In a Holy Week message to the Wisconsin Conference, Conference Minister Franz Rigert reflected on how the Resurrection of Jesus revealed the power of God’s boundless love to bring new life from even the most tragic circumstances. He contrasted that love with the tendency of some Christians to put limits on God’s embrace.
“For me, Easter is about God’s liberating power and God’s expansive grace,” Franz wrote. “Sadly, some Christians see Easter as a narrowing of God’s love rather than a widening of it. This understanding of the Gospel is more about condemnation than transformation.” He singled out Christian Nationalism as an example of an ideology that operates “with little regard or respect for religious pluralism in American life.” That’s not the message of Easter.
“The gift of Easter is an invitation to embrace God’s Spirit of abundance and inclusivity, and to treat all our neighbors with a love that appreciates and honors their sacred journeys,” he wrote. Read Franz’s entire message.