Faith gives our everyday life depth that takes us beyond the material boundaries of the world. We live in relationship with a living God and we have ethical ground to stand on. Still, we are confined to the natural world of wonder and beauty, but…
A reflection on climate justice and the olive trees in Gethsemane
The Gethsemane garden in Jerusalem is full of olive trees. They produce fruit annually, life-giving olives that can be pressed into oil that nourishes and nurtures. Some of…
Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ by caring for our common home
Climate is changing. The atmosphere of the public debate on environmental protection is also changing. COP 24 clearly showed that conversations about joint actions to protect…
The idea of “climate change” rings ‘commonsensically’ familiar to subsistence farmers on Samosir Island of Lake Toba in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province. The expression conveying climate change in the local language of Toba Batak—“…
We, as faith communities, and as the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), are still very much hopeful of a better future, a future that’s safe and secure for all creation. We are currently in the context where, on a daily basis, we ask…
After listening to a plenary discussion at the United Nations climate change negotiations in Katowice, Poland, I realized not only the moral challenge of climate change, but also the moral challenge of our policies in addressing this…
A reflection on three aspects of a preacher and preaching
Lutherans understand that the preached Word of God (viva vox evangelii – the living word of the gospel) is essential for the life of the church. Echoing the apostle Paul’s…
