When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. This ancient proverb means that the weak get hurt in conflicts between the powerful. We, adult humans, are the elephants – in conflict between the powerful. Our children are the grass.
Almost 30 years ago, one woman active in Women of the ELCA urged her congregation, Bethel Lutheran Church on the west side of Chicago, to support children facing violence.
Two years later, the Metro Chicago Synodical Women’s Organization brought a memorial to the Third Triennial Convention (1996) of Women of the ELCA. They wanted to broaden awareness of the violence children face and consider actions to address it.
The convention passed the memorial, resolving “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.”
The next Women of the ELCA Rachel’s Day is May 5. Learn more here.
This message is excerpted from “How can women of the ELCA begin to act more like elephants?” by Valora K. Starr from the April 12, 2021. blog of the Women of the ELCA.
Copyright © 2024 Women of the ELCA. Inquiries for permission to reproduce should be directed to [email protected].