A man kneels to light a candle beneath a police cordon outside the Tree of Life Synagogue after a shooting there left 11 people dead. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images)
“The future frightens us. But the Promise comforts us. Blessed are those who are called to it.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Germany, 1932.
Pastor Brian Evans writes, “In light of the terror the Jewish community and all of us in Pittsburgh faced on Saturday, it was clear the sermon I had originally prepared for Sunday was not going to work; the rising hate against minorities in our country had hit home. As a student of Bonhoeffer’s writings, I sought to find how he had proclaimed the Word of God on such a day and and in such a climate. Translated and published only last year, his 1932 Reformation Sunday sermon is haunting and speaks boldly to the fear and hatred we face today. Through these words of his I have shared, may God’s Promise in Christ be our comfort. May the Holy Spirit enkindle our love for God and all our neighbors.”
The audio and text of the sermon are available below:
Listen to the audio recording of Pastor Evans’s 10/28 sermon
Download the text of Pastor Evans’s 10/28 sermon