Today I share with you a recent letter to the entire membership of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from our Presiding Bishop, The Rev. Yehiel Curry. He addresses the debate about recent trends in our country to champion particular religious beliefs and divide our country by in-groups and out-groups.
Rev. Curry wrote: “From its earliest days, the United States has been shaped by religious diversity. Indigenous peoples sustained diverse spiritual and religious traditions long before the nation’s founding, and successive waves of settlers, including Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others, brought a variety of beliefs that helped define the nation’s unique and vital religious landscape.
“Throughout the church today, many are struggling with debates regarding the religious identity of our nation. While religious diversity did not begin with the Constitution, the Constitution’s framers recognized an important truth: the future of our nation could not be tied to a single religious identity.
“By rejecting religious tests for public office, the Founders created space for people of any or no faith tradition to participate in public life together.
“That commitment continues to be foundational to our nation’s vitality, especially at a time when people are tempted to identify love of the nation, or the government itself, with a single religion. No one faith tradition should rule the United States, just as the framers desired.
“Religious diversity is the reality of the world we live in. Recognizing this, the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in America adopted ‘A Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment,’ which affirms that mutual understanding with other faith traditions can deepen our own faith.
“Through encountering neighbors and working side by side in shared commitments to love and compassion and community, our own Christian faith is strengthened. This conviction means that through my call as presiding bishop of the ELCA, our church develops and maintains relationships with Jewish, Muslim and many other faith communities.
“Like personal friendships we hold, these relationships do not require us to set aside Christian faith. Rather they reaffirm that, in a nation as diverse as ours, being a good neighbor across religious differences is not optional. It’s a part of the shared American experience. It is an experience we can support as everyday Lutherans in God’s call to reconciliation.
“The ministry of reconciliation is both local and national. God invites us to love one another across differences.
“Trusting in God’s grace, we boldly form relationships with neighbors of all faiths who share a commitment to justice, peace and the flourishing of all creation. I encourage you to engage in this essential ministry, which offers a powerful opportunity to heal divisions, deepen respect across differences and strengthen the bonds of our common life.”
Ronald E. Koch is Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Gilroy. He is a founding member of the Interfaith Clergy Alliance of South County. Pastor Koch can be reached at lc*********@***il.com.
