The Latvian Lutheran Association of Women Theologians warmly congratulates the readers and supporters of our website on Latvia’s centenary and the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia!
On 18 November 1918 at the 2nd Riga City Theatre (today’s National Theatre), the Republic of Latvia was proclaimed and the Provisional Government of the new state was confirmed.
The path of the Latvian state to its centenary jubilee has not been strewn with rose petals, but rather covered with thorns and blood. Half of the Latvian state’s century passed under the flag of a foreign country and foreign rule, with the Soviet power making us sing a foreign anthem and speak a foreign language.
Aspazija’s poem “The Strength of the Tree” describes both the resilience of the tree and the individual and collective stubbornness, strength, dreams and hopes of Latvians, as well as Latvia itself during the occupation:
Come, cut from me as many branches as you wish,
I can always grow anew.
Though the storm and the wind may bend me,
I am able to straighten upright again… (Aspazija, lines from the poem “The Strength of the Tree”)
Today, on 18 November 2018, the Republic of Latvia exists as a fully-fledged player on the international stage: a state with its own territory, government, language, culture and traditions.
Because of the issue of women’s ordination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia has unfortunately been unable to unite with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia Abroad and become one Lutheran Church, so that the church of Latvia might also be united. Nevertheless, the Latvian Lutheran Association of Women Theologians unites women theologians, evangelists and pastors in Latvia and abroad.
The logo of Latvia’s centenary LV100 embodies the idea of infinity. Thinking about Latvia’s centenary, every resident of Latvia who sees the LV100 symbol is invited to think of a long life for the Latvian state.
We who believe in God know from the Holy Scriptures that eternity is found in the Son of God (1 Jn 5:11). He is the beginning and the end of all things. Through His grace we can be a free people. Latvia exists within God’s wonderful plan, for our state’s most important song, our anthem, begins with a prayer to God – God, bless Latvia, our dear fatherland!
The LLSTA editorial team