The ELCA Conference of Bishops, the elected clergy leaders of the 65 synods from across the country, recently gathered in Chicago. Patricia Lull, the Bishop of the St. Paul Area Synod, shared the following with our local clergy and other church leaders:
All of us in the Conference of Bishops endorsed the letter below during our meeting last week in Chicago. I invite you to join me in this endeavor to counter hateful, deceptive or violent speech within our national conversations. We do not control all voices but we do control what comes out of our own mouths.
-Yours in Christ, Bishop Patricia Lull
We, the members of the Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, speak with one voice to condemn the hateful, deceptive, violent speech that has too readily found a place in our national discourse. We lament the ways this language has led to hate-fueled action.
We refuse to accept the ongoing normalization of lies and deceit.
We recommit ourselves to speaking the truth and pointing to the one who is truth. We find courage in our collegiality and implore the members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as well as our partners and friends, to join us as we:
- 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.
Emboldened by the Holy Spirit, may we resist deception and lift up the truth that all members of humanity are created in the image of God.