On Sunday, June 9, we at Lutheran Church of Hope put up our annual Pride flag on our fence by weaving the colors through the chain links. By Saturday evening, June 15, it had been ripped down. Since we worship together every Sunday morning, there were many hands to make light work of putting it up again. However, the next day, we discovered the flag was torn down again. This time it was replaced with an American flag.
Jesus says there are two great commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:36-40) Jesus included all in his love, and told us to do the same. So that is what we seek — to love God, to love ourselves and to love our neighbors. We seek to express our love to our neighbors who are LGBTQ+. And now, we seek to express our love to our neighbors who vandalize. We want to love as Christ taught us.
So, we have left the flag that was gifted to us on our fence. And next to it, we speak our words of hope: “We can be kind. We can reach out in love.” May the peace of Christ be with us all.
— Rev. Liz Lowry
Lutheran Church of Hope
Anchorage
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