Our nation has once again witnessed a tragic event of political violence with the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist. This comes in the wake of other high-profile incidents of political violence, including the shooting death of Minnesota legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband, the assassination attempt of then presidential candidate Donald Trump, the assault on Representative Nancy Pelosi’s husband, and more.
Regardless of what one might think of the statements and opinions of these various leaders and regardless of one’s own political opinions, we must come together to condemn these acts and all acts of violence, especially those based on political motivations. The rise in violent and divisive rhetoric needs to be of grave concern for us all, and we must find a way to live together amid our differences.
The first of our four core values as a synod is curiosity, and I urge us all to recommit ourselves to embracing and living into this core value, engaging in deep listening to folks who see the world differently. I recognize that this is hard work, and I’m not sure we (myself included) are always willing/able to invest the time and energy that requires. I hope we can work to find ways to make space for folks to be seen and heard, whatever that looks like. Our recently adopted social statement on Faith and Civic Life gives us some direction on what this might look like, and I look forward to digging into this in the coming months. Stay tuned for opportunities for discussion and engagement.
Above all, I pray we can find ways to treat one another with the dignity and respect that all of us, as children of God, deserve. We cannot resort to violence, be it physical or verbal, whenever we are at odds with someone who thinks, acts, votes, loves, or looks different from us. We must learn to trust the Spirit of God, the one who guides our feet in the way of peace.
(All Creation Sings, p. 48.)
In Christ,
Bishop Paul D. Erickson
