Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-9
One of the actions that occurred at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly this past summer was the adoption of the social statement Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-being of All. This important document helps us to thoughtfully consider the relationship of our Christian faith to our identity as citizens of this country. In a time when there appears to be a lot of confusion and disagreement about appropriate boundaries between religion and politics, this statement provides important clarification.
Since the time of Martin Luther, the Lutheran faith community has engaged in advocacy regarding the pressing social issues of the day. Care for the needy among us is an integral part of biblical teaching throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, and it continued to be core to Jesus’ teaching and public witness. I just read one scholar’s estimate that comments regarding our personal and communal economic life is addressed approximately 288 times in the gospels.
It is clear that, as disciples of Jesus, we are to be both models of and advocates for a just and inclusive social and economic order. Everyone matters.
The political institutions of our democratic government are the vehicles by which we determine the rights and policies which govern the social and economic order. To quote the statement: ‘Politics’ describes negotiating how the benefits, burdens, rights, and responsibilities of living in a society are shared. As Christians, we are to bring a deep commitment to ethical discernment and action to love and serve the neighbor to all of the political processes we are engaged in: voting, advocacy, education on issues, public elected service.
Separation of church and state was never meant to mean that we do not bring our values, morals, compassion or commitment to justice to our civic actions. We engage as citizens who bring with us a particular moral framework. On the other hand, we also reject the view of Christian Nationalists, who seek to fuse together our secular government with a particular religious stance. We believe it is vital to keep our religious institutions distinct from our political institutions, not only for democratic freedom but also to maintain our primary allegiance to God’s kingdom above all secular human institutions.
Particularly in this divisive era, I strongly urge you to take the time to read through this social statement and consider its teaching. It can be found at: https://www.elca.org/faith/faith-and-society/current-social-writing-projects/civic-life-and-faith
Pastor Annette