Picture this
and new life—a life with which no amount of consumerism or mate- rialism can compete. We can invite people to join with us in serving oth- ers instead of engaging in the crazy and defeating effort to get “the per- fect gift.” It’s about the celebration of Christmas, not Advent. Christopher P. Nelson Minneapolis
Offended by photo That The Lutheran would publish a photo from a “Handsupwalkout” protest is offensive (January, page 10). The facts of the case show the deceased was the aggressor. As for “living out … the gospel,” just where does it say to support thieves and thugs? Love and forgive, yes, but I see no love for innocent police officers in these protests, only hate. Tom Fenner Piqua, Ohio
Done with scoring The “Who gets saved?” author (December, page 49) states that all who do not tune their lives purely are going the way of the goats. That’s the picture we’ve been painting of God for centuries. I asked a Bible study once what the primary objection is to the New Testament revelation that there is no hell. A woman replied: no payback. Oh, how we love to believe that God is keeping score. The author refers to muffling the sounds of eter- nal punishment. That’s exactly what the empty tomb did. The Rev. D. Randall Faro Chehalis, Wash.
No fan of ‘Chef’ I’m disappointed and appalled that
GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE-TIMES NEWS/reprinted with permission from Times Publishing Company, Erie, PA. © 2015 Operation warm
Head Start preschoolers at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Erie, Pa., display their new coats, donated through Operation Warm on Jan. 5. Local fi refi ghters helped fund these and other coats for children in the area—150 in all. Head Start programs are government-funded and promote school readiness for children under age 5 from low-income families.
Send us your best: The Lutheran is looking for photographs that tell the tale of your faith life or that of your congregation or the ELCA, or our church at work around the world. Send your high-resolution photo to
lutheran@thelutheran.org with “Picture this” in the subject line, along with caption and contact information.
Send “Letters” to: The Lutheran, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago, IL 60631; lutheran@
thelutheran.org.
The Lutheran would allow the movie Chef to be recommended as “best this month” (December, page 44). It’s rated R for language and suggestive behavior. The father and son recon- nect but not in a kind way that indi- cates any Christian values. Lucia Schroeder Glyndon, Minn.
Looming disaster Peter W. Marty’s column on “Per- manently poor” (December, page 3)
was excellent in every way. Scripture speaks many, many times about pov- erty. In addition, however, too many are almost poor—more or less living paycheck to paycheck yet working very hard. Some 50 percent of Amer- icans are one paycheck away from disaster. Karl Marx was right. I know, I’ve been there. Eugene H. Meyer Roanoke, Va.
February 2015 49
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