Real power

It’s not easy living in the real world, but this is the only world where we find Jesus, who refused to let us imagine that peace is beyond our reach, or that a better world is something too far away to bother with.  Jesus is rooted in reality: do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth, he says, I have not come to bring peace but a sword. 

Oof, that sounds opposite of what Jesus is talking about right?  Isn’t Jesus all about peace?  Of course he is.  But he came to turn the world upside down.  And let’s be clear: Jesus is not turning the imaginary perfect world upside down.  Jesus has come to turn the actual, messy, imperfect world upside down.  Which means Jesus meets us where we are. 

Of course some people will misinterpret Jesus’s words to mean that violence is acceptable.  Some people will think it’s okay to, for example, bring their guns into church.  Some states have passed laws making it legal to carry concealed firearms into houses of worship, but does that mean we as faithful Christians must do this? 

John Fugelsang explained this well in his book Separation of Church and Hate.  In his chapter titled “Thou Shalt Not Hate Gun Control,” Fugelsang says this:

“Now some might disagree, but I will always fight for people of faith to prove to the rest of us that they don’t have any faith.  …Maybe that’s the whole problem with Christianity—they let a nonviolent long-haired martyr run the startup.  Some Christians don’t want the Prince of Peace; they want a prince who packs a piece.  So I guess I’ve finally come to believe that guns should be allowed in church.  It’s the people who’d want to bring guns into church who shouldn’t be allowed in church.  …Of course, if Jesus had had an AR-15, he could’ve just mowed down the Romans, avoided crucifixion, and never had a religion named for him.”[1] 

Perhaps I should mention this author is a comedian, not a theologian, and you might have picked up on his extreme sarcasm.  But he has some good points.  He writes that people claim, “Jesus said he came to bring a sword so I get to ignore that hippie stuff.”  And the response from Scripture is this verse we’re looking at today, from Matthew’s Gospel: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword.” 

Fugelsang explains it this way:

“The ‘sword’ here isn’t a literal blade for the shedding of blood.  It’s a symbol of the division the ideas of radical love, justice, and equality could cause in society structured around patriarchy, conservative religious legalism, and imperial oppression . Yes, it’s Jesus bein’ all metaphorical again. 

“It’s not a call to violence or an endorsement of it.  But taken out of context, this verse has bee weaponized by extremists to justify violence, aggression, and the belief that Jesus brings peace through superior firepower.

“The messages the Nazarene brought—of the first being last, of loving enemies, of caring for the poor, of breaking down walls between insiders and outsiders—threatened the entire system.  He’s warning of social upheaval that comes from embracing this narrow way of radical reform.

“It’s a message that’s true in any culture.  Choosing to stand for the vulnerable and challenge injustice will sometimes mean being rejected by people close to us.  Jesus is brutally honest that living by these principles will sometimes cost something.

“Sorry, guys—he’s still not pro-weapon.  His story literally ends with him choosing to endure violence instead of inflicting it.

“…His strength wasn’t measured by how many enemies he could crush but by how he used his power to protect, uplift, and care for those worse off than him. 

“…Strength is measured by who you protect, not who you attack.  Jesus modeled the strength to care for those on the bottom rungs, not pick on them.  Homeless people.  Immigrants and foreigners.  Convicted criminals.  The sick, disabled, and those born different.  Slut-shamed women and those outside the sexual mainstream.  He didn’t just tolerate these people; he loved, defended, and prioritized them.

“You learn a lot about a person by who they choose to ridicule, scorn, or scapegoat.  Jesus saved his harshest words for the powerful who loved their own authority and/or piety over using their power to help others.

“There’s a growing plague of politicians, preachers, and influencers who wrap themselves in religious language while attacking anti-discrimination policies, women, immigrants, the poor and struggling, LGBTQ people, and anyone else on society’s margins.  …If you want to know who’s walking in the way of Jesus, don’t just listen to what they preach—watch who they attack.”[2]

Who gets attacked in our culture, attacked by people with real power to hurt their lives?  At the recent synod assembly, we talked about how to protect people who are vulnerable, as well as how to protect vulnerable creation which otherwise doesn’t speak with a human voice.  In her report, our Synod Vice President Nancy Nagel quoted Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “We are not simply to bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”[3]

Part of that means to speak up about what is wrong, to use whatever power we have, even if it feels insufficient.  A lot of us get frustrated with what we perceive as limited power to effect change in our democracy, thinking that our elected representatives don’t hear our voices, so perhaps our voices don’t matter. 

Or maybe it’s the sword that stops us from speaking or acting.  Thankfully for us, it’s not a literal sword, but that feeling of vulnerability, taking a risk, that feels like being cut by a sword.  It doesn’t feel like peace.  But Jesus is exactly right about the kind of sword that cuts through nonsense and gets to truth and justice. 

At our most recent synod assembly, we also considered this resolution, to use our voices on behalf of gender expansive people who are currently targets of political persecution.  So here’s the entire thing, brought to the 2026 Central States Synod Assembly by Hearts Across the Heartland, a synod committee dedicated to accompanying congregations through the Reconciling in Christ process to specifically affirm LGBTQIA+ people.

Affirming Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Expansive, Two-Spirit, and Genderqueer People of God[4]  

WHEREAS, the Judeo-Christian tradition teaches that “God created humans in [God’s] image” and “God saw everything that [God] had made, and indeed, it was very good,” and

WHEREAS, in Jesus Christ, we know that “God loves human life so much that ‘the Word became Flesh’ (John 1:14), and we know, therefore, that God’s love embraces us totally, including our sexuality” and gender identity, and

WHEREAS, in A Social Statement on Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust we read: “this church must work toward greater understanding of sexual orientation and gender identity. It must seek that which is positive and life-giving while protecting from all that is harmful and destructive,” and “this church also will attend to the need for equal protection, equal opportunities, and equal responsibilities under the law, and just treatment for those with varied sexual orientation and gender identity. Such individuals are disproportionately and negatively affected by patterns of stigma, discrimination, and abuse. Likewise, it will attend to the particular needs of children and the families of those with actual or perceived differences in sexual orientation or gender identity because they are especially vulnerable to verbal, physical, emotional, spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse,” and

WHEREAS, in A Social Message on Gender-based Violence, the ELCA stated that “Gender-based violence is sin. While it takes many forms, in all its variations gender-based violence attacks, violates and often destroys the good that God brings to life,” and

WHEREAS, A Social Message on Human Rights declares, “The ELCA will support domestic and international human rights institutions, foster deliberation, and engage in sustained action that seek rights for any neighbors – especially the vulnerable – who are not being treated with the dignity that is God’s gift,” and

WHEREAS, the Central States Synod, along with twenty-eight other synods and 1,093 congregations across the ELCA, is a Reconciling in Christ partner with ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation, which has advocated for the full welcome of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA2S+) Lutherans in all aspects of the life of their Church, congregations, and community, and

WHEREAS, the current executive branch of the federal government has targeted transgender, nonbinary, gender expansive, two-spirit and genderqueer people with multiple executive orders and policies, and these executive orders and policies are harming the rights and lives of transgender, nonbinary, gender expansive, two-spirit and genderqueer people, especially children and youth, with regards to healthcare, mental health, employment, sports participation, social services, housing, and more, and

WHEREAS, the state governments of Kansas and Missouri have likewise enacted legislation that has targeted transgender, nonbinary, gender expansive, two-spirit, and genderqueer people and is harming the rights and lives of these beloved children of God, especially with regards to the right to access healthcare, sports participation, government-issued identification, public facilities, and more; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Central States Synod publicly affirms the divinely-created goodness and beauty in all transgender, nonbinary, gender expansive, two-spirit, and genderqueer people of all ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, religions, and beliefs; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Central States Synod speak out against the harmful policies and language towards transgender, nonbinary, gender expansive, two-spirit, and genderqueer people perpetrated by government leaders and agencies wherever it is encountered; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Central States Synod, in partnership with long-time advocacy and education organizations ReconcilingWorks, Kansas Interfaith Action, and PROMO Missouri, along with ecumenical and community partners, equip congregations, ministries, and rostered and lay leaders with information and theological background in order to empower us to public witness, as specified in the Strategy Towards Authentic Diversity; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Central States Synod continually seek guidance from transgender, nonbinary, gender expansive, two-spirit and genderqueer leaders both inside the Church (ReconcilingWorks, seminary scholars and students, synod staff, Conference of Bishops, rostered leaders, lay leaders) and outside the Church for how to best advocate on their behalf in this time.

And do you think this measure passed?  You bet it did.  By a large majority.  Each voice matters, even each sparrow matters to God. 

Jesus uses language like, whoever loves mother or father or son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me—how do you measure how much you love someone, or who you love more than someone else?  I’ve been thinking of it this way: whose opinion matters more to you?  Do you care more what your parents would think, or what your kids would think?  Or do you care more about what God would think? 

Bishop Donna Simon closed the synod assembly this way, recalling Jesus’s blessing at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, and blessing us with a call to action, so that’s how I’ll end here:

Jesus said, You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. I chose you and appointed you to bear fruit that will last. Remember, I will be with you always, to the end of time. Direct us, O Lord God, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and extend to us your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name; and finally, by your mercy, bring us to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

 Pastor Cheryl

[1] Fugelsang, page 244-45.

[2] John Fugelsang, Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, Avid Reader Press: New York, 2025, pages 245-247. 

[3] https://www.css-elca.org/_files/ugd/ed9008_f1a75ce19eaa4ea7878120ca71b947fd.pdf

[4] This resolution in its entirety, with footnotes, can be found at https://www.css-elca.org/assembly  in the section labeled “Binder.”