Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are writing today with a message of hope. We can have hope and peace in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is important for us to state that in alignment with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), Martin Luther High School condemns the sin of racism in all of its manifestations. The wrongful and unjust death of George Floyd has triggered emotions of anger, sadness, despair, hopelessness, frustration and many other emotions throughout Martin Luther, our community and the families that we serve. And yet we can have hope.

This message of hope comes from our core. Martin Luther is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. We believe in the inerrancy of the Scriptures and the literal interpretation of God’s Word as it applies to our lives in service to others. The issue of systemic racism is front and center in our discussions and must be addressed in our country. At Martin Luther High School, we rely fully on Mark Chapter 12: verses 30-31 which was also this year’s school theme. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.”

To us, love your neighbor as yourself is exhibited in how we communicate with one another and how we handle our relationships. We value relationships that are marked by care, dignity, humility and integrity and that are Grace filled. We value communication with our neighbors that is honest, respectful and clear. We also believe that we should emulate Jesus’s love for others in all situations.

We also value growth and we have so much to learn. We need to listen, learn, ask questions and pray so we can grow as a school, a community, and a country. We need to continue to build a safe and compassionate future for our students, our faculty, and our teachers. All of this starts with meaningful dialogue and prayer, which has already begun.

Especially in these times of uncertainty and unrest, we can have hope. Our hope is found in Jesus, who loves you and who loves me. He loves us so much that He died on the cross for us. We will continue to faithfully seek God’s will in all that we do and will work to deliver a culturally sensitive and responsive school culture at Martin Luther as well as a safe and socially aware teaching environment and student learning experience.

“You are a child of God. You are wonderfully made, dearly loved, and precious in His sight.” Psalm 139.

God’s blessings,

Martin Luther High School