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To the People of God in the Southeastern Minnesota Synod:

A reading from Ephesians:

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world... But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ...For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Ephesians 2 selected verses, NRSV

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul emphasizes to both the Jewish and Gentile communities that because of what God has done in Christ, they are now both part of the one body of Christ. Having established this truth in the opening chapters of Ephesians, Paul spends the duration of the letter exhorting believers to a unified way of life. Paul calls them to mutual submission and to “clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God.”[1]

He continues in verse 5 of chapter 4, “So then putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.”[2] I could go on, but perhaps it suffices to say the book of Ephesians is well worth the read; especially today.

Today is November 4, 2024. Tomorrow is November 5. Tomorrow is Election Day. I hope you’ve already voted via your early voting options or made a plan to do so at your polling place tomorrow.

This letter isn’t about convincing you to vote. Early voter turnout, as of this writing, is strong. Plenty of my colleagues, and our Presiding Bishop, have faithfully reminded us of the ways we as Lutherans choose to engage our civic duties.

Instead, I want to encourage us to set intentions now for our conduct after the polls close. I don’t know who will be elected. However, it does seem clear that no matter the outcome some of us will be happy, others will be angry or frustrated, some of us will feel things much more acutely than either of those words describe. There are a host of emotions at play.

We need not try to control what we feel in the aftermath of this election. How we feel is one thing. How we behave is another. Let’s think now about how we want to respond to our feelings and to the realities that will unfold around us.

In early October the Conference of Bishops released a statement inviting the whole church, our partners and friends, to some core commitments. Those commitments are to:

  • Pledge to be vigilant guardians of truth, refusing to perpetuate lies or half-truths that further corrode the fabric of our society.
  • Commit to rigorous fact-checking, honoring God's command to "test everything; hold fast to what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
  • Reject the use of humor that normalizes falsehood, remembering that our speech should "always be gracious" (Colossians 4:6).
  • Boldly advocate for the marginalized and oppressed, emulating Christ's love for the least among us.
  • Courageously interrupt hate speech, standing firm in the knowledge that all are created in God's image.
  • Lean in with curiosity, engage with those who think differently and "put the best construction on our neighbor's action" (Luther's explanation of the Eighth Commandment).
  • Amplify voices of truth.

Will you join me in renewing our commitment to the above?

There may be other ways you want to intentionally engage with your neighbors in the days, weeks and months to come. As you set an intention now for how you want to respond and interact with others, I encourage you to ground yourself in Scripture. Ephesians is a great place to start!

The Biblical text reminds us of who we are and how we are called to live as faithful disciples of Jesus. We are people called, in both word and deed, to point over and over again to the one who is “the way, the truth and the life.”[3]

I’m praying for you, dear church. I’m praying for all of us. As we commit together to Christ-like conduct, I’ll close with these words from our rites of ordination and installation,

“Almighty God, who has given you the will to do these things, graciously give you the strength and compassion to perform them. Amen.”[4]

In Christ,
Bishop Regina Hassanally
Southeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA

 

[1] Ephesians 4:24, NRSV
[2] NRSV
[3] John 14:6, NRSV
[4] Sundays and Seasons v.20241028.0950. Copyright © 2024 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.

 

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