Voting members at the Women of the ELCA triennial convention in 1996, passed a memorial to broaden awareness of gun violence against children and to work to address it. The memorial resolved “That ELCA women encourage their congregations to recognize the first Sunday in May each year as Rachel’s Day, based on Jeremiah 31:15–17 wherein Rachel grieved for her children, to mourn the loss of our children and to renounce the forces of evil and fear that plague our nation.”
Many may be reluctant to observe Rachel’s Day because guns are a polarizing issue. Politics, personal views, and societal attitudes make it so. Scripture provides common ground. Read Matthew 2:16–18. Children have historically been targeted in acts of violence. Rachel’s lament can be the resolve we need to say, “Enough is enough.” Rachel refused to be comforted; Scripture implies that her weeping went on for a long time. Some believe that gun violence is part of our culture; we can do nothing about it. But Rachel was not deterred. Her actions bore witness to the urgency and gravity of the situation and the need to take action.
This message is excerpted from “Rachel’s Day,” a 2015 Women of the ELCA resource written by Valora K. Starr. Today is the Women of the ELCA’s Rachel’s Day. Today is the Fifth Sunday of Easter.
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