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And now I'd like to invite forward my brother, the Reverend Dr. Laerte Tardelli Voss, a native of

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Brazil.

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He has served in pastoral ministry since 2004.

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After completing his pastoral internship in Montevideo, Uruguay, he received a call to

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the U.S. to work in Hispanic church planting in Springdale, Arkansas, Mid-South District,

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where he served from 2004 to 2013.

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In 2014, he moved back to Brazil to work in urban church planting out of Copacabana, Rio

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de Janeiro.

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Since December 2022, Pastor Tardele has been serving as Missionary Director of Lutheran

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Mission Society San Diego.

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Over the years, he has been a wonderful collaborator in a variety of ministries, including service,

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at least for some time, as my Vice President for the National Hispanic Convention.

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When he knew I was the President, he immediately took a call to Brazil after that.

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But for a while, we were collaborating interculturally.

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And he has been involved internationally with the pastoral leadership institute and also

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serves as a guest instructor for our Center for Hispanic Studies.

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He lives in San Diego with his wife, Diani, and their parents, Tunina, Benjamin, and Sarah.

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In addition to his bachelor degrees in theology from Seminario Concordia of our partner church

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in Brazil and the URBRA, the Lutheran University of Brazil, he holds a master's degree and

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a Ph.D. in systematic theology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, where

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he wrote on eschatology and also missiology.

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Please give a warm welcome to my friend and colleague, Dr. Tardele Voss.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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I am deeply honored to be part of this symposium, especially in the city of San Diego.

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I am honored to be here as a respondent to Professor Sanchez, whose insights have always

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inspired me so much, and especially on topics that hold such significance for my theological

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understanding and pastoral practice.

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Catholicity, migration, hospitality have profoundly shaped my ministry, my family's missionary

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approach, and also my life as immigrant.

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If it's true that by extending hospitality, some have entertained angels without knowing

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it, I would venture to say that those who extend hospitality are kind of angels themselves.

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And I'm grateful for the hospital angels in my life, some of whom are here today.

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Let me begin by stating that my intention is not to critique, but to add some colors,

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some verdi amarelo colors to this conversation.

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I find myself in alignment with and nourished by the thesis and insights brought forth by

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Professor Sanchez.

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So along with my applause, I offer the following comments.

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I commend the organization of ideas surrounding Catholicity in contemporary debate, as well

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as the definitions provided in the introduction.

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While this symposium has chosen to focus on one aspect of Catholicity, rightfully so

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in my opinion, it's important not to lose sight of its multifaceted nature and to uphold

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an integrated perspective.

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As we advocate for the multi-ethnic church, let's resist the temptation of reducing the

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Catholicity to this or actually any other dimension.

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A holistic understanding of Catholicity is not only sound from a biblical, historical,

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and confessional standpoint, but beneficial to the multi-ethnic church and her call to

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practice hospitality.

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In laying the groundwork for the defense of hospitality, Professor Sanchez touches on

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the migratory reality surrounding us, presenting it as a sign of Catholicity.

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It is imperative for the church to be mindful of this reality.

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Perhaps we could further explore the potential that migration holds for the formation and

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the work of the church.

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There are numerous examples, both near and far, where immigrants have made positive impact

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on Christian communities that have welcomed them.

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Additionally, there are anthropological and missiological elements that are worth of our

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attention when considering migratory movements.

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The book of Acts and the history of the church suggest a strong relationship between the

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work of the Holy Spirit and these migratory movements.

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I understand that some may harbor apprehensions about this and pastoral sensitivity is in

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place.

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However, we can embrace the age of migration with courage.

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Those who are on the move are oftentimes ripe for harvest.

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And this fact alone should capture our attention to the importance of being a safe haven for

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someone in transition.

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Professor Sanchez convincingly demonstrates that the themes of horizontal Catholicity,

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migration, and hospitality have a legitimate and profuse framework in Lutheran theology.

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I found it both precise and fascinating to uncover a pathway to comprehend and engage

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with these topics within the marks, the signs of the church.

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Moreover, to access the call to hospitality through Luther's lecture on Genesis 18 is

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clearly appropriate and effective.

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Thanks to the quality and relevance of Luther arguments masterfully elucidated by Professor

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Sanchez, we are provided with substantial material to explore what could constitute

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a robust Lutheran theology of hospitality.

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Now, let me just make a quick footnote here.

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At the same time we explore Luther's reading of Abraham hospitality, there arise a curiosity

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about what other potential Lutheran theological frameworks could be employed to develop a

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Lutheran ecclesiology that favors hospitality within the context of Catholicity and migration.

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What other texts, perhaps in our confessions, could add some extra chili and flavor for

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this conversation?

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But I'm not going to be going there, back to me Santissima Trinity here, Abraham, Luther,

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and Sanchez.

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We can resonate, for instance, with Luther's understanding of the Christian theology of

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Abraham.

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We can resonate, for instance, with Luther's understanding of Abraham's own experience

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as influencing his hospitality towards strangers.

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Elsewhere I heard Professor Sanchez suggesting that Luther's own background of exile and

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hospitality towards travelers might have deepened in sensitivity to this reality.

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The question that we may pose is what is our experience in this regard?

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How close and fully have we been exposed to the need of hospitality, both individually

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and as a church body?

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To what extent are we able to empathize with the struggles, vulnerabilities, homesickness,

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and fears of being strangers or outsiders?

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To what degree have we remained within bubbles and comfort zones?

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Is there anything here for us to discuss or to learn?

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In the same context, another point to echo is when Professor Sanchez showed how Luther

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brings the issue literally to our homes.

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We can talk about hospitality we offer in our church buildings and church events and

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church ministries all day long, but I find crucial to consider the stewardship of our

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own houses and family resources to the service of hospitality, especially in communities

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and cultures that might have some resistance to our faith and our institutions.

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And the karyokas in Copacabana and the African refugees in San Diego come immediately to

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my mind.

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Forgive me for trying with this a little bit here, but maybe we should only invite someone

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into our churches after we are willing to invite them into our homes first.

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The only detail that I was expecting to see in that argument, especially from you, Dr.

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Sanchez, an international food lover, was a reference to the table.

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We've got to be more Lucan here, not just mi casa estu casa, but mi mesa estu mesa,

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mi sarten estu sarten.

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Common soul hospitality, food, meals, eye to eye conversations, listening to our guests,

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sharing stories, and sharing the gospel in that environment.

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It doesn't need to be Marty Stewart elaborated.

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It can be simple.

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The world is hungry, literally and spiritually, for that kind of experience.

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Before leaving the house of Abraham, I affirm Sanchez's recovering of Luther's words,

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he who receives a brother who is in exile receives God himself in the person of such

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a brother.

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I am not sure if Luther had Matthew 25 in his mind, but his invitation to see God himself

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in the person who seeks for our nesting deserves our attention.

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Let me play with this Christological Catholicity for a minute.

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Could it be that for us to have the fullness of Christ, we should seek him to date not

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only in the word and in the sacrament, but also intentionally in the neighborhood in

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need?

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Eyes fixed on the cross where Christ is for us, but also searching for His hidden presence

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in our brother where He is beside us calling us to join Him in His mission.

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Is Luther saying that?

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Are you, Dr. Sanchez, saying that?

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And if you guys are saying that, is there anything stopping us to take it seriously?

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To hold intention, this fullness of Christ, to equilibrate this Christological Catholicity,

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if you will.

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But let me finish with a more grace-focused observation beyond Facebook love, the love

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of the cross, the faith of Abraham, the faith that makes him so eager and ready to be hospitable.

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Thank you, Professor, for giving that for us as well today.

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Abraham did not just rely on his only personal experience as an exile or on his classes of

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Mesopotamian hospitality.

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Faith, an encounter with the gospel, a gift from God, is what he ultimately had in his

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hand and heart to share.

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And that's why he's able to go above and beyond.

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That's why he took risks and wasn't so picky about the ritual of screening faith.

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Somehow, he knew that no one really passed any screening.

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If God scanned us inside out, who could be worthy of hospitality?

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Abraham knew he and everybody else deserved to have the door shut in their faces.

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But he had a promise that someone, someday, would change that.

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We have something even better.

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We have the fulfillment of that promise.

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And that's why, as you said, the church can practice hospitality, not because every stranger

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is an angel in disguise, but because that's what the gospel does, that's what the church

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does, by faith in the name of Christ.

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Thank you, Professor Sanchez.