From the Intern's Desk

As I sit here at my desk, I am thinking about our first snowfall of the winter and the part of that snowfall that I just finished shoveling from my driveway. When I stopped to rest for a moment in the midst of the job, I marveled at the wonders of God's creation as our neighborhood took on a whole new appearance under its blanket of cold, fluffy snowflakes.

God's creative powers must have worked overtime if, as we are told, each snowflake is unique, unlike any others. Can you imagine being asked to design billions and billions of six-sided crystals without repeating any design? Even with the graphics capabilities of supercomputers, I imagine the task would be enormous and, yet, God accomplishes it with ease. We marvel at the diversity of snowflakes, celebrating the seemingly infinite variety of shapes.

God has incorporated diversity throughout creation but that diversity has not always been the subject of wonder or celebration. Humankind, in bondage to sin, has often held diversity to be unwelcome and something to be feared. As we study scripture, we see that the Egyptians came to fear and hate the Hebrews and the Jews feared and hated the Christians. As history unfolded, Christians and Muslims, Catholics and Protestants, Israelis and Palestinians, and many others have waged war against one another.

In our own country, God's diversity has been unwelcome as it was manifested in the color of people's skin. People of color -- Blacks, Native Americans, and Asians -- have all been sinned against simply because they are visibly different. Arguably, the most tragic example is that of the African-Americans who were forcibly brought to this country as slaves and continued to be subjected to persecution and repression long after that terrible institution was abolished.

As we enter February, Black History Month, we have the opportunity to celebrate God's gift of diversity and, especially, the stories and accomplishments of African-Americans who persevered despite discrimination and violence. We in the Augustana community also have the occasion to celebrate fifty years of the blessings that come as we welcome God's children, in all of their diversity, to share in the good news of Jesus Christ, the one who gave himself for all.

By Gary Nuss

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The Augustanan
Newsletter
February 2005

This Issue:

Pastor's Message
Ask the Pastor
Faith in Action
Accessibility Update
Lenten Services
From the Intern's Desk
Adult Education
Committee Schedule
Calendar

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The Augustanan Home

Augustana Lutheran Church

Augustana Lutheran Church
2100 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20009-6507

Church Office Hours:
Monday-Friday, 9:00am-4:00pm