What is Rachel’s Day?

In 1994, one woman urged her congregation, Bethel Lutheran Church on the west side of Chicago, to support children facing violence. They began by clearing a vacant lot and turning it into a garden—Rachel’s Garden. It became a place where folks could come, mostly mothers, to mourn children killed by gun violence in that past year and plant a simple white cross and flowers in remembrance of these young ones. Two years later, the Metro Chicago synodical women’s organization brought a memorial to the 1996 Women of the ELCA Triennial Convention in Minneapolis to broaden awareness of the violence children face and actions to address it. The convention passed the memorial, resolving “That ELCA women encourage their congregations to recognize the first Sunday in May each year as ‘Rachel’s Day,’ based on Jeremiah 31:15-17 wherein Rachel grieved for her children, to mourn the loss of our children and to renounce the forces of evil and fear that plague our nation.”

Why do we still need Rachel’s Day?

We still need Rachel’s Day because violence is embedded into every area of a child’s life, and the effect is a slow death for all of our children. Ten years ago the original focus was the loss of inner city children to gangs, gun violence, and other contributors—drugs, abuse, neglect, poor education, health, and hunger. Over these last ten years, however, what appeared to be an inner city crisis is alive and well in all communities across our nation. The challenge of ending violence is more difficult today because what holdsit in place is a more sophisticated and complex illusion of individual safety. The media, the economy, community divisions, isolation, entertainment,and even our children’s forms of play have created a much more dangerous environment for them and a different opponent for adults who look to protect them. No one group of children is safe until all children are safe. Using Rachel as an example, we’re all in this together.

How is St. Luke's taking part in Rachel’s Day?

By spreading awareness of the forces of evil that face the children in our congregation and community on this first Sunday of May, St. Luke's will emphasize this awareness through the songs of our children's choir, the sermon, and litany. We will also distribute blue ribbons. Blue is the color used in Advent. The color represents hope; hope for our children.