by the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director, ELCA Witness in Society

In her sermon, my pastor lamented that “each person killed was a precious and irreplaceable child of God,” on the Sunday following the racially motivated massacre of 10 shoppers and workers at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y. The irreplaceability of each person made in God’s image stands in marked contrast to so-called “Great Replacement” theory, the fear that stoked the White shooter’s hatred and motivation to target and gun down people of African descent.

The Great Replacement is a far-right conspiracy theory that claims there is a plot to bring nonwhite, non-Christian people to western nations through immigration. The assumed aim is to “replace” White, Christian majorities by adding voters of other races, ethnicities and religions, resulting in the marginalization of the White Christian population and loss of its political power and cultural dominance. Rather than using inevitable demographic shifts as a moment for reflection and repentance in the White community for historic injustices in its treatment of minority groups, replacement theory uses the coming change to stoke fear and to call for White people to cling to power by any means necessary, which does for some include acts of horrifying violence.

Replacement Theory Moves from Fringes

What began as a fringe theory in the corners of the internet has now gained prominence in multiple acts of mass violence. At the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, white supremacists marched while shouting, “Jews will not replace us.” Replacement theory echoed through the lives and motivations of the shooters at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, at two mosques in New Zealand where 51 worshippers were killed and at the El Paso Walmart where 23 people were murdered. In each case, white shooters invoked the grievance and language of “invasion” and “replacement” by Jews, Muslims and Latinés.

The Great Replacement has been employed by White nationalist groups in the U.S. to recruit members by making dire predictions about loss of White power and control. It is invoked by politicians who stir up fears of migrants and immigrants by portraying them as violent invaders. As pronouncements of replacement theory move from fringe to center, our voices and actions are needed to replace hate-filled speech with God’s vision for the Beloved Community.

Refutation in ELCA Teaching

The ELCA social statement Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture grounds us in this moment with the church’s teaching that refutes replacement theory and points us towards the fulness of human diversity that God intends. The ELCA teaches that there is one humanity created by God. Our oneness in Christ, who breaks down dividing walls of hostility, connects all people. Yet we, in our sinfulness, rebuild those walls, and cement discrimination and injustice into them. Our statement names the church’s complicity in individual and structural racism while also pointing forward to an identity beyond it that we have yet to fully claim.

The irreplaceable truth is that we are freed in Christ to see and celebrate the image of God in everyone in our beautiful diversity. We are called to co-create a common life that affirms the diversity of cultures and people as a God-given gift. This is a blessing to be appreciated, not absorbed by assimilation or destroyed by fear. God hands us the vision of the Beloved Community, reconciled to God and to one another. But we cannot realize this vision without embracing our freedom in Christ. In this freedom we repent, we repair, we reconcile, including offering of our faith-filled public witness that denounces hateful speech, supports equal rights at home and promotes international respect for human rights.

Opposing Evidenced Evils

Replacement theory may be the new wine in the old wineskins of intolerance, bigotry and White supremacy. Luther once said that because poverty is an evil that is always in evidence, it is an evil always to be opposed. The same applies here. Christians need to be tireless opponents of this or any teaching that diminishes, distorts or denies the image of God in every person. No one is replaceable.

We are called to replace language that denigrates and divides, including within our own congregations, by naming the sin of racism and continuing our repentance of it in our words and actions. God stirs us to confront hateful speech and promote a better public life, replacing unjust laws with policies that will preserve human dignity and increase justice in immigration, civil rights, housing, employment and other arenas. Actions birthed from our Christian practice will then be discipled by the fruits of the Spirit.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Confronting Intolerance, Bigotry and White Supremacy

In his lectures on Deuteronomy, Martin Luther said “constant care should be taken that, since these evils are always in evidence, they are always opposed.” We need to talk about, condemn and disown evidenced evils. Following are samplings of moments on our ELCA journey toward better living into fruits of the Spirit. Refer to the documents for additional reflections and action steps.

From “A Declaration of the ELCA to the Jewish Community” (1994)

“Grieving the complicity of our own tradition within this history of hatred, moreover, we express our urgent desire to live out our faith in Jesus Christ with love and respect for the Jewish people. We recognize in anti-Semitism a contradiction and an affront to the Gospel, a violation of our hope and calling, and we pledge this church to oppose the deadly working of such bigotry, both within our own circles and in the society around us.”

From the “Explanation of the Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent” (2019)

“The ELCA teaches that racism is sin and that racism denies the reconciling work of the cross. Rooted in slavery, racism is manifested through the history of Jim Crow policies, racial segregation, the terror of lynching, extrajudicial killings by law enforcement, and the disproportionate incarceration of people of color. Descendants of formerly enslaved Africans are still denied equal access and opportunity in church and society while white people collectively benefit from unequal access, opportunity, and power.”

From “A Declaration of the ELCA to the Muslim Community” (2022)

“Through loving our neighbors, we have come to reject Luther’s polemics. We do not dismiss our history but take it to heart. By embracing dialogue instead of rejecting difference, we have come to realize that we can truly love our neighbors only when we know them…Given the disunity around us and the fear of the unknown, we sense the renewed urgency to nurture relationships and build communities in which we look upon one another with respect and esteem, in which people feel safe and loved, and in which we seek the common good together.”

From the social policy resolution “Condemnation of White Supremacy and Racist Rhetoric” (2019) –here listing #1-6 of 8 points-

“[We] resolve and proclaim that:

1. 1. White supremacy is racism and we condemn it;
   2. Violent rhetoric against persons of color in the name of so-called “Christian Nationalism” is not a true Christian faith. It is idolatry and we condemn it;
   3. The love of God is for all people, without exception, and we proclaim it;
   4. The justice and mercy of God are for all people, without exception, and we proclaim this;
   5. Our religious and political leaders have a moral responsibility to condemn racist rhetoric and to speak with respect for the innate dignity of all persons, regardless of their race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, or faith tradition and we call our leaders to honor this responsibility; and
   6. Language that refers to people of color or immigrants with words like “invasion” or “infestation” or “white replacement” is racism and we condemn it”

From the ELCA social statement Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

“We of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with the whole Church, look forward to the time when people will come from east and west, north and south to eat in the reign of God (Luke 13:29). For the Church catholic, diversity of cultures is both a given and a glimpse of the future.” (p. 2)

The following reflections are the foundation of comments shared at the “Interfaith Vigil and Rally: Faith Acting on Gun Violence” by the Rev. Amy E. Reumann on June 8, 2022, hosted by Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington, D.C.

by the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, ELCA Senior Director, Witness in Society

I don’t know what tone to strike today. Is it to be a deep wail of grief and sadness at the blood that has been spilled, the lives lost, the communities forever changed by gun violence? Is it to be cries of holy rage at our leaders in Congress who we fear once again may not hear our determination and add the smallest scrap of protection for children and teachers; for shoppers in the Black community; for the faithful worshipping in church, synagogue, mosque or temple? I want to do both. But here in this space of a Lutheran church, I want to start with what every Lutheran worship service begins with – confession. To make confession to God and to one another about what we have done and what we have left undone.

CONFESSION

Our confession is that we have forgotten whose we are and therefore who we are – created and lovingly made to walk in God’s way of peace and live in God’s shalom. We are to strive for the vision of a peaceable kingdom where enemies reconcile and turn weapons of war into instruments of agriculture, of feeding others, of kindness and generosity.

We confess to allowing our nation to be awash with guns, awash with weapons, awash with unchecked violence, awash with people so alienated that they turn to weapons of war to express themselves.

We confess to failing to protect our children.

We confess that we ignore or quickly forget the pain of gun violence – especially in communities threatened and stalked by gun violence where people are of a different race or religion or ethnicity or sexual orientation than ours.

We confess to numbness from the numbers of those shot, maimed, killed, and left to mourn after media moves on; to weariness at the frequency of these events.

We confess that we indulge in the hopelessness of doubting that easy access to guns will ever change, and use our weariness as an excuse to quit trying.

FORGIVENESS

Here’s the thing about confession. When we name the truth of what is, we are also given the potential to see what can be changed. When we receive God’s forgiveness, it is not an end but a beginning that seeds our hope.

In 1 Corinthians 13:13, we are taught that faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. Today, however, in this moment in this nation, the greatest to me is hope.

SUSTENANCE

I have been reading a book of mediations called Ladder to the Light: An Indigenous Elder’s Meditations on Hope and Courage, written by former Episcopalian priest Steven Charleston. In one chapter he reflects on his ancestors’ walk along the Trail of Tears, seeing nothing beyond the trauma of what they were living with. What sustained them along this trail was the one blessing they needed most: vision to see beyond what is to what the future could be.

He writes, “Here is the holy equation of faith: We are as strong as what we hope. Hope may be dormant beneath the weight of oppression. It may be small and precious, handed down through word of mouth, told in stories, preserved in ceremonies. It may go underground, a hidden light to keep the vision alive. So it was with my people for centuries.”

STRENGTH

We, too, are as strong as what we hope. And the hope that we have is not dependent on our whims and on the headlines which flicker and fail. Our hope rises from God’s overflowing faithfulness, love and promises that bind us together as an interfaith community, united in hope, to seek peace. From this we draw strength and power and community for the journey against gun violence.

Our marching and advocacy are ways that we embody hope with and for each other, even in what may seem like hopeless circumstances. We are as strong as what we hope. And we speak, we march, we plant, striving for something not yet realized, but firm in the promise. We act in hope together.

June 2022 — Reflecting on and Commemorating the Emanuel Nine

On the evening of June 17, 2015, a white supremacist walked into Mother Emanuel AME Church, sat down and joined a Bible study focused on Mark 4. We all know now that he intended to start a race war. Innocent lives were taken in an act of hate, an act all too familiar in our society.

That evening nine innocent people were killed in a temple of the Lord, where love was shared and life in Christ was embraced. The Emanuel Nine are saints who still witness to us today from their graves . . . they witness to the power of God’s word and God’s love! May we never forget and may we be changed! Their family members stood up just days after this horrific tragedy and amazed the world when they voiced forgiveness in Christ’s name. They shared an understanding of the power of God’s word, that it will prevail over any attempt to stifle or kill it. God’s word will be spread far and wide.

Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, has spoken often about God’s love. “Our commitment to be an inclusive church is not based on social theory or the ways of culture,” he says, “but on our belief that the outstretched arms of Jesus on the cross are our sign of the very love of God reaching out to us all.”

This June, inspired by a request from an AME congregation we asked the congregations of the ELCA South Carolina Synod to study the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4, to substitute it as their Gospel reading for Sunday, June 19, and to include the names of the Emanuel Nine in the prayers of intercession. Each year our Inclusiveness Network sponsors a worship service in a central location; this year we have decided to reflect on Mark 4, the Scripture being studied by the Emanuel Nine the night they were murdered, and to ponder how it might shape the way we live into community as Jesus’ disciples.

Only God’s word in Christ has the power to stretch and transform us, to equip us and entrust us with a message and a ministry of reconciliation. Only God’s word can open our hearts to the truth that Jesus came not only for me and you but for all God’s beloved children. Only God’s word, Jesus, can bring hope for our communities and the world.

In Jesus we have the power to become communities that reach beyond themselves, and to bring the transformation of God’s extravagant love to every sister and brother. Thanks be to God for this word of life and love. “Lord, let our hearts be good soil!” In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We remember Rev. Clementa Pinckney · Tywanza Sanders · Rev. Sharonda Singleton · Cynthia Hurd · Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor · Ethel Lance · Susie Jackson · Rev. Dr. Daniel Simmons · Myra Thompson.

Resources:

ELCA worship for commemoration of the Emanuel Nine

https://www.elca.org/emanuelnine

BIO:

The Rev. Virginia S. Aebischer was elected bishop of the ELCA South Carolina Synod on July 25, 2020. Previously she served as assistant to the bishop (2008-2020). She received her Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and was ordained in 1989. She has served as pastor of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Charleston, S.C. (1989-2001) and Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church, West Columbia, S.C. (2001-2008). Ginny is married to the Rev. Paul Aebischer, pastor of Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Columbia, and has two grown sons: Joshua, who is married to Addie and lives and works in Columbia, and Micah, a graduate student at Clemson University. The newest addition to the family is granddaughter Rosie.

Faith Lens is not published during the summer.  The next posting will be on September 6. 2022 for Sunday, September 11.

Drew Tucker, Columbus, OH

Warm-up Question

How do you know that you belong in a community? What are the signs from a community that indicate you might not belong there? 

Noticed, Named, and Known

Recent research about Gen Z from the Springtide Research Institute suggests that a combination of three things leads to young people, aged 13-25,  feeling like they belong in school: being noticed, named, and known by a community. Paying attention to someone, noticing  rather than ignoring them, increases that person’s sense of connectedness. Greeting someone, holding the door for them, blessing them after a sneeze—all are simple ways to notice.

Naming someone accurately, as well as  using the pronouns they’ve asked you to use, deepens that connection. Think of the way that positive nicknames function to increase community. In sports, people called me “Tuck,” short for my last name. My grandfather affectionately called me “Drewser.”  These namings showed me I was not just noticed, but appreciated.

The Springtide research refers to the third dimension, being known, as “unreserved acceptance.” Even more than being noticed and named, being known in  a community gives reassurance. This might happen when I recall details a Gen Z student shared with me, or  trust them to use their passions to contribute to the community’s work. 

There are some troubling statistics in this work.  72% of male participants felt most adults openly supported them at school.  Only 66% of female participants and 51% of nonbinary participants felt that way. In other words, half of nonbinary students don’t feel like they belong, and more that a quarter of male and female students agree. Further, only 18% of all respondents felt safe enough to talk about things that matter most to them at school, and even fewer Black or African American students, 11%, felt safe enough to do so. 

Clearly, we have holy work to do in our schools to notice, name, and know Gen Z students.

Discussion Questions

• What are ways that you can notice, name, and know people in your life who might not get the attention they need to thrive? 
• What do we need to change about our schools to ensure that all people can feel like they belong?

Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21

Romans 8:14-17

John 14:8-17 [25-27]

(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 C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Reflection on Festival Lesson

Much happened on that first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven. Most notably, tongues of fire appear upon the disciples heads. I’m sure that must have been a startling sight! Just as surprising, though, was the gift of speaking different languages, also called tongues. Clearly the Holy Spirit has a sense of humor. People from all over the Roman empire arrive in Jerusalem for the festival.  They bring their native languages and expect to hear only Greek (the empire’s common language), along with Aramaic and Hebrew (the local languages of Jerusalem at the time). Instead, far from their home, they hear a message of good news in the language most familiar to their hearts. 

The Book of Acts  doesn’t say the listeners felt like they belonged.  It says they were “amazed and perplexed.” They didn’t expect to hear Judeans speaking languages common to minority peoples throughout the empire. In this short story, they’re noticed by the disciples, named by the author, and known with words that speak directly to their experience. Rather than requiring a translation, the good news comes to them naturally, through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

We can’t force the miracle of tongues.  That’s God’s work. But this sign of the Holy Spirit reveals a divine priority we can practice.  We can do the hard work of translating the good news into the lived experience of those we encounter, rather than forcing them to adapt to our ways. In fact, we should do that. Our work—how we worship, how we preach, how we teach, what we study, who we invite, where we budget funds to be spent—should be shaped by the people God calls us to serve. Disciples unwilling to speak the language of other nations would have done the gospel no good on that first Pentecost. Similarly, a ministry unwilling to adapt in order to meet the needs of the people God brings to them refuses the work of the Spirit in their midst.

Discussion Questions

• Speaking in tongues is a spiritual gift which still happens  in different parts of the church. Have you or someone you know ever been given that gift? Share your experience. 
• What’s the difference between a miracle that God has done in the past and work that we’re called to do in the present?
• How do you imagine those early Christians developed a sense of belonging with those who first heard the Gospel on Pentecost? 

Activity Suggestions

• Play a game intent on decoding. Decrypto is a table-top team game that requires two teams.  It can be played with a few as four total players but can grow without limit. For individuals, try Draw Your Words, similar to Pictionary. Gather a set of simple words that aren’t as simple to draw. Have participants take turns trying to draw one of the words (without using any language) while the rest of the group tries to guess the intended word. Then follow with a discussion on the importance of sharing knowledge in ways that everyone can understand. 
• Use U.S. Census Bureau data (https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221) to better understand the communities in your Zip Code. Have participants free write for five minutes to envision what kind of adaptation, translation, or innovation God might be calling your ministry to undertake. 
• Community Mapping asks people to draw a map of their community that highlights the places of power or value. These could be banks and barbershops, grocery stores and city parks, government buildings and historical landmarks. Have each participant draw their own community map on a presentation-size sticky note. The point isn’t to be geographically accurate, but instead, to visualize how different people understand influence at play in your communities. Consider each person’s map and then discuss how you might engage those parts of the community to better understand the people your ministry serves. The Highlander Research and Education Center has a fuller description of community mapping available in their “Mapping Our Futures” curriculum, available here: https://highlandercenter.org/our-impact/economics-governance/.  

Closing Prayer

God of Welcome, send a spirit of generosity upon your people. When we resist giving up things that no longer serve your good news, soften our hearts in ways which open us to your mission. Inspire us to adapt to the people you bring into our lives, so that all know they belong to your beloved community. We pray this in the just and merciful name of Jesus: Amen. 

Buffalo, NY

Situation:

On May 14, a mass shooting occurred in a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, NY. 10 people were killed and three others were injured in the racially-motivated attack.

Response:

The Upstate New York Synod, with support from Lutheran Disaster Response, is partnering with VOICE Buffalo, an organization addressing peace, reconciliation, and trauma counseling. The synod will hire a coordinator to work on a new-start mission with VOICE Buffalo, called “Community of Good Neighbors.”

From the ELCA’s statement on the mass shooting: “Our hearts grieve for those who have been killed and our souls cry out against more lives lost to the hatred birthed by racism. As we mourn those lives lost as a result of the racially motivated killings in Buffalo, we ask God to ease the continued suffering and trauma of our Black siblings throughout the nation and in our church. We are one body in Christ, so when one part suffers, we all suffer.”

Uvalde, TX

Situation:

On May 24, a mass shooting occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX. 19 students and two adults lost their lives. This is the deadliest school shooting in the United States since Sandy Hook in 2012.

Response:

Lutheran Disaster Response is accompanying the Southwest Texas Synod, in which Uvalde is located. The synod can use the solidarity grant to provide emotional and spiritual care to the Uvalde community through ELCA chaplains and other clergy, offer financial support for funeral services and participate in prayer and healing activities.

From the ELCA’s statement on the school shooting: “We reaffirm our commitment in calling for greater gun safety, including preventing easy access to assault-style weapons and strengthening our federal system of background checks for all gun sales. As people of faith, we hold on to our belief in caring for our neighbors and striving for justice and peace in all the earth.”

Be a part of the response:

Pray

Please pray for people who have been affected by the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need.

Advocate

These shootings call our attention, yet again, to the urgent need to pass legislation that would strengthen background checks for those purchasing deadly weapons in our nation. Action is possible, but our voices are needed now. Call your senator today at 202-224-3121, ask for your senator and urge them to pass bipartisan legislation to expand and require background checks for all gun purchases in our country.

Give

Thanks to generous donations, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters around the globe. Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR-US) will be used to assist the impacted communities.

To learn more about the situation and the ELCA’s response:

• Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.
• Check the Lutheran Disaster Response blog.
• Like Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook, follow @ELCALDR on Twitter, and follow @ELCA_LDR on Instagram.

by Isabella Peterson, 2021-22 Hunger Advocacy Fellow [about the author]

I often struggle with an uneasy sensation when faced with change – that is the inability to control the “new.” It isn’t because I fear a new stage in my life, it’s because I fear the unknown. I fear the loss of control of what is happening around me; I fear the journey to the “new,” not the destination. I fear the loss of control of what is happening around me.

“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).

I grew up a Lutheran, having built a deep connection to God from a young age. However, like many of us I am sure, I have struggled with my faith over the last few years, especially these last two years. It seemed like the life I planned out was turned upside down and twisted without a moment’s notice. “New” things kept appearing everywhere I looked, and I felt incredibly lost, stuck in an uncontrollable void of questions and uncertainty. My personal journey had become convoluted, and I was desperately searching for control.

New opportunities frighten me, and when another “new” – my position as a Hunger Advocacy Fellow – came along, it was no exception. I was utterly nervous about this alternative path that I was about to undergo, as working for a faith organization was something I had never contemplated.

Once again, I felt I had no control. However, I tried to keep my mind open. Although fear overwhelmed me, possessing an open mind and keeping an open heart allowed me to… thoroughly enjoy this journey.

Working with Texas Impact brought new opportunities that I never thought I would experience. I took environmental advocacy abroad to Scotland during the United Nations Climate Conference, down to the Texas-Mexico border to focus on climate migration, and to North Carolina soon for the U.S. Climate Action Network conference. If I’d continually let my fear of having no control hinder my life, I would have missed out on all of these “news.”

Another “new” is in my peripherals. This fall, I am going back to my alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin, to get my Master’s in Public Affairs, focusing on energy policy. Yet again, I have another “new” I have to face.

Although I have control of many things, I don’t have control over the journey itself; and that is okay. When I feel overwhelmed by the uncontrollable nature of life, I will remember this experience as a Hunger Advocacy Fellow when “new” came along. I will remember all the amazing experiences I had when I left my mind and heart open.

Having an open mind and heart comforts me during the uncertainty of newness, and I hope it brings comfort to others who struggle when feeling out of control as well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Isabella Peterson is an ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow placed with Texas Impact in Austin, Texas, an ELCA-affiliated state public policy office. She graduated from The University of Texas (UT) at Austin with a double major in Government and Sustainability Studies. Peterson is a passionate environmental advocate and has worked previously with several environmental nonprofits in Austin such as the Shoal Creek Conservancy and Rainforest Partnership.

For a long time, no one in Tulsa’s white or black communities talked about the massacre that destroyed the Greenwood district in May 1921. Those who were there remembered.  A few kept the memory alive.  But most simply chose to forget. Shrouded in silence for decades, it lay there in the heart of the city, eating away at it like a cancer.

History — especially difficult, painful history — needs to be remembered. It needs to be talked about, studied, examined and explored. Not to make people feel guilty or ashamed, but to be honest, forthright and aware of how history has shaped who we are and what we are about. A sanitized history only drives the painful stuff underground, where it eats us up and slowly destroys the fabric of society. Besides, a history with no pain, suffering or struggle is a lie.

I have always appreciated how honest the Hebrew Scriptures are about the painful history of the people of God. If you have any doubt about that, just read the prophetic writings. Why did God’s people preserve those difficult, painful indictments of their own greed, idolatry, disobedience to God’s commands and mistreatment of the poor and powerless? Because God’s people knew that, forgetting, they might turn their backs on God again, and they knew the results of doing that were disastrous.

Today, Tulsans remember. A year ago, we marked the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre with much fanfare and national attention. This year we will remember again. And we need to. The destruction of Greenwood still shapes this city. The systemic racism that led to the massacre persists. The work of reconciliation is ongoing. The debate over reparations for those who lost land and homes and lives continues, even though it has continued for far too long.

We need to remember. The Tulsa massacre may have been the worst racial violence of the early 20th century, yet massacres, lynchings and riots took place in communities across this country. In 1919 a massacre similar to Tulsa’s took place in Elaine, Ark. At the same time, not far from Tulsa, Osage people were being murdered so that whites might take their land. Today, racial violence continues to plague our nation, as we recently witnessed in Buffalo, NY.

Like the people who preserved the prophets’ writings, we also need to remember the churchs’ role in this difficult, painful and bloody history. Here in Tulsa, on the Sunday after the massacre, the black community was blamed for the death and destruction from pulpits across the city, including in our Lutheran congregation.

Across our church, we need to continue our work for racial justice. We need to study, with honesty and forthrightness, who we are and where we come from. We need to learn from the past and make the changes necessary to become the inclusive, grace-centered communities we aspire to be, where all people — no exceptions — can experience and live in the steadfast love of God that is ours in Jesus Christ.

To learn more about the Tulsa Race Massacre, visit:

John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation

www.jhfcenter.org/

Tulsa Historical Society and Museum

www.tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre/

History Channel: Tulsa Race Massacre

www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/tulsa-race-massacre

BIO: Michael Girlinghouse has been bishop of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod since 2011. Prior to becoming bishop, he served as a campus pastor at three universities and as a parish pastor. A devotional writer, he is author of Embracing God’s Future Without Forgetting the Past (Fortress Press, 2019). Bishop Mike graduated from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, has one adult daughter and lives in Tulsa, Okla., with his wife and their two dogs.

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C.
– The Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director, ELCA Witness in Society

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: May/June 2022

HOUSING FIRST SIGN-ON OPPORTUNITY  |  OP-ED ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM  |  INTERNATIONAL POLICY DEVELOPMENTS  |  FEDERAL INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL REPORT  |  UKRAINE AND AFGHAN MIGRANT UPDATES  |  BUFFALO MASS SHOOTING

The May/June issue of ELCA Advocacy Connections was prepared for distribution on May 25, 2022. While these brief updates on activity in which our ELCA Witness in Society federal staff is engaged are never an expansion of national news or a complete picture, today especially we are aware they don’t touch our corporate reflections, including on the horror of the shooting in Uvalde, Tex. and on observance of the second anniversary of the death of George Floyd. In our advocacy we continue to seek meaningful opportunities to support policies that increase gun safety. Federally at this moment, we anticipate an Executive Order today from President Biden to increase accountability and transparency in policing. The ELCA introduced in 2019 a 60-Day Journey Toward Justice in a Culture of Gun Violence which provides some resources for our prayer and action. In our work and ministry, and our individual discipled lives, may we turn to our Lord for comfort, guidance and strength, and steadfastly do all we can personally and publicly.

HOUSING FIRST SIGN-ON OPPORTUNITY:  Congregations and other ministries are invited to add their names by May 30 to a letter to Congress in support of the Housing First model. The letter (read in full) was organized with the National Low Income Housing Coalition (in which the ELCA is a member), and the ELCA has joined the interfaith and religious service provider letter to Congress in support of the Housing First model and opposition to policy changes that would undermine its use.

Despite a lack of investment in housing resources in recent years, the innovative uses of Housing First as an approach to homelessness have demonstrated a high statistical success rate nationally. The letter to lawmakers comes as rates of homelessness have remained nearly level – even as staggering housing costs, the pandemic, and other factors would otherwise suggest a large surge in displacement.

If your ministry or congregation wants to sign before the May 30 deadline, the signature form for the letter is found at https://forms.office.com/r/Nx8VFqk8Hb

OP-ED ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM:  Working together, Deacon Nick Bates of Hunger Ohio and ELCA federal advocacy staff crafted and pitched a piece to a Cleveland news source reflecting on policy before Congress and compassionate criminal justice. Each of us reading ELCA Advocacy Connections can make our voices heard, together representing a strong network of prayerful, concerned citizens living out our baptism in discipled lives.

“As a Christian, I know that justice means recognizing the human capacity for growth and redemption. And as a leader in the [ELCA], I believe that human dignity is God’s gift to every person. That’s why I urge U.S. Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown to support the package of sentencing reform bills currently pending in Congress,” Deacon Bates wrote. Find locations in the ELCA-affiliated state public policy office network here. Read his full opinion piece, “As a Christian, I believe in compassionate criminal justice. Ohio’s senators should, too,” from Cleveland.com. Interested in writing your own on a policy issue that concerns you in which you have experience? Use the resource “Writing a Letter to the Editor” or the video “How Do I Use Media for Impact?” for pointers.

INTERNATIONAL POLICY DEVELOPMENTS:  The House of Representatives passed two bills that ELCA advocacy staff has been working on: the Global Malnutrition Prevention Act and the Burma Act of 2021. Thank you for your Lutheran voices of support. Advocacy attention now shifts to the Senate side to push for passage there.

In Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition and Iran-backed Houthi rebels agreed to a two-month truce, agreeing to halt all military operations in Yemen and across its borders. Advocacy will continue in urging the U.S. government to stop supplying weapons, spare parts, maintenance services and logistical support to Saudi Arabia.

FEDERAL INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL REPORT:  The Department of the Interior released an investigative report (5/11/22) laying the groundwork to address the trauma and legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies. The ELCA is committed to understanding the Church’s role and supporting healing for survivors, and an advocacy opportunity will soon be posted in our Action Center.

The experience of the ELCA, and of members and siblings among Indigenous people of North America, is not separate from this federal study. For example, in the ELCA Saint Paul Area Synod, the Advocates for Racial Equity (ARE) group held discussions about the Saint Paul Industrial School which operated at one time as an Indian Boarding School in Clontarf, Minn. Their March 24 dialogue was a chance to look closer into what led this small town to build and operate such a program and examine the ongoing impact of Indian Boarding Schools, including “ways in which suppression keeps us from rumbling with our past.”

UKRAINE AND AFGHAN MIGRANT UPDATES:  The President shared his $33 billion request for more security and economic assistance for Ukraine, including the “Uniting for Ukraine” initiative. Notably, the request also includes an Afghan Adjustment Act. Attention now turns to Congress for passage.

As of April, there were over 7.7 million displaced people in Ukraine. The “Uniting for Ukraine” initiative seeks to streamline the process for Ukrainians abroad to come to the United States via a specialized parole program that lasts up to two years (more information on the Department of Homeland Security website). Ukrainians should seek information first before making travel arrangements.

Additionally, the next few weeks are especially critical for advocates to make their voices heard to pass an Afghan Adjustment Act. Use the ELCA Action Center to add your voice through a customizable Action Alert.

Of additional migration impact, a federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction to block the Biden administration from ending the mass expulsions of migrants under the Title 42 pandemic-era rule. “Migrants, advocates in the faith community and public health experts have exhaustively argued that restoring asylum and protecting public health can be done together,” writes Giovana Oaxaca, ELCA program director for migration in an ELCA Advocacy Blog post on Title 42. Our advocacy continues to pursue fair safe, and humane asylum policy in the United States.

BUFFALO MASS SHOOTING:  Advocacy continues to be part of our response to grief and anger again unveiled after the killing of 10 people in a racially motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store on May 14. As legislative responses surface in Congress, ELCA staff will make available outlets for our voices in the process.

“Churches have a foundational role in eradicating racism and white supremacy in society. We must take real and lasting action now—through education, relationship-building with Historic Black Churches, ongoing anti-racism education, advocacy, and self-reflection,” wrote the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop, in a statement (5/19/22).

The bishop of the ELCA Upstate New York Synod wrote, “Let us be of one mind. We in the Upstate New York Synod and in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America reject racism and a white-supremacy worldview and mindset. We renounce the ways scripture has been used to support genocide, enslavement of people, oppression, and mass incarceration. We acknowledge, lament, and repent in the ways we have been complicit in a white dominate culture which supports competitive individualism, binary ways of problem solving, seeking comfort over reparations, and centering power within, thereby marginalizing the experience, voice, and thoughts of others.” Bishop Lee Miller II’s letter can be read in full here.

Receive monthly Advocacy Connections directly by becoming part of the ELCA Advocacy network – http://elca.org/advocacy/signup , and learn more from elca.org/advocacy .

On May 2-5, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, National VOAD, held its annual conference in Baltimore, MD. Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is a National VOAD member and has been a strong player in the VOAD movement.

National VOAD is a coalition of community-based, faith-based and nonprofit disaster response organizations throughout the United States. Its purpose is to serve as a forum in which organizations can coordinate responses. In addition to the more than 70 national member organizations, there are also VOADs at the state and local levels.

The National VOAD Conference consists of various plenary sessions, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, meals and vendor exhibitions. Due to the pandemic, 2022 was the first year since 2019 that the conference took place in-person and it brought together over 700 participants. On May 4, LDR hosted a dinner to create a space for LDR partners to connect. This year, 19 people representing 13 LDR network partners were present. At the VOAD National Conference Annual Award Dinner, a number of LDR network members were recognized for their work in disaster response:

Representatives from the Pathways Program accept their award.

Innovative Program of the Year – Miami Valley (Ohio) Long-Term Recovery Operations Group Tornado Survivor Pathway to Home Ownership

The Innovative Program of the Year is awarded to a local, regional, state or territory VOAD or a VOAD member organization for exceptional innovation or ingenuity through the development and implementation of a program or project that has:

1. Provided a long‐term solution to a specific community’s problem utilizing one of the Four C’s of National VOAD (collaboration, cooperation, communication, coordination); or
2. Created a unique project or program that filled a gap or unmet need in a community in preparing for, responding to, and/or recovering from disasters that positively impacted the lives of victims and could be replicated as a model for other communities.

This program helps families who lost their homes during the Miami Valley tornadoes in May 2019. The Pathways Program builds homes on donated property and renters are given the opportunity to learn how to prepare a mortgage and buy the new homes at market rates, benefiting both the new homeowners and the community. The proceeds are then used to fund the building of the next home. LDR is supporting this program through a grant to County Corp, one of the partners in the project.

Julia Menzo and Jean Peercy with their awards.

State/Territory VOAD of the Year – Pennsylvania VOAD

This award is presented to one of the State/Territorial VOADs that, in the past year, has:

1. Demonstrated the promotion of optimal effectiveness of voluntary organizations in preparing for, responding to, and/or recovering from disasters;
2. Increased the growth and strength of the VOAD Movement in their State or Territory; and
3. Made extraordinary progress in advancing one or more of the Core Four C’s of the VOAD movement.

Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (PA VOAD) received the National VOAD State/Territory VOAD of the Year Award. Julia Menzo, PA VOAD Vice President, LDR-PA Coordinator, and LDR Eastern Region Facilitator accepted the award along with a team of PA VOAD partners. Starting in 2017 the PA VOAD members worked effectively to support Americans who were forced to evacuate Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. PA VOAD has also assisted with the resettlement of Afghan evacuees and are now preparing to assist refugees from Ukraine who have been displaced due to the war. PA VOAD members are also responding to Hurricane Isaias and Hurricane Ida, along with several other low-attention, undeclared disasters.

One such response is in Eastwick, PA. A predominantly Black community. It has faced major flooding over the years, most recently from Tropical Storm Isaias, with little government support to address the underlying issues that make the area so vulnerable to flood damage. LDR-PA is currently working in the community to address unmet needs and advocate for help from the city of Philadelphia. A story about the Eastwick response can be found on p. 10 of the Fall 2021 issue of LifeLines.

Julia’s leadership and willingness to work alongside others has strengthened the PA VOAD, including LDR’s ability to reach underserved communities. Julia and the PA VOAD have walked alongside these community leaders as they recover after a disaster and become better prepared for future events.

Jean Peercy receives the Spirit Award.

Spirit Award – Jean Peercy, LDR

The Spirit Award is presented annually to an individual, typically a paid staff member, who, in the past year, exhibited outstanding commitment to service, the Four C’s and the VOAD Movement and has:

1. Exemplified the core purpose of the VOAD Movement by promoting and practicing National VOAD’s core principles of Cooperation, Communication, Coordination, and Collaboration; and/or,
2. Facilitated increased support of the VOAD movement by developing and maintaining partnerships between voluntary organizations; and/or,
3. Embodied the passion, dedication, and professionalism of the VOAD Movement.

Jean Peercy is one of the longest tenured and most experienced LDR representatives in the United States and has served disaster-impacted communities in nearly every state and multiple U.S. territories. She has also served in leadership roles in various National VOAD committees, most recently multiple terms as the Chair of the Long-Term Recovery Group Committee. Jean facilitates trainings on topics ranging from muck and gut of disaster damaged dwellings to volunteer management, construction coordination and long-term recovery group development. With her spouse, Dale, “the Peercys” as they are affectionately known, have earned a reputation of being strong and willing support for communities and VOAD partners across the country.

About this award, Jean said “To receive the VOAD Spirit Award is very humbling, especially considering the individuals and agencies that I work with that are involved in the VOAD movement illustrating that spirit every day in their service to others.”

National VOAD Member of the Year – Church World Service

The National VOAD Member of the Year is awarded to one of the National Member Agencies that, in the past year:

1. Exemplified the core purpose of the VOAD movement, which is to promote Cooperation, Communication, Coordination and Collaboration among voluntary organizations active in disasters within the United States and its territories, and practiced those values;
2. Facilitated relationships between voluntary organizations and other public and private entities engaged in all phases of disaster planning, response, recovery and mitigation; and
3. Demonstrated extraordinary support for the mission, goals, and activities of National VOAD.

Church World Service is a longtime partner of LDR. Currently, LDR is supporting CWS’ response in western Kentucky. As written in a CWS press release, “When Afghanistan fell to the Taliban last August, CWS was one of the core agencies that helped thousands of Afghans start new lives in the United States. CWS’ VOAD partners mobilized to support and welcome these new arrivals. A few months later, CWS was one of the National VOAD members responding to the deadly tornadoes in Kentucky. The CWS response continues to assist unaccompanied migrant children who were living with families in the Mayfield area through support from local, trusted community service groups. CWS facilitated immediate support for their food, rent, utilities and home repairs and continues to provide long-term financial assistance to impacted immigrant households through the recovery stage.”

These awards demonstrate the scope and depth of disaster response work associated with LDR. Yet, this is only a fraction of where LDR is active within the United States. In 2021, LDR was present in 17 states and territories with a range of projects from preparedness and resilience to immediate relief and long-term recovery. We are grateful for the work of our partners and will continue to accompany them through all phases of disaster response.