Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

          I recently read “Bearing Witness:  Put Your Body Where Love Is Needed” by Kristin Johnston Largen in the Spring edition (2026) of Living Lutheran magazine.  She begins, “What is a Lutheran witness, and how can we best bear this witness in these times?  I’d like to give a summary of her answer, because it's the best written answer that I have ever heard.

          The Lutheran understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ:

• Everyone is a beloved child of God whom Christ came to save, for whom Christ died on the cross
• No exceptions
• No one gets to choose who is deserving of God’s love
• No one is left out or left behind
• God’s radical, overflowing, unstoppable grace washes over and embraces the whole world
• God’s love is not a reward for doing the right thing
• It is completely free and an unearned gift of God’s grace in Jesus Christ
• God welcomes all into God’s family, no exceptions

Ms. Largen’s article opened my eyes to see a different view of Christian witness.  I have and will continue to preach that our role as Christians takes place outside of the walls of our church building and beyond the members of our congregations, but I have often wondered if we, as Lutherans, know how to do this.  We were not raised to be evangelists.  We have not always been given the words or the ways to tell about our faith and invite others to believe in Christ.  This obvious and vocal witness is not part of our Lutheran culture or our Lutheran DNA.

          What is part of our Lutheran culture is outreach.  Lutherans have always trained and sent missionaries to countries where Christianity is non-existent.  We have set up schools, helped build dams and wells, taught farmers more sustainable ways of farming.  In our own country, we have taught our children the truth of the Gospel, begun food shelves, supported homeless ministries, brought relief during times of natural disasters, and stepped up wherever there is a need.  This is the great work of being part of a synod and a national body like the ELCA.

          But what can we do as individuals?  Some of us have been part of similar ministries in our local communities.  We show God’s love through our actions.  But it may be time to also show God’s love through our words.  We need to declare that God already loves everyone instead of having arguments about who is in and who is out.  We need to live recognizing that even people who are not Chrisitan are still beloved children of God.  That is not a title reserved just for those of us who attend worship.  We need to proclaim that we believe in a God who is not about punishment and vengeance but has always been about love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness and then we need to remember to live in the same manner.  Everyone you meet is a beloved child of God and needs to hear that Good News.  This is the message that will change the world for the better.  Amen.

Pastor Eunice Woodberry