wfn.org | U. S. Lutheran Bishop Commemorates September 11 in Germany

["Frank Imhoff" <franki@elca.org>]

Call for Solidarity with the Suffering in the World

LWF Council Meeting, Wittenberg, Germany, 10-17 September 2002

Press Release No. 10

WITTENBERG, Germany/GENEVA, 12 September 2002 (LWI) * On the first
anniversary of the September 11 terrorists attacks on the United
States, Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), reflected on what this day
means. "My hope and also a bit of my fear is that we have so
singularly preoccupied ourselves with September 11 and the
casualties of that act that we have not made this an occasion of
solidarity with places of suffering in the world [since]," Hanson
said.

"I hope that we, as citizens of the United States, will take this
moment not to isolate ourselves from the world or to dominate
ourselves over the world but that we will stand in solidarity with
the suffering in the world. If we could rededicate ourselves to
such solidarity today, as citizens of the United States, as we
grieve, then we will be renewed in our commitment to be part of
God's desire for a world of justice, mercy and peace," he said.

Wednesday, 11 September 2002, found Hanson in Lutherstadt
(Luther's city) Wittenberg, Germany, attending the 10-17 September
Council meeting of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The day of
meetings began with morning prayer at the Stadtkirche (City
Church) where Reformer Martin Luther preached almost 500 years
earlier.

As part of that prayer service, Hanson read rom Luther's lecture
on the first epistle of St. John, "If one believes in Christ, one
has love. The more firmly one believes, the less trembling there
is." The reading concluded, "For perfect or pure love springs from
the confidence that constantly takes hold of God."

Hanson later met with an international panel of journalists
present for the LWF Council meeting. "September 11 is a day for
prayer, a day of memory and hope, a day to rededicate our lives to
working for peace and justice," he said. "As Jesus wept over
Jerusalem, longing that people might know the days that make for
peace, so we weep for the world. Yet, we do not lose hope; for our
hope is in God who continues to create life, reconcile and set us
free for a life of witness and service."

"In the U.S. culture, we do not allow much time for grieving and
healing," Hanson told the reporters. "The grieving that has
occurred, especially in New York, is taking a long time to heal. 
So, the Lutheran church, along with others, remains very present
in New York City, working to bring healing and reconciliation to
the lives of people who experienced this devastation very close
up," he said. As examples, Hanson mention two programs: "Camp New
Ground" to help children cope with the aftermath of the terrorist
attacks and "New Life" to assist adults with finding new jobs and
dealing with the various emotions they are experiencing as a
result of the violence.

"It is a very somber day for the people of our country. It is a
prayerful day. It is a day of patriotism, but, as some have said,
'Healthy patriotism is to allow one to love their country as much
as one loves one's own country,'" said Hanson, citing American
theologian, Joseph Sittler.

During a plenary session the same day, the Council unanimously
elected Hanson to the position of LWF vice-president for North
America, to complete the unexpired term of the former presiding
bishop of the ELCA, Rev. H. George Anderson. On the LWF Council,
Hanson sits on the Program Committee for Theology and Studie.

Hanson, 55, was elected presiding bishop of the ELCA in 2001. The
5.1-million member church joined the LWF in 1988.

Staff of the LWF Office for Communication Services at the Council
meeting can be contacted at German mobile telephone No., +49-(0)
170-8345 177.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 133 member churches in 73 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted,
material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the
LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article
contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced
with acknowledgment.]

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