As Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s campaign of dehumanization continues to strike our neighborhoods, I have been wrestling with what the appropriate response should be from the church. There have been countless sermons preached and statements promulgated, but there still remains one tool with power that has not yet been collectively pursued. Are we now in a status confessionis moment?
I don’t take such a stance lightly, as determining an issue to be status confessionis is a serious undertaking. Status confessionis is a Lutheran theological concept with roots in the 16th century that declares an issue to be a core part of the Gospel, so that remaining neutral on it isn’t an option. Either one confesses, or one does not, and this confession forms the basis of one’s membership in the church. The rising totalitarianism and the cruelty that we are witnessing from ICE are at odds with our faith, and we ought to be clear about that—status confessionis is one way to be so.
Those early modern Lutherans were clear that in normal times, matters not directly pertaining to the Gospel were adiaphora (indifferent things) and could vary from place to place. However, in times of great upheaval, the church was called upon to confess Jesus’ lordship even if it went against the authorities.
