The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has expressed heartfelt condolences and prayers to the people of Oklahoma, following the tragic loss of life in the wake of devastating tornados across central United States.
“We pray particularly for those families, relatives, and friends who are in pain because of the loss of loved ones,” LWF General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge wrote in a 22 May letter to Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
A tornado was part of a storm, 18-19 May that swept across Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. According to news reports, 24 people have been confirmed dead following the tornado that demolished an elementary school and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.
Junge offered prayers for churches in the USA including the ELCA Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod, as they provide “words of comfort, peace, hope, and spiritual guidance for people who have such a difficult path ahead.”
He added, “May wisdom, courage and compassion continue to guide your pastoral and relief work among people in grief and loss.”
