Dear siblings in Christ, My heart is broken over and over again as I hear story after story and see video footage again and again of the profound fear and suffering, the tragic deaths, and the abuse of human rights right here in our own beloved Minnesota. This is the hardest pastoral letter I have ever written, as I know some of you will react to my words by saying I should keep politics out of the church. But let me be clear. This is not about politics. This is about loving God’s people. In my lifetime I have voted for candidates in both major parties, in third parties, and also for independents. I have no intention of telling you which political party you should align yourself with. Instead, I am asking that you open your eyes and hearts to see people’s suffering as a call to show mercy and to act out of love. As I said in my sermon on Sunday, January 25, when Jesus proclaims, “Repent! For the Kingdom of God has come near!” Jesus is not telling us to be sorry for our sins and be careful because he has come to judge us. That is not it at all! The word we read as “repent” is the Greek word “metanoia” which literally translates as: change one’s mind and take on a whole new perspective, a whole new way of seeing. Metanoia, repent, means to have a transformation that begins with or is a part of seeing things in a whole new way. Jesus is proclaiming that we are called to open our eyes and our hearts to see that God’s reign of grace, mercy, and life-giving love is all around us! Jesus is calling us to open our eyes and hearts so that we don’t miss it! So that we can be a part of it! As followers of Jesus, we are called to wake up to God’s life-giving presence and activity in the world around us and to be a part of that! So, my plea is this: make the love of Jesus your guide. Make love your filter through which you take in and react to news stories and posts on social media. Ask yourself, how do I process this information in a way that is loving of others, knowing that all people are beloved children of God? Put yourself in the shoes of the most vulnerable. Ask yourself, is what I see really an accurate depiction of what is happening? How can I show mercy and respond in love? Ask yourself if the political party and leaders you identify with are true to your values as a follower of Jesus. If the answer is no, call for and work to reform. Help others to see that we are called to care for each other. As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus in all that we do. So, we continue to look to Jesus and as we do, we see over and over again that Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, welcomed the stranger, cried with the grieving, rejoiced with the joyful, blessed the children, cared for the vulnerable, and challenged the systems that hurt people. We are called to live like Jesus; to be his love in the world. Thanks be to God. Love, Pastor Kari