Renewed Commitment To Equality For All
In light of this week’s marches in Washington D.C., to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said the observance “cannot only be about memory; it also needs to be about recommitment to that movement whose work continues to lead us into the future.”
In an Aug. 29 video message, Hanson emphasized the call for leadership, especially among the church’s youth.
“We are being called this week, each of us in our churches and communities and as individuals, to renew our commitment to be part of that movement, and I see the leadership for that commitment coming from young people. Unlike me 50 years ago, you are having the courage to say no to racism. You are having the courage to say we will work for economic justice for all. You are traveling the world to experience the joy of diversity. You are seeing it as a gift of God,” said Hanson.