Dear church,
The ELCA’s commitments call on us to denounce unequivocally any attacks — past, present or future — by any party that lead to civilians becoming victims. Our hearts are with all those who have been killed or injured, and with their families and friends.
With an anticipated ground invasion, the most urgent need is for an immediate cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gazans. Our advocacy as a church continues, guided by our long accompaniment of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and our commitments as a church to peace, justice, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and collaboration.
In these days of continued grief and distress over the horrific attack by Hamas on Israelis and the largely indiscriminate Israeli military response affecting civilians in Gaza, we lament with all who mourn and live in fear.
We believe that God is the one who makes “wars to cease to the end of the earth” (Psalm 46:9).
In Christ,
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America