Since 2015, undernourishment around the world has been on the rise, after years of decline. In the latest estimates from the United Nations, more than 820 million people are undernourished. Even as we face the clear and present threat of coronavirus, we need to remain aware of the ongoing, persistent threat of hunger around the world. The current pandemic is revealing and exacerbating long-standing disparities – in income, access to health care, and social mobility. As the disease continues to spread, and as governments take steps to avert it, what might be the consequences for hunger?

Here are some of the things to keep an eye on when it comes to hunger in a pandemic.

Food Prices

What do we know?

One of the reasons we have seen rises in hunger in the last 10-15 years is volatility in food prices. In 2007-2008, for example, prices for wheat, corn and rice reached new highs. Milk and meat also spiked. This increased vulnerability to hunger in many countries. Some countries were harder hit than others. India, for example, saw an increase in wasting (low weight for height) among children. Fourteen African countries also experienced civil unrest over high prices, as did Bangladesh and Haiti. The research suggests that the biggest impacts of the price crisis were felt particularly among low-income groups. Some analysts also argue that the food price crisis may have contributed to the Arab Spring protests that erupted in the early 2010s.

What should we be watching?

One of the main concerns about COVID-19 early on was that both the disease and the government responses to it may cause a spike in food prices. This could be the result of infections preventing people from working in agriculture or in processing, restrictions on trade, and stockpiling[1] of food, all of which can reduce supply. As supply decreases and demand increases, of course, prices rise. If this were to happen in the midst of a pandemic, when many folks are also vulnerable to infections that can keep them from working, we might see a spike in global hunger, especially for those whose income leaves them vulnerable already. At particular risk are farmworkers, particularly field workers, many of whom are at increased risk of infection because of a lack of sufficient protocols for safety. As the agricultural industry is impacted, many of these workers may face reduced pay or reduced opportunities for work, both of which can leave them vulnerable to poverty, hunger and increased infection, especially as they pursue work in unsafe settings or under-regulated industries.

What are we seeing so far?

There’s good news and bad news. We aren’t yet seeing spikes in food prices. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) tracks food prices by month, and the latest data for March 2020 didn’t show significant increases. That’s good news. Also, this year is looking to be strong for harvests of wheat and some other cereals. That’s also good news. The price spikes earlier this century were often accompanied by droughts that caused down years for crops. So far, that isn’t the case in 2020. The biggest concern for now is that restrictions on trade and mobility might create a situation friendly to higher prices.

The bad news is actually in the other direction, with prices falling. In the US, many farmers rely on restaurants and stores to purchase their produce. With the closures of these businesses and direct-to-consumer markets, farmers face a challenging environment for selling their crops. The CARES Act included an allocation of $9.5 billion to help support them through the USDA.

Farmers in other countries face similar challenges. With markets closed or closing and developed economies slowed or retreating, prices for exports and commodities are moving down. This could create long-term problems for people in agriculture. In developing countries, where the share of the labor force dependent on agriculture can reach well above 50%, this is a significant problem. See below for more on exports this year.

Health Care Costs

What do we know?

Medical out-of-pocket costs are a significant driver of poverty in the United States. According to the US Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure, medical out-of-pocket costs were responsible for adding about 8 million people to the number of people living in poverty in 2018. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank estimated that in 2010, 800 million people spent 10% of their household budget on health care, and about 100 million people were pushed into extreme poverty because of health care costs. For many, the choice to seek medical treatment is a choice between paying for care and paying for other needs, such as food.

The relationship between health and hunger is kind of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, malnutrition can lead to significant health problems, such as hypertension, anemia, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. Based on what we know so far about COVID-19, this leaves people who are hungry at greater risk of severe symptoms from infection. As people get sick, they are more likely to miss out on income and thus less able to afford food and other necessities. When they aren’t getting enough food, they are more likely to get sick. It’s a vicious cycle.

What should we be watching?

Without access to a sufficient, stable healthy diet, people who are already vulnerable to poor health will be at heightened risk from COVID-19. Moreover, in many areas, communities with high rates of poverty and hunger also have limited access to health services, particularly the kinds of specialized services that are needed to treat severe symptoms of COVID-19.

One of the ways to measure access to health care services – and along with that, the ability of a country to mitigate a pandemic – is the number of health care professionals within an area. In developed countries, the number of medical doctors per 10,000 people can be as high as 20-40. The number of medical doctors in developing countries can be lower than one per 10,000 people. Disparities exist within other needed professions, as well, such as pharmaceutical personnel and nursing and midwifery personnel. The combination of undernourishment, low numbers of medical workers and a severe pandemic is a serious problem.

The other concern is that even if they have access, people living on the edge of extreme poverty may not be able to afford health services. It’s difficult to measure the number of people who have health coverage for essential services, but based on their research, WHO and the World Bank estimate that more than half of the world’s 7.3 billion people lack this coverage. That’s a lot of out-of-pocket expenses for many of the people who can least afford it.

For these and other reasons, ELCA Advocacy is working to ensure that the next COVID-19 funding bill in the United States includes additional funding resources in international assistance to ensure effective global responses that will protect all of us here in the United States and around the world.

What are we seeing so far?

Treatment for the kind of severe symptoms COVID-19 causes doesn’t come cheap. A 2005 study of 253 US hospitals (a bit dated, certainly) found that the average cost of mechanical ventilation for patients in intensive care was as high as $1500 per day. Without insurance, affording treatment will be out of reach for many people. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2018, more than 28 million people in the US lacked health insurance. This coverage is not evenly distributed, either. Of the wealthiest households (with incomes above $100,000 per year), less than 5% are uninsured. Of households with the lowest income (less than $25,000), more than 13% are uninsured.

Moreover, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 33 million people in the US do not have paid sick leave from work. As the Pew Research Center notes, while this has improved overall, with many workers gaining this benefit in recent years, lower-income workers are still less likely to have it. These workers are also less likely to have the financial resources to weather a major health crisis.

The long and short of it is, at this point, we don’t have a ton of verifiable data to draw conclusions about the health care impact of COVID-19 on hunger. But we do have enough information to reiterate the importance of the health projects supported by ELCA World Hunger. These projects, including hospitals and clinics, maternal and child health care, psychosocial support for mental health, vaccinations, and more, are effective ways of accompanying communities toward well-being – and building resilience to health crises. As “unprecedented” as the COVID-19 pandemic is, it is worth remembering that safety from contagious, deadly infectious diseases is not evenly shared by all. Outbreaks of Ebola, SARS, and MERS, and the ongoing pandemic of HIV/AIDS have impacted many of us and our neighbors just in the last ten years. Typically, it is the poorest households that are disproportionately impacted.

Loss of Livelihoods

What do we know?

Poverty is responsible, according to the FAO, for about half of the undernourishment around the world. Reducing poverty and achieving sufficient, sustainable livelihoods for people is critical for ending hunger. Tremendous progress has been made on this front in recent years, with poverty declining in much of the world over the last 30 years. In East Asia and the Pacific, for example, poverty has declined from about 60% in 1990 to less than 3% in 2015. Much of this decline is because of economic growth. Sadly, of course, this doesn’t mean that inequality has eased. A rising tide doesn’t necessarily lift all boats, so there is still quite a bit of poverty within countries, even as the rates overall have come down. The growth also hasn’t been even between countries. Sub-Saharan Africa has seen an increase in poverty during the overall global decrease.

What should we be watching?

The effect of sickness on income was already mentioned. But as many folks have said, the attempts to slow the virus will have their own consequences. One of the big ones will be loss of livelihoods, at least temporarily. What we are keeping an eye on here in the US is, of course, the jobs reports and the unemployment rate. Globally, we will be looking at similar things, particularly in industries like tourism, agriculture and manufacturing. In agriculture, especially, much of the work is timebound. It’s difficult to catch up on a season once it passes.

What are we seeing so far?

The numbers in the US aren’t good. The federal government has expanded unemployment coverage, and the number of applicants so far is astounding. According to the most recent (April 9) release of weekly unemployment claims by the US Department of Labor, more than 6.6 million people filed claims in the first week of April continuing the trend from the previous week and bringing the total number of people filing claims to more than 16 million. On a graph, the increase of late looks like a sharp right turn:

In the US, the March 2020 jobs report showed a loss of over 700,000 jobs. The biggest losses were in leisure and hospitality.

Internationally, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has reported some significant price decreases for commodities so far this year. As developed countries emerge from closures related to COVID-19, it will take some time for their economies to come back. At the same time, some developing countries are only at the beginning of the process of managing the pandemic. This could mean a long road back for exports and commodities. To put it simply, with weakened prices for exports and commodities, it may be a while before industries such as agriculture, processing and mining recover.

Social Safety Nets

What do we know?

Social safety net programs are government-funded programs that provide assistance to people during times of need. These can include benefits that allow people to buy food, cash assistance, subsidized medical care, and more. In the US, major safety net programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and others. These programs are critical supports in times of crisis.

SNAP is one of the more commonly used social safety nets. It provides people in need with money to purchase food during the month. The average benefit nationwide is about $130 per person per month. SNAP is one of the most effective social safety nets. The US Census Bureau estimates that, in 2018, SNAP helped keep about 3.2 million people out of poverty. During the Great Recession, increases to the program helped stabilize the Supplemental Poverty Measure calculated by the US Census Bureau. This helped keep people out of poverty.

What should we be watching?

Federal legislation in response to the pandemic has authorized increases in funding for some of the social safety net programs, like LIHEAP and WIC. For others, some of the requirements have been waived. For example, the CARES Act has waived the requirement for a woman to by physically present to apply for WIC. This will allow more people to apply while keeping themselves and their families healthy. The expansion of LIHEAP will help families maintain their utilities and use needed money for other necessities.

The big question right now is, will the social safety net do what it is intended do, namely prevent a short-term crisis from becoming a long-term situation of need for individuals and families?

The ELCA is working through ELCA Advocacy to encourage the US Congress to increase the maximum SNAP benefit by 15 percent during the duration of this emergency to ensure households have enough resources to avoid the hard choice of choosing between paying for their bills or for food.

What are we seeing so far?

SNAP was a big piece missing from the legislation. The Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, received a boost in funding, but this was not for an increase in benefits. Rather, it was to help cover the costs of what is expected to be a rise in eligible participants. So, the allocation will allow more people to participate, but it won’t necessarily provide the increased funding per person that we saw during the Great Recession. Advocating for this in future legislation is important. Again, it was SNAP increases, more than other government transfer programs, that contributed to increased jobs and reduced poverty during the recession, according to the Economic Research Service of the USDA.

Globally, the World Bank found in a 2018 study that less than 20% of people in low-income countries have access to social safety nets of any kind. Without access to public programs during crises, it is likely that COVID-19 will take a significant toll on many communities’ resilience to poverty and hunger. This will likely deepen the divide between higher-income and lower-income people within countries, as some will have the means to weather the pandemic while others may not.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic points to the importance of addressing hunger at the root causes. It also highlights the many ways that the burdens of crises are often not evenly shared, globally or within an individual country. The pandemic also brings into sharp relief the need for cooperation and coordination between business, nonprofits and government. Food banks and pantries have stepped up to meet immediate needs. Farmers have supported this by donating produce – at a cost to themselves. And the federal government’s legislation related to the pandemic will provide critical support.

This will be a long road, and it will require a lot of effort, particularly in advocacy with the communities most affected. To stay up-to-date on legislation and ways you can help, sign up for ELCA Advocacy action alerts at ELCA.org/advocacy/signup. In worship and in your devotions at home, remember those who are affected now and those who may be affected in the future. And stay healthy. There are many lessons for us in this situation, but one of them is clearly just how much we need one another.

 

 

 

 

[1] Stockpiling is different from “hoarding.” Stockpiling here means countries or other large entities purchasing large amounts of commodities as a security against scarcity. This isn’t the same as a shopper buying a lot of toilet paper or canned soup.

By Kristen L. Opalinski

“We will get through this together.” Over the past month, we’ve heard these words spoken countless times by health officials, governors, mayors, presidents, prime ministers, and journalists – but also doctors, nurses, grocery clerks, and other essential workers. Parents have offered these words to comfort their children. Family members have offered them as they mourn the loss of a loved one. Religious leaders have offered them, too, in support of their spiritual communities and as a reassurance of interfaith solidarity in these troubling times. These words have taken on new and profound meaning as humanity’s rallying cry in this time of COVID-19.

As a Christian, these words also took on new meaning for me last week as my family navigated Holy Week while sheltering in place. I reflected anew upon Jesus’ journey, from his palm-fringed entrance into Jerusalem to his death upon the cross and the empty tomb on Easter morning. The isolation he must have felt as he moved from Gethsemane to Calvary seemed rawer and more amplified to me this year. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end with death on Calvary, but with new life and an empty tomb. In the midst of so much pain, confusion and suffering, we also see the very best of humanity shine through. We see on display the daily compassion and courage of medical professionals, the goodness of neighbors helping each other, and the creativity and passion of people of faith.

Religious communities throughout the world are having to reimagine themselves – from the ways in which we worship to how we create community and serve those in need around us. As Lutherans, we believe that we are freed in Christ, and it is through this liberation that we live lives in service to all. On this, the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s writing on “The Freedom of a Christian,” we are now faced with perhaps the greatest global challenge of our time – responding to those in need during this time of COVID-19. The needs of so many, not only the sick, but those who are lonely, jobless, homeless and hungry are all around us. I too carry the anxiety of uncertainty through each day. We are all in this together, and it is together that we will get through this.

God created humankind to be in relationship – with God and with each other. In times like these, relationships carry us through in ways that may otherwise seem impossible. In recent weeks I’ve witnessed firsthand the ways in which this time has transformed how we are living out our call to ecumenical and inter-religious relationship building. As one example, Christians across the United States joined together in common witness in unprecedented ways during Holy Week. Three of the nation’s prominent ecumenical bodies – the National Council of Churches in Christ, Christian Churches Together in the USA, and Churches United in Christ – all joined with one voice, standing in solidarity with each other to share a message of hope and to give witness together to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Their joint letter was an invitation and testament to that which binds us together, despite our differences – an emerging theme that continues to permeate across a diversity of religious, cultural and social contexts.

It is perhaps fitting that at this moment of physical disconnection Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities are now navigating the confluence of their respective holy days this month with greater solidarity and purpose. Easter, Passover, and Ramadan are all reminders of life and equity that move us beyond our isolated spaces to a place of shared humanity. Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton recently joined with Rabbi Rick Jacobs of the Union of Reform Judaism and Dr. Sayyid Syeed of the Islamic Society of North America in a message of interfaith solidarity. Dr. Syeed proclaimed this as, “an opportunity to emphasize the human, global brotherhood and sisterhood, to emphasize that all humans are one family.” Additionally, Rabbi Jacobs reflected that, “No matter how difficult a situation can be, there is the bud of springtime, the ray of light and of hope that sustains us…we are all children of God and that we were put on the earth not simply to care for our own, but to care for all of God’s children.” That is at the heart of our new reality, a reality that forces us to look beyond the walls of our homes to where there are needs in our communities, our nation, and around the world.

Our religious commitments are a catalyst for connection. This realization has become ever clearer over the past month for many of us. Now is the time to reach out not only to loved ones but also to strangers. Life in the time of COVID-19 has forced people of faith far beyond our comfort zones – pushing us all to rethink and reimagine what community and connection looks like. Churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples have embraced virtual gatherings, and also a re-framing of what it means to be gathered together, as distinct religious communities and as interfaith partners.

For the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, an interfaith coalition in which many of us work together to counter discrimination and violence against Muslims in the US, this new reality has meant a shift in programing. Shoulder to Shoulder has relied for years on the power of shared physical space as a primary setting for educating and equipping people to join together to bring an end to anti-Muslim bigotry. From the Faith Over Fear trainings to the Ramadan Supper Series, the campaign members are working together to reimagine relationship building while people are sheltering in place at home. This year, the Ramadan Supper Series has been re-envisioned as the Welcome to My Table initiative. Rather than facilitating communities to gather to break the Ramadan fast in interfaith community, “this initiative connects households to households…to virtually share an iftar meal.” On the webpage the message is clear: “We strongly believe that physical distancing should not mean social isolation. It takes extra intention, effort, and creativity to connect with one another in these times, but connection remains so important for our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of our communities.”

In the interfaith solidarity message, Bishop Eaton asks the question, “Where do you see God at work in the midst of this global pandemic?” Perhaps it’s in the nightly cheers that echo across the world for our health workers, the stories of people’s strength and resilience rising up to meet this moment. Perhaps it’s in the shared experiences of new kinds of ecumenical and inter-religious engagement. I imagine for most of us, it’s in all of these places and more.

At home, I see God at work in the vibrant spring blossoms and accompanying songbirds, which bring me hope each day. I know for so many of us it might be difficult to see these signs of new life in the midst of so much death, and that’s OK too. I confess that I sometimes feel like we are still trapped somewhere between Good Friday and Easter morning. But at the same time, I am experiencing anew the promise of life and light we know God has already placed in our midst. We will get through this together.

 

It is an odd time to be looking ahead. In our lives at church, work, and home, we are taking things one day at a time. Our worship has moved to the home and our gatherings with our fellow members of Christ’s body is often mediated through a screen. Our hope, of course, is that this physical separation from one another is temporary, that we will indeed be able to see one another in person and pray and sing together before too long.

In the many months prior to our current situation, the worship team of the ELCA and Augsburg Fortress—in consultation and review with many others throughout the church—has been preparing a resource to support ongoing renewal across the church’s worshiping communities. 2020 brings us almost fifteen years since the introduction of Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). A blog post in March described features of the assembly song portion of All Creation Sings, the forthcoming supplement to ELW. In addition to hymns and songs, this resource will include three new liturgical settings.

Setting 11 (following the numbering sequence after the ten settings in ELW) will be a bilingual service in Spanish and English. As many of our congregations and leaders have the need for resources in Spanish, this setting will be laid out in a side-by-side column format, allowing the assembly to alternate languages within a service if desired. The liturgical music, most of it new to the ELW family, will be bilingual as well.

Setting 12 will be a setting for Holy Communion with options for evening use. Some assemblies gather around word and table at times other than Sunday morning, perhaps on Sunday or Saturday evening. Some prayer options include language specific to this evening setting; others can be used any time of day. Much of the liturgical music is newly composed for this resource.

All Creation Sings will also include a service of word and prayer. A future post will explore this liturgy in more detail, but this is a more contemplative service that can be adapted for various contexts. The pattern includes suggestions for hearing the word, prayer, silence, and song. A number of contemplative, short songs are included in the assembly song section and would be especially fitting for this service.

The title of this resource, All Creation Sings, evokes a celebrative image that permeates the scriptures. As so much of our human activity comes to a halt right now, many have noted how the natural world has come to life in unexpected ways: clearer water, cleaner air, more abundant wildlife. Even as we struggle in these days, Easter has come. Christ is risen indeed. We place our hope in the God of creation and new creation, the Spirit who brings life in unexpected places and in unexpected ways.

 

Alex Zuber, Harrisonburg, VA

Warm-up Question

Can you think of a moment when you got some much-needed good news?  What did that feel like?

Some Good News

We could all use some good news these days, right?  That was exactly the kind of thinking that inspired John Krazinski, star of The Office and Jack Ryan, to launch a heartwarming series of videos called “Some Good News” from his own home, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Krazinski sets up at a makeshift news desk to tell the world about the good things happening in the midst of so much bad.  He talks about the bravery of healthcare workers and teachers going the extra mile for students while still social distancing.

He shares some laughs along the way and  even brings friends into the mix, interviewing The Office co-star Steve Carell.  Krazinski made a young girl’s day, by not only planning to fly her out to New York to see Hamilton when it’s safe to travel, but by inviting Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Original Cast of Hamilton to sing the title song over Zoom.  Krazinski is honest about the bad stuff, acknowledging that there’s pain in the world.  But in the midst of fear, confusion, and pain, he points us all back to what is good.

Like a fresh breath of air into these troubled times, Some Good News is just what everyone needs.

Discussion Questions

• Have you been focused on good news or bad news lately? 
• When we find ourselves in the midst of global pandemic, how should we balance the joy of Easter with our need to be honest about the bad news and dangers? 
• What has some good news been from your week?  What has been the bad news?

Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14a, 22-32

1 Peter 1:3-9

John 20:19-31

(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.

Gospel Reflection

The disciples are locked in their meeting house together, fearful and desperate.  Perhaps this lesson is too relevant these days!  Like those of us living through a global pandemic, the stresses of physical distancing, and the general climate of fear, Christ’s disciples are in a similar situation.  They are completely lost, nothing makes sense, and they don’t know what is coming next.  How can anything go back to normal after they’ve followed Jesus?  How could their lives be normal after their friend betrayed their master?  How can their lives ever be safe when they may be recognized and killed as disciples of this self-proclaimed “Son of God”?  They are right to be scared.

It’s in this place of fear that Jesus comes to them.  Through their locked doors, through their fear, through their worry for whatever the future may hold, Christ comes to them and says, “Peace be with you.”

Christ’s peace in this situation is a curious thing.  Christ’s peace changes nothing, and yet it changes everything.  Think about it… The disciples already knew that he is risen.  They have heard this from the mouths of the faithful women who were the first to find the tomb empty.  And yet they hide in fear.  Jesus says “Peace be with you” but the threat of recognition and death still remains, should they leave their home.  Their pain at betrayal by a friend and horror at the crucifixion they witnessed remains.  Even after this scene they lock themselves away in fear again.  

The disciples proclaim to Thomas, when he returns, that they were witnesses to the Resurrection.  Christ’s resurrection peace changes something in this group.  Even if it takes a while for them to leave the safety of their locked home, the disciples’  lives are never  the same again.  They have received, like a breath of fresh air, the Spirit of the living, resurrected God.  Christ’s peace changes nothing, and yet it changes everything. 

The Peace of Christ is not a magic trick, a supernatural cure-all, or a get out of jail free card that just makes all bad things go away.  This peace surpasses all understanding.  It is a defiant hope that all things will be made new in the love of Christ, and that death, fear, despair, and betrayal will never have the last word.  

Knowing that Christ is truly present with us, shut up in our homes or when we make a dangerous journey out, does nothing to change that COVID-19 is deadly.  We are right to take necessary precautions.  Christ’s peace does not dismiss our doubts and fears, but acknowledges them.  Christ’s peace doesn’t ignore our failures and sins, but it’s big enough to hold them in grace.  We need the story of the fearful disciples and Thomas’ moment of doubt as we figure out how to live as Easter people.  

Christ’s peace acknowledges our pain, but it doesn’t leave us there.  Christ’s peace is making all things new.  Christ’s peace is the good news in the midst of the bad news.  Christ’s peace comes to us again and again, in good times and bad, “so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”

Discussion Questions

• Do you have doubts and fears?  Share some of them.
• What does it say about Jesus that he meets the disciples in the midst of their fear and weakness? 
• How can we understand Christ’s peace in the midst of COVID-19?

Activity Suggestions

• Find a conversation partner, either in your group or someone at a distance with whom you can call on video chat.  Share with one another the Good News, Bad News, and Peace/Hope of your past week.  (Some may have done this as High/Lows, Rose/Thorn/Bud, etc.)  Be honest and thoughtful about each category, especially when acknowledging the Bad News.  Discuss what it means that Christ’s love is big enough to hold your Bad News too.
• Start a Journal this week that is honest about the Good News, the Bad News, and the signs of Peace/Hope you see in your life.

Closing Prayer 

God of peace, who brought again from the grave our Lord Jesus Christ, meet us in the the locked rooms of fear we find in our lives.  Your love is deeper than the depths of despair, higher than any joy.  Give us eyes to see the Good News around us, and give us grace to bear the bad news.  Breathe your living Spirit on us, and raise us up to proclaim your peace and hope to a weary world.  We pray these things in the name of your risen Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen.  

U.N. | California | Minnesota | New Mexico | Pennsylvania | Texas | Washington | Wisconsin

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices.

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y. elca.org/lowc

Dennis Frado, director

UN LAUNCHES COVID-19 GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE PLAN: On March 25, António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, launched a US$2.01 billion coordinated global humanitarian response plan to fight COVID-19 in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries in a bid to protect millions of people and stop the virus from circling back around the globe. The plan “will be implemented by UN agencies, with international NGOs and NGO consortiums playing a direct role in the response. It will:

• deliver essential laboratory equipment to test for the virus, and medical supplies to treat people;
• install handwashing stations in camps and settlements;
• launch public information campaigns on how to protect yourself and others from the virus; and
• establish airbridges and hubs across Africa, Asia and Latin America to move humanitarian workers and supplies to where they are needed most.”

COVID-19 HAMPERS UN’S ABILITY TO GATHER MEMBER STATES IN NEW YORK: Since early March United Nations Headquarters in New York has struggled to hold its meetings of the Member States due to the COVID-19 situation. The need to ensure physical distance between all persons in attendance has meant that annual meetings dealing with the status of women, population and development and indigenous peoples have been curtailed, postponed or cancelled altogether. The General Assembly held at least one plenary virtually (by teleconference) and the Security Council haggled for weeks until late in the month over what constituted a “meeting”, i.e. whether it could meet virtually in line with the Charter (The Council is “to be able to function continuously” but “may hold meetings at such places other than the seat of the Organization as in its judgment will best facilitate its work”). The Council faced the expiration of several peacekeeping mandates at the end of the month which forced it to allow for the submission of written statements about proposed resolutions and voting upon them via e-mail. Another result of the extraordinary safety measures at all meetings since mid-March has been that civil society voices have not been heard, a troubling by-product.

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California

Regina Q. Banks, Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California (LOPP-CA) lutheranpublicpolicyca.org

While COVID-19 has turned our world upside down in unprecedented ways, our advocacy work continues to be essential in developing coordinated and inclusive responses that support all Americans.

The California Legislature went on an extended recess beginning in mid-March which has been extended for the next month. Advocacy has therefore focused on urging the Governor to enact a true moratorium on evictions and mortgage protections, include Individual Taxpayer Identification Number filers in any relief at the state level, and more. Even so, we continue to support state bills related to COVID-19 relief, such as CalFresh, Simpler for Seniors and CalFresh, Prison Preenrollment and the Racial Justice Act for when the Legislature reconvenes. We are also assisting our partners in accessing federal CARES and Families First provisions and shifting our advocacy to the federal level when necessary.

The Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California instituted a new program to engage our Policy Council, pastors and members of Lutheran congregations in California. We call it Advocacy in Quarantine.

• We set a weekly Wednesday Zoom meeting where LOPP-CA staff offer a roughly 25 minute overview of the federal government’s response to Covid-19, the State of California’s response, and pending state legislation we are following and sponsoring. We also highlight the work that our allies and ministry partners are doing in the state.
• We then direct them to actions that would take them about 5 minutes to complete (I.e.; call or tweet the governor to release prisoners and ICE detainees on #FaithfulFridays)

We are grateful for an incredible response from our members, and we’re getting feedback from our ministry partners that the calls are already being noticed. We are seriously contemplating how this can become a part of our programing when we go back into session.

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Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy- Minnesota (LA-MN)  lutheranadvocacymn.org

LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Monday, March 16, legislative leaders announced they were curtailing legislative activity, would be on call until April 14, and would only consider bills 1) COVID-19 emergency-related, 2) mission critical, like bonding, and 3) with broad bipartisan support. Before leaving that evening, legislators passed bills allocating $21 million to the Department of Health and $200 million to hospitals for COVID-19 preparation.

COVID-19 EMERGENCY RESPONSE: The Homes for All Coalition (H4A) kicked into high gear, recognizing that homeless populations, low-income families, and kids home without school meals are particularly vulnerable. H4A’s Policy Team (on which Tammy serves) called for rental assistance and shelter funding, while anti-hunger partners worked to boost food shelf funding. Lutheran Advocacy-MN pushed out three separate action alerts to thousands of Lutherans within less than 10 days, helping Homes for All reach its goal of contacting legislators in every MN House and Senate district. On March 26, both chambers returned for part of a day, passing HF 4531, a COVID-19 relief bill, 99-4 in the House & 67-0 in the Senate. The $330 supplemental appropriation included food shelf support, shelter & housing assistance, small business loans, and more. Funding levels were lower than hoped, but we continue the work.

EVENT/OFFICE CHANGES:

JRLC (Joint Religious Legislative Coalition) Day on the Hill, April 1: – Cancelled. Replaced by Day on the Screen. A recording will be available soon.

Now the Green Blade Rises EcoFaith Summit, March 28: – Postponed until 2021. Contact Tammy to get on list for resources/videos/online events related to youth/young adult speakers, & breakout sessions.

Earth Day Capitol Events, April 22: In-person activities cancelled. Online & social media options available soon (#MNEarthDay).

Work from Home: Tammy can be reached at tammy@lutheranadvocacymn.org or 651-238-6506 (cell/text). Most days she is in multiple Zoom meetings but will reply.

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New Mexico

Kurt A. Rager, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry—New Mexico (LAM-NM)   lutheranadvocacynm.org

POLICY COMMITTEE OF LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY—NEW MEXICO HOLDS SPRING MEETING: For the over 35 years that Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico (LAM-NM) has existed, the Policy Committee has served a vital role in leading and shaping the ministry. This year’s Spring Meeting was held entirely via Zoom due to a state-wide stay-at-home order in place for New Mexico. The committee is currently comprised of members of various ELCA Lutheran congregations located around the state, as well as a non-voting member representing the Presbytery of Santa Fe. Important work at this past month’s meeting included:

• Reviewing the 2021 Bishop’s Luncheon and Issues Briefing. (The event included 135 participants from not only ELCA congregations but 7 other denominations as well.)
• Reviewing the 2021 Legislative Session report.
• Reviewing and approving financial reports.
• Continuing planning for the annual Fall Advocacy Conference to be held in November.
• Nominating new members to the Policy Committee.
• Saying good-bye to faithful committee members who are no longer able to serve.
• Revising the working document, “Role of Policy Committee Members.”
• Receiving and discussing the Director’s Report.

As LAM-NM moves into the coming month there is much unknown. Yet to be determined is how the New Mexico State Legislature’s Interim Committees will meet and work considering the COVID19 crisis. Also, in question is a possible special session of the Legislature to deal with ramifications of the dramatic drop in oil on the state’s budget.

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Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

RALLY TO VETO TAX BREAKS FOR PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY: LAMPa staff and volunteers joined creation care advocates from around the state March 9 for a rally to urge Gov. Wolf to veto a bill that provides potential billion dollars in subsidies to petrochemical plants and gas infrastructure for the next 30 years – a time when we need to be cutting greenhouse gas emissions for the sake of our common home.

ADVOCATE ENGAGEMENT: During a 30-day period, seven action alerts were shared with LAMPa constituents. Topics included multiple alerts related to COVID-19, violence against women, and surprise medical bills.

COVID-19 RESPONSE: LAMPa staff have been coordinating with partners in ELCA Advocacy and Lutheran Disaster Relief in response to COVID-19. Advocates have acted to urge policymakers to act swiftly to protect the vulnerable and promote the common good at the local, state and federal level. LAMPa participates in the state’s emergency feeding and sheltering task forces, sharing information on the calls and relaying out to our network, but also serving as a witness of the church’s accompaniment to public agency and volunteer leaders. We have been sharing vital information with our synods, congregations and social ministry partners as well as reaching out to assess their needs at this time and responding as quickly as we can to their queries, particularly about grants, unemployment insurance and loans for nonprofits. We’ve connected Lutheran camps, colleges and seminary to the state emergency sheltering effort, and our feeding ministries to support from the state’s emergency feeding effort and shared ways those experiencing job loss or reduced hours can apply for benefits.

STANDING AGAINST HATE: Pa. synods and congregations signed a public letter calling for support of people of Asian Pacific descent in the face of COVID-related xenophobia and shared information from Pa. State Police for reporting anti-Asian Pacific American bigotry as part of our work with the Pa. Coalition Against Hate.

CENSUS2020: LAMPa is equipping our advocates to #GetouttheCount. See one of our youth and family directors share the message in Swahili in this video made to encourage all people to be counted, regardless of immigration status.

PA ELECTION REFORMS: LAMPa is sharing information about additional election reforms adopted in response to COVID-19 and monitoring progress on implementation before the primary – now scheduled for June 2.

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Texas

Bee Moorhead, Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy texasimpact.org

COVID-19 RESPONSE: Texas Impact is resourcing local congregations to share best practices on how they are responding to meeting unmet needs in their local communities and how they can effectively advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations in their communities. Texas Impact has been sending Action Alerts and producing Weekly Witness podcasts on federal and state actions. The first Action Alert on the CARES Act generated about 200 telephone calls. This week, our E-News will focus on denominational leaders—including all three Texas ELCA bishops—clarifying that while theTexas Governor correctly identifies worship as an “essential service,” in-person worship is to be suspended during the COVID-19 crisis in favor of online and “drive-in” models.

TEXAS INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAYS: Planning is underway for the 2021 Texas Interfaith Advocacy Days, scheduled for March 7-9.

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Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network (FAN) fanwa.org

COVID-19: As regulations, concerns, and information on federal stimulus packages change almost daily in light of COVID-19, FAN has sought to be a beakon of hope and a source of up-to-date information for our statewide partners. We have kept our communities connected by sharing faith services from a multitude of traditions as they move their services online, and Co-Director Paul Benz is working with the African American community and other heavily-impacted faith communities to find funding and resources to stream their services online. FAN has also signed on to letters and participated in action campaigns to release undocumented detainees from detention centers, as well as youth and adults in prison who have been convicted of nonviolent offenses, in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and allow for social distancing. Our hearts go out to our partners around the country in this struggle to protect our communities.

CENSUS 2020: Census day was April 1, and FAN has been active in sharing the message that even in the midst of a national crisis, it’s never been easier to fill out your census! Data is starting to come in about which counties and communities are falling behind in their response to the census, and our statewide Census team will start to hone in on those historically-undercounted communities.

WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION: As Governor Inslee continues to sign bills into law, we celebrate the passage of 23 bills FAN worked on or supported in the 2020 legislative session. A few of the major successes include Courts Open to All (COTA) which prevents immigration agents from speaking with or arresting undocumented people at or around court houses, Sustainable Farms & Fields to incentivize carbon sequestration in agriculture, the creation of the Washington Office of Equity, and two bills that work to prohibit private detention in the state though they were greatly amended in their passage. See a full list of successes at fanwa.org/advocacy/legislative-agenda/

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Wisconsin

Pastor Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: LOPPW participated in a Wisconsin Climate Table meeting in Racine. Dr. David Rhoads, Greening Greater Racine, discussed working with car dealers and other businesses on sustainability and beginnings of developing hydrogen energy. Rep. Greta Neubauer discussed Governor Ever’s new task force on climate change and offered to be accessible to the Table members throughout the task forces hearings.

Pr. Cindy Crane began to prepare a presentation on climate change and COP25 for an East-Central Synod event before events like this one were canceled.

WEDNESDAY NOON LIVE: We interviewed Molly Dobberke Riehle, Executive Director of Centro Legal in Milwaukee. Molly talked about her work as a volunteer attorney at a detention center in Texas with AMMPARO. Cindy’s co-host Rev. Andy Twiton then discussed his experience at the border with the National ELCA Vitality Training. We began planning for a focus on the Coronavirus and Racism as our theme for April.

IMMIGRATION: LOPPW met with the director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference and discussed our possible actions to support our Hmong and Laotian neighbors in Wisconsin.

VOTING: LOPPW contacted youth leaders and clergy to promote recruitment of poll workers. We cancelled our project and shifted our focus to encouraging people to vote early and created this video: https://www.facebook.com/LOPPW/videos/2712099135526073/

We also began advocating for the change of election time.

CHANGED FOCUS—COVID-19: LOPPW is participating in conference calls with Lt. Governor about how the state can assist faith-based groups, especially in light of how they provide services. In one call, we received details of what the Governor’s Safer at Home Order meant for churches. LOPPW made details known broadly.

We are also building awareness of statements and resources related to public benefits from the Governor’s office and D.C. and sending action alerts related to being inclusive of those most vulnerable in public policies.

 

 

 

Today’s post is written by Elaine Ramshaw, PhD, an ELCA laywoman, the author of Ritual and Pastoral Care and The Godparent Book (just out in a revised edition). She has studied the literature on ritual for transitions in the fields of liturgical studies, anthropology and family therapy.

There’s a fair amount of advice out there on what to do about funerals or memorial services during the current “stay at home” shutdown, including this. Often people are encouraged to plan for a memorial service whenever that becomes possible. The process of planning for such a service later on in bereavement can itself be an opportunity for doing some of the work of grieving. Pastors and others can participate in this planning through conversations with family and friends of the deceased, possibly by conference call or videoconference call.

There’s another piece to ritual care for grieving people in the current situation, though: helping them create home ritual that fills some part of the need for more immediate ritual. This would be especially helpful when there is not any church-based ritual right away, or when a service is held but mourners you’re caring for cannot attend due to distance, illness, possibly having been exposed, susceptibility to infection, or the limitation on how many can gather.

The possibility of having an informal memorial service at home would not occur to many in your congregation who think of after-death ritual as something that happens only in church or a funeral home, led by professionals. While they might come up with innovative ways to ritualize a birthday or other happy event, they are less likely to imagine that they are capable of creating a rite of mourning. In some cases, all you have to do is bring up the possibility and people will run with it!

To assist those who are grieving create a rite of morning for the home, you’ll need to provide them with two types of guidance:

• Flexible suggestions for ritual actions they might do at home
• Elements of the church’s ritual they can incorporate into their home ritual.

This second aspect—bringing elements of the church’s ritual into the home—likely comes more naturally to many of us than the first. Provide them with suggestions for suitable prayers, biblical readings and songs. In addition to favorite, comforting hymns and hymns from the “Hope, Assurance” section of Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW), consider hymns from the “Holy Baptism” section and the “Lament” section. (Note that ELW 698 and 703 are set to familiar tunes even if the texts are not well-known). If you can make and they can play recordings, a hymn/played by a musician they know will connect them to their local congregation in more immediate ways than a recording found on YouTube. For a repetitive song like “Come and fill our hearts” (ELW 528) or “Calm to the waves” (ELW 794), the accompaniment can be repeated five or six times. Biblical readings could combine the promises of God with some image that reflects the life of the deceased, e.g., Zechariah 8:3-6 for a kids’ sports coach. Prayers could include psalms and prayers from the funeral service, including perhaps the comforting and familiar “into your hands” commendation (ELW p. 283).

Under the current strange circumstances, though, the first category of resources—ritual actions at home— may be even more important, since people are often denied the usual ritual ways to say goodbye. Below are three simple ritual activities that could help mourners symbolize their loss, begin to come to terms with the reality of the death, and embark on their grief work.

• Hold a simple at-home memorial service. Ask everyone to come up with a favorite memory of the person who died and select an object that represents that memory. Place a photo of the person who died on a table with a candle next to it. Begin by lighting the candle as someone leads a prayer. Each person tells their story and places the object on the table next to the photograph. When all the stories have been shared, close by singing a favorite song or sharing a food that recalls the one who died.

If a mourner lives alone or if one household wants to join virtually with another for this ritual, each household could have its own photo and candle. This could be done on videophone; videoconferencing (e.g. Zoom) is also possible, though you can’t sing or speak together due to the time offset.

•  If the mourner(s) didn’t get a chance to say goodbye as the person was dying, they might be invited to write a letter to the one who died, saying those things they wish they had been able to say. Young children may draw a picture of what they’d like to say. These letters may then be destroyed in some way, as a way of letting go of at least a piece of the regret. (Make sure the child knows and is OK with this!) Depending on what’s possible in the home situation, the letters may be burned or buried. An adaptation of the second prayer for peace on ELW p. 76 might fit here:

Gracious and holy God, lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth. Lead us from despair to hope, from fear to trust. Lead us from shame to grace, from regret to peace. Let peace fill our hearts, our homes, our world; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Again, the ritual can end with a song or with eating a food that recalls the one who died. This ritual is one that a person could do alone or with others.

•  Another ritual of goodbye suitable for a solitary mourner as well as for a small group involves finding two physical symbols of the deceased, one the mourner wants to keep and one they are willing to let go. The symbols could be possessions of the one who died or gifts or cards which the mourner received from them.

This two-part ritual embodies the necessity of letting go of the person as we knew them in this world while underscoring and treasuring what remains. During the first part of the ritual, one of these symbols is destroyed (torn up, burned, buried, set adrift) with a prayer and/or song of farewell. The farewell song could be, for example, ELW 222 or 223, a hymn from the “lament” section, or a favorite lullaby.

The second part of the ritual involves taking the other of the two symbols and placing it in a place of honor in the home—perhaps a prayer place set up for the purpose with a candle and other symbols—or if it’s something that can be worn, on one’s person. This could be accompanied by playing/singing one of the favorite songs of the person who died.

These home ritual suggestions at the time of death are not intended to replace the church’s funeral/memorial service. The church didn’t invent the human action of gathering to say goodbye to the dead; there is a deep human need to say goodbye and to be reassured that there will be a way to move on. When we cannot do this with the body of the deceased and/or in community, we are helped by other ways to make the loss real and begin the work of mourning at home.

I reside in a high-rise apartment building in a racailly and ethically diverse Chicago suburb. My neighbors are American Indian, Black, Puerto Rican, Russian, Assyrian, Asian, Greek and White. We are food service workers, stay at home parents, people with disabilities, college students, musicians, health care professionals, engineers, and retirees. We are families with young children, adults caring for aging parents and adults living alone. We are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, atheist, spiritual and not religious. We are mix of experiences, beliefs, racial groups, ethnic identities sexual orientations and gender expressions. Yet, with all this diversity around me, I was astounded when a neighbor texted an anti-Asian meme to my cell.  I quickly replied back with a concern for her text and the growing anti-Asian sentiment spreading in this country. I have a feeling that I am not alone. Perhaps you have experienced something similar from a friend, a neighbor or relative. You heard the ping of an incoming text, and there it was—a joke, a meme , a  comment from someone that you know, like or love that was racist. I’m not only talking about those only in the dominant white group. It also happens horizontally among and between people of color. Each of us can perpetuate and contribute to the spreading of racist memes, jokes or comments. I call it everyday racism.

With all of us sheltering-in place and social distancing, our reliance on social media, texting and the internet is vital to our existence. We need these platforms to escape the endless news cycles of fear and uncertainty. We need these platforms for comic relief. We need these platforms for our online worship experiences for feeling gathered while we are scattered. As much as I enjoy interacting across these platforms, they can also be sources of threat and harm. The Covid-19 pandemic has heightened anti-Asian racism. Jokes, memes, comments and inaccurate information are responsible for perpetuating negative stereotypes that fuel distrust, anger and fear of and for Asian American lives. In one week, more than 650 Asian-Americans reported acts of racism and discrimination in the online reporting forum #StopAAPIHate. The reports include incidents of verbal harassment; vandalism of property; refusal of service from ride share drivers; to violent physical assaults. Unfortunately, anti-Asian racism is not new. It is baked in U.S. history. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 excluded Chinese immigrants from coming to the U.S. and excluded Chinese nationalist living in the U.S. from becoming citizens. During World War II, 120,000 Japanese Americans were uprooted from their homes and forced into internment camps. Even today, many Asian Americans are still stereotyped as the perpetual foreigner, even though they trace their American roots back generations.

I may not be a person of Asian descent, but I am a Black woman.  I know what everyday racism and sexism feel like. Right now, our siblings in Christ, friends, neighbors, leaders of Asian descent need to know that they are not alone.   Asian American healthcare professionals, teachers, first responders, food service works, pastors, scientists, and volunteers are serving during this pandemic. Many placing their lives at risk in fighting this virus. They don’t need further threats of violence, discrimination or messages of hate.

Our ELCA Baptismal covenant calls us “…to serve all people, following the example of Jesus; and Strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” Confronting racism isn’t easy. Especially when it involves people that we like, love or live next door.  If you see or hear something…say something. Let them know how their words or actions made you feel and that you don’t respond to messages that devalue and cause harm.  If you see something online, flag it. Let social media platforms know that everyone should feel safe online. Lastly, we don’t have to do this alone. Time and time again members across this church have shown up for racial justice. We have marched together for #BlackLivesMatter. We’ve stood shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with our Muslim neighbors. We’ve accompanied migrant minors at the southern border. We’ve condemned white supremacy and declared ourselves a sanctuary denomination.

We have been here before….now, let’s do it again.

 

 

 

By guest blogger Dr. Ryan LaHurd, retired Lutheran leader in higher education
and member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Chicago, Ill.

 

Joshua Jipp argues in Saved by Faith and Hospitality that the God of Scripture is a God of hospitality, a God who extends hospitality to all and who requires, in turn, that we embody hospitality to our neighbor. God’s hospitality to us is the basis for ours. To persons of Arab heritage, this observation is no surprise.

 

Bedrock value of hospitality

Hospitality is a bedrock value in Arabic culture. Anthropologists say it probably arose from the harsh desert conditions in the Middle East and the need to offer food, drink and rest to travelers who might appear at your dwelling. Without hospitality such visitors could die. So important is this value for Arab Christians and Muslims that it has become ritualized. You will get pretty much the same treatment in the home of any Arab or Arab-American.

No sooner is someone greeted at the door and seated in the most comfortable surroundings the host has than drinks and snacks — usually coffee or tea, nuts, dried fruits and sweets — are served. No amount of protestation or arguing that you are not hungry can prevent a drink being poured and your plate being filled for you. Ultimately, Arabs will do everything in their power to make guests feel at home, which also means: “no” isn’t an answer.

Karam, the Arabic term for generosity, signifies treating guests with the utmost kindness and honor. Failing to do so brings shame upon the host. If the host has to do without later because of sharing with a guest, the host feels proud of being selfless. Indeed, a guest is anyone who comes your way in need.

The shared geography and similar cultures of the Hebrew Bible, New Testament and Quran are evidenced in their stories of hospitality. Abraham and Sarah’s entertaining the strangers who turned out to be angels, the widow who gave the last of her food to Elijah, Jesus at the Cana wedding and Martha’s preparing food are among the hospitality stories in the Jewish and Christian traditions. The Quran contains the story of Abraham, who greeted his strange guests, “Then he turned quickly to his household, brought out a roasted fattened calf, and placed it before them. He said: ‘Will you not eat?'”* The Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad also enjoin Muslims to practice hospitality to strangers.

 

Practicing hospitality from a distance

In this time of national crisis, it is uplifting to see evidence of people from many faith traditions joining to extend generosity and hospitality to strangers and friends. Stories about interfaith groups advocating for the needs of the most vulnerable and supplying them with food and necessities fill the media. It is the least we can do. As Christine Pohl, author of Living into Community, has said: “A life of hospitality begins in worship, with a recognition of God’s grace and generosity. Hospitality is not first a duty and responsibility; it is first a response of love and gratitude for God’s love and welcome to us.”

Fortunately, hospitality can be practiced from a distance as well, as the current crisis situation requires. We can provide food for others by donations of funds until we can sit together. We can advocate for those who have not been invited into the health care system. We can support and recognize those extending heroic hospitality through care of the sick and providing needed supplies to those who must stay at home. We can welcome with our hearts and resources for now, if not with our arms and homes.

 

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* Surat adh-Dhariyat: 24-27

Our guest blogger, Dr. Ryan A. LaHurd, formerly served as president of Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, N.C. in 2002, which is an ELCA higher education institution. Dr. LaHurd, an Arab-American of Lebanese ancestry, has served as a teacher, administrator, author and leader in many capacities, including with the ELCA Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage.

The Word

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁷ After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. ¹⁸ For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.²¹

Luke 22: 14-20

The Now

It is bizarre that “on the night in which he was betrayed” Jesus didn’t use his time to do something more productive. He didn’t rally the troops or lay out some grand strategy. He didn’t write a manifesto or plan some grand final demonstration. He sat down with his friends and shared a meal. What good is a meal when you know how bad things are about to get?

We are on the brink of the most severe losses from the coronavirus outbreak in the US and social distancing, as necessary as it is, is taking its toll on people’s jobs and at least my mental health. Tropical Cyclone Harold is smashing through Fiji and Vanatu, highlighting the fact that extreme weather driven by climate change isn’t slowing down for us. Looking around, it’s hard to think that things aren’t about to get much worse. Maundy Thursday (the day in the church we remember this “Last Supper” gathering of Jesus and the disciples) feels especially real to me this year.

The Normal

The weird thing about Jesus’ last supper with his friends is how completely normal it is. They are together with their traveling companions, celebrating the same festival their people have celebrated for centuries, and sharing one of humanity’s most common meals: bread and wine. If it weren’t for what follows, this meal would be unremarkable to the point of being boring. And that’s the beauty of what Jesus does in this upper room. Jesus takes normalcy, the basic elements of community, history, food, and drink, and braids them together into something holy. He doesn’t leave us with some complicated and expensive ritual for the hard days to come—that wouldn’t do. Instead, he invites us to sit down with strangers and the people we love, share a simple meal together, and pause to remember that, even in those seemingly mundane moments, the Spirit of God is standing in our midst.

#NoPlasticsforLent

I am terrified by the challenges we face. I worry that I am not enough to confront them on my own and that nothing short of a miracle will be able to save me. But Jesus tells us, “on the night in which he was betrayed,” that we have exactly what we need. Throughout the No Plastics for Lent campaign I’ve seen people sharing the small, holy ways that they pay attention to the world around them and I’ve gotten so much hope from the small and the holy. Thank you for walking this journey with me, and I look forward to breaking bread with you.

Discussion Questions

• What are some “normal” things that remind you of God?
• How has being in community helped you with your care for creation and one-another? How has that evolved in the present moment?
• What are some daily rhythms that you’ve learned through No Plastics for Lent that you want to make a normal part of your life?
• Where do you find comfort when the world is overwhelming?

Baird Linke lives in the Twin Cities where he works with Calvary Lutheran Church as their director of faith formation and community engagement. He’s a nerd for ecology, theology, the outdoors, and running. He currently studies with Wartburg Theological Seminary.

Just as we entered Holy Week 2020, we heard some of the most grim news from U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who told the American people on Palm Sunday that “this [week] is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment” as COVID-19 infections continue to rise. Many leading public health officials have described the week of April 5, 2020 (Holy Week), as potentially the hardest and saddest week of increased deaths related to the coronavirus. This pandemic has affected the entire world in very alarming ways. It has also continued to spike the globally uncured diseases of racism and xenophobia. The University Health Services at the University of California, Berkeley recently retracted a statement (@tangcentercal) advising students that “xenophobia: fears about interacting with those who might be from Asia and guilt about these feelings” is a normal or common reaction. This shows the high level of insensitivity and present-day normalization of racism even from a school whose demographics report that more than 30% of the student body is of Asian descent. This institution’s culture and ethics in communication should be far above the curve for understanding racism of any kind as an unacceptable reaction to this pandemic. But like many institutions, it continued to be complicit in the propagation of systematic and systemic racism. This must stop, especially at a time when we are finding that people of color are and will be affected fatally by this pandemic at disproportional rates.

In fact, Propublica.org reported that early data shows African Americans have contracted and died of coronavirus at an alarming rate. In the very city that hosted the African Descent Lutheran Association’s (ADLA) August 2019 Biennial Assembly (Milwaukee, Wis.), African Americans made up almost half of Milwaukee County’s 945 coronavirus cases and 81% of its 27 deaths in a county whose population is only 26% black (as of April 3, 2020). This level of disproportionate rates of infection and death is a direct result of economic, political and environmental factors that have been growing for decades. These factors, along with so many other sociological trends, have put black people at higher risk of chronic conditions that leave immune systems vulnerable and battling pre-existing illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, HIV and asthma.

ADLA has ramped up advocacy efforts to pressure the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to release race data related to the coronavirus. The CDC typically tracks widespread demographic data with all virulent outbreaks but has provided little information about race during this current pandemic. This data is and will continue to be important to address racism and other disparities to health care access. If this Holy Week 2020 will begin the deadliest season (to date) of this pandemic, then the United States will experience a devastating loss of black lives. Now more than ever we must be reminded that Black Lives Matter.

We must also acknowledge that government and religious leaders have requested and strongly encouraged the nation to “shelter in place” and remain at home. However, that becomes a very privileged request when many people do not have the same levels of resources with which to do so. For instance, imposing curfews, demanding lockdowns, or even expecting people to stay at home without canceling their rent, helping them secure adequate food and meet all other related bills is an unjust request. With the rise in unemployment, this pandemic has created a greater wealth divide in access to basic income and adequate housing for all. The CARES Act and stimulus package(s) will assist some people in this season but will not greatly protect the most vulnerable, who are at higher risks related to this pandemic.

Holy Week 2020 should bring us all into a greater understanding of the realities of death and access to life in our nation and world. We as people of faith easily grasp the understanding that Jesus died for all of our sins and brings us to eternal redemption. He did it so that we might have life and that life more abundantly (John 10:10). We are reminded that God so loved the world and God gave us Jesus so that we wouldn’t perish but have access to eternal life. In the same way we celebrate access to a better life with Jesus, we must claim access to health care as a human right that provides a better life for all. This COVID-19 pandemic is uncovering major disparities in access to health care. With the rising death tolls, we need high-quality public health care that is guaranteed to all and not just as a private marketplace.

Many of the sociological trends (health, economic, etc.) affecting people of color globally and nationally can easily be seen among the participants, members and leaders of color in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. For far too long, we have watched our friends and colleagues (especially of African descent) die or grow gravely ill because of health conditions such as those mentioned above. The economic inequities among many of the ELCA’s congregations often reveal the most impoverished communities having to do so much more with fewer resources. Many rostered leaders of color are still struggling to pay health insurance premiums and deductibles out of meager church budgets and inconsistent paychecks. We as a church can do so much more to reverse these trends and inequities. We need to continue to increase our support and advocacy for people of color who are disproportionately affected by this pandemic and are in critical need of help. Let’s take up this cross that we bear right now in 2020 and follow Jesus, who has led us to a better life for all.

Rev. Lamont Anthony Wells is the Program Director for LuMin/ Campus Ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). LuMin is a network of over 240 colleges and universities. He is also the National President of the African Descent Lutheran Association (ELCA).
Pastor Wells is a graduate of Morehouse College and the Interdenominational Theological Center, both in Atlanta, Ga; and has studied at Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University.
As a dynamic speaker, Rev. Wells is frequently called to share prophetic messages of ecumenism and social justice which motivates him as a leader and community organizer.

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