We continue our reflection on God’s call to us through the ELCA’s “60-Day Journey Toward Justice in a Culture of Gun Violence.”
DAY 19: Liberated and Freed by the Gospel to Care and Love
The ELCA’s social statement Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective identifies the true
source of liberty and freedom—the gospel. With this gift of freedom and faith, we can be bold,
responsible people of God, citizens who seek peace and justice, love our neighbor, mend
creation, strive to discern what is right and good, and advocate for justice and mercy in situations
of brokenness.
The statement reminds us that “The Church, the baptized people of God, is created by the Holy
Spirit through the Gospel to proclaim and to follow God’s crucified Messiah. As the gathering of
children, youth, men, and women who hear, believe, and receive the living Christ in Word and
Sacrament, the Church witnesses in word and deed to Jesus as Lord and Savior.
“The proclamation of the Gospel as the good news of God’s salvation given in the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus distinguishes the Church from all other communities. The Gospel
liberates from sin, death, and evil and motivates the Church to care for neighbor and the earth.
“The witness of this church in society flows from its identity as a community that lives from and
for the Gospel. Faith is active in love; love calls for justice in the relationships and structures of
society. It is in grateful response to God’s grace in Jesus Christ that this church carries out its
responsibility for the well-being of society and the environment.”