To those who are critical of President Harrison for getting involved in politics: as Lutherans, we respect the words of Luther, right? Here’s what Luther had to say, in his work, On Secular Authority: “If a preacher in his official capacity says to kings and princes…‘Consider and fear God and keep his commandments,’ he is not meddling in the affairs of secular authority. On the contrary, he is thereby rendering service and obedience to the supreme authority.”

Luther may be wrong, of course, and I know that agreement with everything Luther wrote is not a requirement for Lutheran laymen or leaders. But his view here seems very consistent with the preaching of the prophets and apostles of Holy Scripture. Where in the Bible does it teach that the Church or its ministers must not speak out against corrupt and evil rulers and laws? And isn’t that what President Harrison is doing, whether in his testimony before Congress, or his Free to be Faithful campaign, or his blog writings?