TDBI in Action

Dear Friend,

With so much suffering in the world, I am finding more and more connections to our namesake’s time. The sorrows that permeate our hearts and minds must motivate us to actions that ameliorate them. Every day at TDBI we are committed to doing our part to heal the sources of so much anguish.

In recent months, TDBI has been acting in leading, forming and informing, and encouraging faith leaders to address the most pressing ethical crises of our time:

• Following the terrible episodes in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, TX, we traveled to both states to meet with and support religious and community leaders, as well as public officials who are able to intervene before episodes occur.
• Through our work with Faith Leaders for Ending Gun Violence – co-chaired by our own Executive Director, The Rev. Hope Christensen – we’re connecting and encouraging faith leaders across the country to address gun violence in their communities.
• After the most recent spree of mass shootings, including the tragedy in Highland Park, IL, we are now looking to inform congregations on how they can use red flags laws to get weapons out of the hands of those who present a danger to themselves or others. Often, congregants will reach out to their spiritual caregivers before anyone else.

• Nothing epitomizes the threat of deadly violence more than war. When the Moscow Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill used his sermons to endorse Putin’s military aggression against Ukraine, we launched a petition to persuade the World Council of Churches to take disciplinary action against Kirill.
• TDBI’s working group recently presented its case to key decision makers for the global body. Such a sanction against Krill will say to the world that Christians of every tradition will not tolerate such abject, cruel disrespect for human life and dignity.

• As a core principle of TDBI, I look to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s wisdom and insights for guiding and informing the institute’s activities. This summer we hope for people to be inspired by our namesake and are encouraging readers to take books by Bonhoeffer with them to the beach, poolside, or campground, so that you can be inspired in your own efforts to improve the world!

I believe Bonhoeffer is more relevant today than ever, and it is your generous moral and financial support that gives TDBI the opportunity to continue Bonhoeffer’s legacy. Your contributions are vital in helping us form, support, and encourage moral and ethical leadership.

Summer is a challenging time for organizations like ours, so any gift in this season is exceptionally meaningful.

Yours for a Brighter Future,

Rev. Dr. Rob Schneck

President and Founder