CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In a July 17 pastoral letter to the Evangelical  Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) regarding the Middle East conflict and escalating military action that has now expanded into Lebanon, the ELCA presiding bishop said he will continue to call on the international community and the U.S. administration "to do everything possible both to negotiate an immediate stop to the violence that has caused the killing and suffering of innocent people and urge all parties to resolve the
 conflict through dialogue."
 

 In addition, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, who also serves as president of the Lutheran World Federation, Geneva, said the ELCA is providing immediate humanitarian relief through the work of the Middle East Council of Churches.
 

 "I write to you out of my deep sadness and concern regarding the escalating conflict in the Middle East," Hanson wrote. He noted that the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah militants "caused a severe reaction from Israeli forces."
 
"The escalation of the conflict moves the Middle East further away from a just and lasting peace for which we have been praying and working," Hanson said.
 
 Hanson said he spoke by phone July 15 with the Rev. Munib A.Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Jerusalem.
 
 "In our conversation ... I heard both his deep concern that, as the war spreads, the future of Christianity among Arab people is at risk, and his call for our renewed commitment to praying and working for peace," Hanson wrote.
 

 Hanson asked the ELCA's 4.9 million members to continue to pray for "a just and lasting peace in the Middle East that will bring an end to the pain and misery experienced by all people in the region."
 
The presiding bishop also suggested Lutherans visit the ELCA Web site for resources on how congregations can respond to humanitarian needs in Lebanon, for updates from people in the region and for advocacy information. He also referred congregations to the ELCA social statement "For Peace in God's World," adopted by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 1995, as a resource for discussion of global peace issues.
 

 
Pastoral letter from Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson regarding the escalating situation in Lebanon and associated ELCA news release

 July 17, 2006

I write to you out of my deep sadness and concern regarding the  escalating conflict in the Middle East, which has expanded recently into Lebanon. The kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah militants  has caused a severe reaction from Israeli forces. The escalation of the conflict moves the Middle East further away from a just and lasting peace for which we have been praying and working. I continue to call on the international community and the U.S. administration to do everything possible both to negotiate an immediate stop to the violence that has caused the killing and suffering of innocent people and to urge all parties to resolve the conflict through dialogue.

 I speak often with Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. In our conversation on July 15,  2006, I heard both his deep concern that, as the war spreads, the future  of Christianity among Arab people is at risk and his call for our renewed commitment to praying and working for peace.

The ELCA is providing immediate humanitarian relief through the work of the Middle East Council of Churches. I ask ELCA congregations to continue to pray for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East that will bring an end to the pain and misery experienced by all people in the region.

 May the God of peace fill our hearts and our world with peace.

 The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
 Presiding Bishop
 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America