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A call to live Gettysburg’s legacy of freedom for all

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St. James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg welcomes people of every sexual orientation and gender identity. We publicly affirmed this welcome by becoming a Reconciling in Christ church in January 2016. Our pastors and congregation live this welcome.

With that in mind, we offer this response to the recent statement by State Sen. Doug Mastriano.

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Our response is rooted in the core of our faith. Jesus says: “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). This commandment guides our public life daily.

Senator Mastriano wrote, “When Abraham Lincoln spoke… of ‘a new birth of freedom’, he placed Gettysburg permanently at the center of the American conscience.” In addition, we know that Thaddeus Stevens lived and practiced law here, championing what became the 14th amendment-equal protection for all persons. He insisted this nation had to become more welcoming, not less.

The Senator is correct when he states that people travel from across the country—indeed the globe—to visit Gettysburg.  Many died here to ensure that all people would be free and have equal rights under the law. Residents, visitors, and tourists sense the sacredness of the ground on which they walk. 

He is correct when he states that our downtown should reflect the honor and courage and sacrifice of those who fought here. We challenge his statement that “the public identity of Gettysburg has taken a sharp left turn away from the historic focus.”  We challenge his statement that “Pride festivals, rainbow flags and activist messaging” are evidence that we are veering from that focus. 

We believe that peaceful activism on the square is part of the work President Lincoln and Thaddeus Stevens entreated us to continue. To us, these actions represent Jesus’s commandment made visible in our community.

Just as the stars and stripes on our flag remind us that our democracy is for everyone and that everyone is welcome to participate in it, rainbow flags and Pride parades tell our LGBTQ+ neighbors that they are welcome as well.

Let us find common ground and work together so that all people can enjoy the freedom that our forebears gave their lives to protect. Let us work together to create peace in our town and our nation.

The Reconciling in Christ Committee of St. James Lutheran Church

Gettysburg

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