01/21/2026
A Message from the Directing Deaconess of the Deaconess Community
As Lutheran Christians, we are living in a season of deep sorrow and lament. We are witnessing the dehumanization of our neighbors—people subjected to physical violence and mistreatment by those acting under the authority of the state. Even those who speak out against this brutality are being targeted, and some have paid with their lives.
This is not about being liberal or conservative, red or blue. It is about faith. Our call to love our neighbors and seek justice does not fit neatly into political categories. Long before our current debates, Aristotle described politics as a shared human effort toward well-being and flourishing. In a similar way, our Christian faith teaches that God intends community to be a place where all can experience the goodness God desires for creation. Society is at its best when it reflects God’s justice, compassion, and care for every person.
Martin Luther understood how deeply the world needs justice. He taught that while Christians are called to be responsible citizens, we are also called to resist rulers who violate moral and natural law. When laws and policies contradict God’s command to love, our ultimate loyalty belongs not to human authority, but to God.
Most people agree that immigration systems and health care structures need reform, and that many programs require thoughtful improvement. But how we treat human beings—especially those who are most vulnerable—reveals a great deal about what we truly value as a nation.
I feel the weight of our country’s brokenness. Still, we are not powerless. We can pray, trusting that God is present and still at work. We can raise our voices—calling and writing our elected officials, speaking truth to power, and voting with justice in mind. We can stand alongside our neighbors, showing up for peaceful protest and bearing witness against violence and cruelty.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil… Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Speaking out takes courage. Standing up for justice always carries risk. Yet choosing to help our neighbors—especially when it costs us something—becomes a living testimony to the freedom, dignity, and justice God desires for the world.
May God give us courage to speak, compassion to act, and faith to keep showing up for one another—even now.
Sister Dottie Almoney, Directing Deaconess
