Violence in a Peaceful Church

Hello friends.

This has been a rough week, for a great many people.

The headlines of media outlets have been shouting about what happened on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington DC. on Wednesday.

Rightly so.

But there was more, much more, to what happened in Washington that day. And much of it did not make the headlines.

And it should have.

Below is a video from Lutheran Bishop Leila Ortiz, from the Metro DC Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

She was taking part in a prayer service for peace, when the church was invaded by Trump supporters.

I will let her tell her story.

But I will say this. Give the insurrectionists credit – They recognized that what was happening in that church was indeed a threat to what they were trying to do.

Praying for peace, and letting love set the agenda for our actions, is completely countercultural in a society which prizes power above everything.

So we join our siblings in the Metro DC Synod, their Bishop, Leila Ortiz, and all other people of good will around the world:

+ in remembering our dependence, not our independence;

+ in praying for peace, not for power,

+ in serving our neighbour, not ourselves.

The Call of the Gospel necessitates our movement toward the struggle for peace, justice and abundant life for all of God’s people, for all of God’s creatures.

It is not an easy road.

But we do not travel alone.

God goes with us. Bishop Leila Ortiz goes with us.

And, today, for this moment, we go with her.

Peace be with you all.