with the campaign monetary limits currently set for political party expenditures.

On the surface, one could argue that this might help remedy the imbalance, broadened by the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court Decision, between what Super PACs spend to sway voters versus what political parties are allowed to spend on their own candidates’ races. One could argue that. And it might possibly be true. It could help bring some parity to an imbalanced campaign finance system.

But, I wonder, is that imbalance really a problem worth solving? Are we asking the right question here? I suggest the answer to those questions is a resounding, “No.”

The real question, one that neither party is too eager to address, is the imbalance of the entire electorate in which many, dare I say most, of us are left out of the democratic process by virtue of our comparatively diminutive bank accounts. That the democratic process in this country is increasingly ceded to a wealthy few is the true crux of the issue, and it is something that McConnell’s rider only exacerbates.

Balance is key. Balancing big money with even bigger money is not.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Churchwide has calls on us to, “advocate for the enactment of campaign finance reform legislation at the local, state, and national levels, so that an equal opportunity may be provided for all candidates for elected office.” This is a critical issue. Already, political parties can now raise nearly $2.5 million in any one cycle from an individual donor. Raising this limit will serve as a means to bypass existing limits on contributions to candidates, and increase the influence of money in politics.

As a citizen and, especially, as a person of faith, it bothers me that we seem to have all but given up on campaign finance reform. In our Reformed tradition, we are called to live our lives in faithfulness to a government that adheres to a common good, that enlists the voices of all, regardless of net worth, into the decision-making process so that we can foster values that represent what we believe we are called to live into: justice, peace, freedom. When access to the process is mitigated – or even denied – to the majority in favor of a wealthy few, regardless of one’s political persuasion, we are incapable of living into our call to faithful living.

Alaide Vilchis Ibarra, Assistant Director, ELCA Migration Policy and Advocacy

”The two chief things are faith and love. Faith receives the good; love gives the good. Faith offers us God as our own; love gives us to our neighbor as his own.” – Martin Luther

Every year, as Christmas approaches, I begin to worry about budgeting both my time and money for presents while I’m home in Kansas to make sure that neither family members nor friends feel left out. It is a yearly ritual that leaves me feeling stressed. This year feels different. Working with unaccompanied children and their families, and closing a chapter on my own migration story, has given me a new perspective on Christmas and the precious time we spend together with the people we love.

A few months ago I traveled to Mexico with my parents and spent time with my extended family after 15 years of being unable to be together in the same country. As I sat in my grandmother’s dining room laughing with my cousins and aunts, it hit me how much I need those moments just sitting with my whole family. This experience also reminded me what a privilege it is to be able to have dinner with people you love, a privilege I’m well aware not everyone has and, until this year, my own family was denied.

Alaide fam

Alaide and her family in Washingon

This year, when I visited Central America and Mexico and spoke with unaccompanied children and their families, I was reminded of the importance of family and neighborly love. I heard from many mothers who tearfully recounted why they had been forced to send their child on a dangerous journey or why they had chosen to make the journey themselves. Almost always, they spoke about the pain of separating from their families or communities.

After I returned from my own family trip to Mexico, I reflected on what those 15 years of separation had truly meant for me and my family. I found that the most painful loss was the sense of love and community we had in Mexico. Through family dinners at Christmas we were constantly reminded that we were loved and supported no matter what. Without realizing it, migrating to the United States meant losing that support. I never quite understood the importance of community, family and love until I allowed myself to feel the pain of the 15 years we had lost.

My own story and those I heard in Central America and Mexico makes me wonder if the national conversation on migration would be different if we spoke about family and love instead of border enforcement and security. Although Washington, D.C., can be a hard place to be hopeful, this Christmas season I am determined to concentrate on love, family and community and to remember all who are denied these important things.

Throughout the seemingly endless waves of violence and fear all over the world that force so many to leave their homes, I am still hopeful for positive change. I truly believe that love will conquer fear and violence, as long as we allow it to: “[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Alaide photo Alaide serves as Assistant Director for Migration Policy and Advocacy.

She lives in Washington, D.C.

En el Cristo hecho carne, Dios nos encuentra y proporciona descanso a los corazones inquietos.

Oh ven, oh ven Emanuel, y rescata a la cautiva Israel que llora en solitario exilio aquí hasta que aparezca el Hijo de Dios (ELW por sus siglas en inglés, 257).

Adviento. Es una temporada de preparación y anticipación. Puede llegar a ser agotadora e implacable. El periodo comercial que lleva a la Navidad sin duda se ha hecho más largo. A veces, justo después del Día del Trabajo ya aparecen los escaparates navideños en las tiendas; la publicidad salta en nuestras laptops y dispositivos electrónicos de mano, y los villancicos se convierten en música de fondo en todas partes. Y se librará la guerra anual por la adoración navideña entre los pastores y la gente para decidir si se cantan villancicos navideños en la iglesia durante el Adviento. Pero no voy a tratar ese debate épico en esta columna.

Más bien, lo que quiero es considerar el profundo y santo anhelo que forma parte de esta temporada. Es significativo que las palabras de los profetas y el anhelo de Israel en el exilio sean tan prominentes en las lecciones designadas para el Adviento. La gente anhelaba que viniera el Señor, que actuara, que los redimiera, que los llevara a casa. Su exilio en Babilonia ya no era difícil. Muchos habían conseguido una buena vida, habían tenido hijos y se habían establecido. Pero no estaba del todo bien. Estaban físicamente presentes en Babilonia, pero sus corazones no estaban allí.

Creo que el Adviento es así para nosotros. La tierra es la buena creación de Dios. Encontramos mucha alegría en esta vida. Como luteranos, no nos apartamos del mundo, sino que participamos del mismo creyendo que es un don. Pero también sabemos que no está del todo bien. Que existen la desolación y el dolor: el dolor que experimentamos, el dolor que otros causan, el dolor que les causamos a otros. Y, debido a nuestra desolación, nos volvemos hacia nosotros mismos intentando, en una autosuficiencia fútil, estar completos.

De alguna manera, el Adviento crea una cierta inquietud. Puede que sea una de las pocas temporadas del año en las que nos hacemos más conscientes de nuestro deseo de plenitud y en la que estamos más alerta a las señales de que algo se acerca. Es como oír un sonido en la distancia que anuncia algo, pero que no podemos identificar con claridad. Creo que el Adviento es un tiempo liminar, un umbral. Los celtas a esto lo llamaban un “lugar estrecho, fino”, un lugar y tiempo en el que la tierra y el cielo parecen tocarse. Está justo ahí, apenas más allá de lo que se puede ver, justo más allá de nuestro alcance. Y nos invade un santo anhelo. Isaías lo dijo: “¡Ojalá rasgaras los cielos, y descendieras! …” (Isaías 64:1).

¿Qué hay en nosotros que nos hace preocuparnos, que nos vuelve inquietos? Isaías también escribió: “A pesar de todo, Señor, tú eres nuestro Padre; nosotros somos el barro, y tú el alfarero. Todos somos obra de tu mano” (Isaías 64:8). Parece que este anhelo del Adviento es una conciencia de que no estamos completos apartados de Dios. En el Adviento nos encontramos en ese momento incierto e inquieto entre el fin del viejo año y el inicio del nuevo, un lugar estrecho y fino en el que nos acercamos a Dios dándonos cuenta, como escribió San Agustín: “Tú nos has formado para ti mismo, y nuestros corazones están inquietos hasta que encuentran su descanso en ti” (Confesiones).

Pero no podemos llegar ahí por nosotros mismos. Ésta no es nuestra obra, sino la de Dios. La espera confiada en el Señor es el propósito del Adviento: aguardar, anhelar, esperar, creer.

Y Dios es fiel. Escuchamos del profeta Sofonías que Dios promete: “En aquel tiempo yo los traeré, en aquel tiempo los reuniré…” (Sofonías 3:20).

Pero Aquél por el que esperamos no está contento con tan sólo acercarnos, sino que cumple esta promesa viniendo a nosotros como Emanuel, Dios con nosotros. En el Cristo hecho carne, Dios viene a nosotros, nos encuentra y da descanso a nuestro corazón inquieto.

Un amigo mío dijo: “El mundo ansía un sentido más profundo de la conexión espiritual, pero no hemos descubierto cómo encontrarnos con el mundo en esa conversación y anhelo. ¿Cómo puede ser el Adviento el inicio de esa nueva conversación? ¿Qué tan diferente sería el Adviento si pudiéramos empezar a pensar en ese profundo anhelo como parte de nuestra jornada de Adviento?”

Sentirnos inquietos en esta temporada podría ser bueno para nosotros. Dios no decepcionará.

¡Alégrense! ¡Alégrense! Emanuel vendrá a ti, oh Israel (ELW, 257).

Mensaje mensual de la obispa presidente de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América. Esta columna apareció por primera vez en la edición de diciembre de 2015 de la revista en inglés The Lutheran. Reimpreso con permiso.

By: Nicholas Jaech, Lutheran Office for World Community

“Faith-based organizations are essential partners, particularly in the areas of health service delivery and addressing stigma and discrimination. The partnership with faith-based organizations is critical to ending the AIDS epidemic and making sure that no one is left behind.” – Luiz Loures, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, September 27, 2015.

Today we commemorate World AIDS Day – a day to unite in the fight against HIV, show solidarity with people living with HIV and remember those who have died.

During the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) staff joined a small group of representatives from civil society, who gathered to have an assessment and planning discussion with UNAIDS regarding the next 15 years of combating the AIDS epidemic. In 2014, UNAIDS drafted and published its Fast-Track strategy, which details the pathway to ending AIDS by 2030. This strategy utilizes the 90-90-90 model, aiming for 90% of all people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 90% of people who know their status having access to treatment and 90% of people on treatment having suppressed viral loads by 2020. Should this be successful, the strategy then calls for a 95-95-95 model by 2025. If successful by 2030, HIV/AIDS will be so contained that it no longer will be considered an “epidemic.”

However, during this meeting, UNAIDS admitted to a significant funding gap – a $10-15 billion shortfall in the implementation of this “Fast-Track” approach. This gap is largely due to the misconception that the AIDS epidemic is no longer as pressing or dangerous as it once was. This misconception then leads to the under-prioritization of HIV/AIDS, which often results in the unwillingness of governments to legitimately undertake measures to create new revenue specifically for combating the epidemic.

This isn’t to say that national governments are completely shying away from funding the response to the current AIDS epidemic. At a high-level event at the UN held later that day, the United States pledged to fund the life-saving treatment for 12.9 million people living with HIV in 2016-17, as well as funding efforts to reduce HIV among girls in 10 sub-Saharan countries by 40%.¹ Additionally, Malawi pledged 14% of its GDP to HIV prevention, factoring out to $148 per HIV positive person per year. This funding comes in the form of the distribution of necessary anti-retroviral drugs .²

But despite these announcements, the $10-15 billion shortfall remains.

So what can we do, as followers of a loving and compassionate God, to bolster the efforts of UNAIDS to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030? First, we can make financial donations to the ELCA HIV and AIDS Ministry, which has established a commitment to support the efforts of ending the AIDS epidemic. This support manifests in the training of pastors for HIV/AIDS counseling, providing necessary anti-retroviral medication to rural communities, and free offerings of HIV testing. We can also support our family, friends, and neighbors living with HIV by providing food, clothes, toiletries, and other specified items to local HIV/AIDS clinics, shelters, and organizations. This can also include volunteering one’s time and energy as well. These two simple yet significant actions not only contribute to efforts to end the epidemic, but also illustrate our ability to manifest God’s love in our daily lives. As written in 1 John 3:17-18 – “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? …let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” – we are called to love and support those around us. This has to include those living with HIV and AIDS.

Yet, we are called not only to provide financial support or direct donations for local and international efforts to combat this epidemic, but also to combat the stigma that perpetuates and strengthens this epidemic every day. In fact, we cannot even begin to address the issue of HIV/AIDS without addressing the stigma and marginalization of those who are living with it.

Stigma and discrimination in education, health clinics, and general society against people living with HIV/AIDS, and especially against key populations with HIV/AIDS, continues to exacerbate the epidemic. For example, transgender women are 49 times more likely to acquire HIV than all adults of reproductive age.³ However, only 39% of countries have national AIDS strategies that specifically address transgender people (ibid). Additionally, gay men and other men who have sex with men worldwide are 19 times more likely to be living with HIV.⁴ Furthermore, adolescent girls are eight times more likely to be living with HIV than their male counterparts.⁵

Stigma and discrimination in societies around the world against these key populations above, as well against many others, are the largest contributors to the AIDS epidemic. It is then our responsibility as people of faith to work to systematically dismantle the oppression that continues to make these populations vulnerable. We are called to extend our love and support specifically to these groups of people. We are called not only to support them in their health, but also to support them in their own agency – bringing them into mainstream dialogue and decision-making regarding HIV/AIDS efforts (see also the ECLA Strategy on HIV and AIDS).⁶ The ELCA and the Episcopal Church reaffirmed their commitment to supporting these key populations in 2014.⁷Also, religious leaders from 18 Eastern and Southern African countries with the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, an ecumenical initiative of the World Council of Churches, recently declared that “all human beings are equal before God and should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of age, gender and sexual orientation.”⁸

We, as church members with global relationships, have the potential to greatly contribute to the fight against the AIDS epidemic. If we are to truly live the message of 1 John 3:17-18, we must support people living with HIV/AIDS by addressing the core issue: stigma and discrimination. This is not simply an act of charity, but a moral calling of our Church by God. World AIDS Day reminds us that we can address this dangerous stigma only by showing unconditional love for all people, for I believe that only unconditional love, unconditional support, and a unified campaign for justice can combat stigma. If we truly want to end HIV/AIDS by 2030, this unconditional love has to continue to be at the forefront of our work, not only as a Church, but in our work as individuals. To echo a central message of the ELCA: “God’s work, our hands.”

For more on the ELCA’s HIV and AIDS Ministry, read here. You can also follow their efforts via Facebook.

For further reading on combating stigma against key populations, see UNAIDS publications here.

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December Advocacy Update

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Washington, D.C. – Mary Minette, Interim Director of Advocacy

www.elca.org/advocacy

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New York, NY – Dennis Frado​, Lutheran Office for World Community

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California – Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

www.loppca.org​

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Colorado – Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado

www.lam-co.org

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Illinois – Jennifer DeLeon, Lutheran Advocacy Illinois

www.lutheranadvocacy.org

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Minnesota – Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy Minnesota tammy@lcppm.org

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New Mexico – Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran advocacy Ministry New Mexico www.lutheranadvocacynm.org

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Ohio – Nick Bates, The Faith Coalition for the Common Good nick@oneohionow.org

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Pennsylvania – Amy Reumann, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Associate Director

www.lutheranadvocacypa.org

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Virginia – Charles Swadley, Interim President and CEO

http://www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org/

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Washington – Paul Benz, Faith Action Network

www.fanwa.org

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Wisconsin – Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin

www.loppw.org

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What advocacy efforts are going on in your synod or state? We want to hear about it!

Contact us at washingtonoffice@elca.org ​​

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Advent Reflection: Hopeful for families and grateful for my own

​”The two chief things are faith and love. Faith receives the good; love gives the good. Faith offers us God as our own; love gives us to our neighbor as his own.” – Martin Luther

La indefinida temporada de Adviento – por Elizabeth Eaton

Love Thy Neighbor: Our Moral Imperative to Support Those Living with HIV/AIDS

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New York, NY – Dennis Frado, Lutheran Office for World Community

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www.loppca.org

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Contact us at washingtonoffice@elca.org

”The two chief things are faith and love. Faith receives the good; love gives the good. Faith offers us God as our own; love gives us to our neighbor as his own.” – Martin Luther