Missing the Moment: The Church's Call to Peacemaking

 

"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid." -- Jesus in Jn 14:27

"The church, of itself, is not the kingdom.  It is, rather, the messianic community in the service of the kingdom.  It witnesses to the kingdom. In its life and values, it anticipates the kingdom.  It is the community charged with continuing the messianic mission in the same Spirit and strategy that characterized Jesus' mission. It is the community in which the signs of the kingdom are most evident."

 --John Driver in Images of the Church in Mission

Many of you may be aware that I am currently privileged to serve in a denominational leadership role, where I promote the well-being of churches and help develop new ones.  In that role, I have the opportunity to visit with lots of churches, their pastors, as well as churches and leaders outside of my denomination.  I share that with you because I want to share my observations regarding this "kairos" moment in the life of churches in the United States.  I write with the humility to know that I bring my own values, culture, and social location to these observations, understanding that I do not have the corner on the complete truth and that I stand in community with other followers of Jesus who may differ with what I am going to write.  My goal is to encourage the church to take seriously its role as peacemaker and to seek the unity that comes with peace.  Jesus declared a blessing on those who are peacemakers (Mt 5:9).  The Apostle Paul told the church in Rome:

So let’s strive for the things that bring peace and the things that build each other up. Romans 14:19 CEB

In Scripture, there is a clear pathway towards experiencing unity in the church that begins with reconciliation between individuals and groups, which requires acknowledging offenses and repairing relationships when possible. Because Jesus, the head of the church, gracefully repaired our relationship with God, we are able to experience community with others who are reconciled and forgiven, through the grace of God and the movement of God's Spirit.  Only when we have grace-filled reconciliation is real unity possible.  The ability to practice this in the church becomes a sign and symbol of our authenticity as disciples of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Only when we experience peace can we mobilize to demonstrate peacemaking to a watching world.

As I write this, the nation is reeling from brazen political violence, school shootings, authoritarian governmental activities, and international war and famine on a massive scale.  None of these events should surprise us, as the United States did not suddenly become violent, but statistically has been among the most violent societies since its creation. We even export our violence through the massive military-industrial complex, which arms combatants all over the world. The role of capitalism and militarism is well established, but we fail to interrogate the connection.

In addition to being violent, we are also very polarized in our understanding of one another and the issues of our day.  Social media is designed to provide content that provokes the greatest response of fear.  News outlets, once a paragon of integrity, are now seeking ratings and relevance over reporting and reality.  There are no forums for genuine exchange and constructive conversation in civic matters.  Our churches, created to be a prophetic voice and embodied makers-of-peace, are often more discipled by narrow political agendas that undermine the purposes and perspectives of Jesus.

5 days from the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk, there is an outrage stemming from the palpable fear among people who had a cultural, religious, and political affinity with him.  This high level of justifiable outrage was not expressed when people outside of the cultural, religious, and political affinities were killed, starved, or kidnapped.  I do not believe in comparing tragedies, as each should provoke a level of disgust and outrage, but there is clearly a selective outrage when it appears solely when someone with whom we identify is killed, versus when it occurs to someone outside of our affinity.  

Yesterday, I read an article that stated 680,000 Palestinians have died in the Israel-Hamas war, if you include deaths from starvation, inaccessible health care, and violence.  This includes the nearly 2000 Israelis who have also died in the conflict.  However, the death of 1200 Israelis in the October 7th terrorist attack brought an immediate outrage from most churches and politicians who identify culturally, religiously and politically with the nation of Israel and its citizenry. There was an immediate rush for financial, military, and direct political intervention. That is a healthy response to tragedy.  However, as the war has gone on, with largely disproportionate deaths in Gaza (70% of which are children), financed by US taxpayers, there has not been near the level of outrage, particularly among Evangelical Churches in the US.  

All of this reminds me of the reaction after 9/11 where, for the first time, most Americans felt incredibly vulnerable.  Similarly to that horrific act of terrorism, I felt that citizens had an inkling of what it feels to be Black, Brown, and Asian in most of US history.  Theologian Cornel West describes that feeling of vulnerability and traumatic wounding as "the blues".  He talks about the time after 9/11 when all Americans experienced "The blues:

"Well, for the first time in the whole nation, my fellow citizens had the blues across the board: they felt unsafe, unprotected, subject to random violence, hated for who they are.  It's a new experience for a lot of Americans.  But for Black folk? To be Black in America is to be unsafe, unprotected, subject to random violence, and hated for who they are. It wasn't new, it was another layer, you know what I mean?" --Cornel West in Hope on a Tightrope

For many, Charlie Kirk's killing caused feelings of vulnerability that were not realized when people outside of their cultural affinity were subject to the same type of horrible violence.  Governmental resources were immediately mobilized to add levels of security and to punish people who were not sympathetic to the perceived threat. Additionally, political leaders were eager to scapegoat entire people groups (without evidence) and deify Charlie Kirk.  By deify, I am referring to reframing his life as a symbol of Godliness and ignoring his anti-kingdom actions and agendas. I am not saying that he was not Christian, but his approach and his ethics are clearly questionable. This deifying makes him beyond reproach or criticism, but more importantly, destroys the witness of the church, which, in deifying him, connects clearly racist, sexist, and xenophobic language with an expression of the kingdom.

The point is not your or my opinion of Charlie Kirk's life or the agreement of mourning his senseless death.  The point is the church's role and responsibility in the face of violence.

In the midst of violence and upheaval, where is the church?  

Does the church have a role to play in civic society? Churches have had different responses to that question.  Some answer plainly "no".  These churches read scriptures like II Tim 2:4 and interpret it to mean that the church should avoid life and leadership outside of the church itself.  While others go the other extreme and answer "yes" but through dominance, coercion, and power.  These churches often use violent imagery from Scripture to justify some of the most ungodly behavior.

The answer is "yes," but in a completely different way.  To explain, we need to understand the church's founding narrative and founding mission.  To understand the complexity of the organization we call "Church", the Bible employs many different metaphors.  All of them stem from the creation narrative in the book of Genesis, where humanity is created to honor God by reflecting God's image, character, and attributes.  Humanity chose to reject that responsibility, and God sent Jesus, to whom it is written that he was the "image of the invisible God" (Col 1:15), who, through his life, death, and resurrection, restored God's plan for a people who embodied God's character or holiness, which was revealed through Jesus.  That people (not just individuals) are referred to in the bible as new creation, new humanity, people of the way, people of God's kingdom, God's flock, light of the world, and my personal favorite, witnesses to Jesus.

All of that to say that the church is to be a sign and symbol to the world that conflict can be managed and peace is possible.  Jesus spent time teaching his disciples how to handle conflict, which is inevitable.  

“If your brother or sister sins against you, go and correct them when you are alone together. If they listen to you, then you’ve won over your brother or sister. But if they won’t listen, take with you one or two others so that every word may be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses. But if they still won’t pay attention, report it to the church. If they won’t pay attention even to the church, treat them as you would a Gentile and tax collector.  I assure you that whatever you fasten on earth will be fastened in heaven. And whatever you loosen on earth will be loosened in heaven." (Mt 18:15-18 CEB)

Because some of the nicest people I have ever met are in the church, we often want to reduce or avoid conflict.  Many understand that with time, conflict and offense often "go away".  So why would Jesus insist that conflict be addressed, not ignored?  Notice that this is a command, not a suggestion.  Jesus understands that even with time, conflict never goes away but becomes something much worse.  New Testament writers called unresolved trauma the root of bitterness:

Make sure that no one misses out on God’s grace. Make sure that no root of bitterness grows up that might cause trouble and pollute many people. (Heb 12:15 CEB)

The root of bitterness is a seething resentment that occurs with traumatic wounding. If affects how we see ourselves and how we interact with others.  Because most US churches reflect a consumeristic approach (mirroring the dominant narratives of US Capitalism), when conflict arises, we simply leave.  We move on to another place where we are less likely to be offended but can consume desired religious goods and services.  Leaving is not always bad, as sometimes there are situations where you are targets of offense, abuse, and all types of aggression, and it is simply not safe to remain in that community.  However, if you leave a church community because you have been offended and have not let the offender know of their offense, then they cannot mature or have the opportunity to repair the trauma, which could lead to the entire community seeing peacemaking displayed.

I would like to share something personal regarding offenses in the church.  Christian Sociologist Michael Emerson wrote a book on the "Religion of Whiteness," which details how US churches have religionized race, after first racializing religion (see his great book, Divided by Faith, 2000).  In his latest book, he spends an entire chapter on what he calls the "great betrayal".  The great betrayal was experienced by Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, and immigrating Christians when churches and their leadership supported politicians and policies that were racist, xenophobic, and dehumanizing.  The Christians who represent the global majority fled multicultural spaces as well as predominantly White spaces at a rapid pace.  Most often, those leaving were demonized, called "sensitive", or their concerns were simply diminished.  The hypocrisy was felt very personally:

"The failure to apply biblical principles of equity, inclusion, justice, and diversity to racially polarizing political rhetoric and increasingly publicized violence against minorities wasn't simply a blind spot.  It was a low priority" --Robert G. Callahan, II in Fire in the Whole

The opportunity for peace, and to be a witness of peace, was as simple as denouncing hate, promoting love that is indiscriminate and unconditional (The Great Commandment) as a community.  It was prioritizing the solidarity of the body of Christ over accepting and endorsing divisive ideologies that dehumanize others outside of your cultural affinities.  Would there have been consequences, such as being ostracized and marginalized?  Absolutely, but that is exactly what the early church was!  It is joining the suffering of Jesus for the sake of others, including those you perceive as enemies (Mt 5:43-48)

It is the demonstration of peace after conflict that gives the community witness to the peacemaking Spirit of Jesus. We love focusing on the mystical (but very real!) peace made between ourselves and the creator of the universe because it is private and because it requires nothing of us.  But if the proverbial "Hatfields and McCoys" come to a reconciliation where they are in community together and blessing the greater community by promoting peacemaking as a community in the name of the Prince of Peace, they are witnesses to the healing love that overcomes evil here and now.  

In 2012, I visited Rwanda and had the opportunity to preach at a church where there were many victims of the 1994 genocide and multiple perpetrators of the horrific violence.  In one case, the victim and her perpetrator (who was her neighbor) were sitting in the same pew.  Their witness to the peacemaking movement of God's spirit was powerful and palpable.  While it could not undo the horrors of the genocide, where 1 million people died in 100 days at the hands of their neighbors, reconciling churches led the way in peacemaking and reform that became the model for healing.

Once again, I turn to the Apostle Paul with a peacemaking tool kit:

Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together.  You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. (Eph 4:1-6 CEB)

Humility, gentleness, and patience as a paradigm of love to preserve the unity as our identity is as one body, hope, faith, and baptism centered on honoring God!  All of these are ways to approach another to make and preserve peace.

I believe that Jesus is seeking churches that are peacemaking churches, who can be credible witnesses to the presence and power of Jesus' inconceivably indiscriminate and unconditional love, both personally and communally.  Theologian Stanley Hauerwas succinctly states: 

"We must help the world imagine alternatives to violence that arise from our own habits of resolving differences as the church.  Unfortunately, the church has too often failed the world by its failure to witness to the kind of conflict and forgiveness necessary to be a community of peace.  Without an example of a peacemaking community, the world has no alternative but to use violence and force as a means to settle disputes.  All the more, as Christians, we cannot help but rejoice that God has called us to be peacemakers, for what could possibly be a more joyful and exciting task than to be a part of God's peace." --Stanley Hauerwas in Jesus Changes Everything: A New World Possible

One last note that may sound provocative but is biblical and difficult.  Peacemaking as a community and an activity requires a culture of peacemaking.  A culture of peacemaking promotes the expectation that peacemaking will occur.  Culture is formed by what is promoted as well as what is tolerated.  So, churches where conflict is handled well and their identity is shaped by a willingness to promote peacemaking in the greater community join Jesus' mission.  This is equally important to refuse to tolerate divisiveness, hatred, and the dehumanization of others. It does not mean that you remove offenders from fellowship, but that you confront their behavior as you are striving together as a peacemaking, justice-promoting community that revels in being a sign and symbol of Jesus in the world.

This means that peacemakers mourn killing and violence regardless of the victim.  It means that peacemakers refuse to participate and promote violence as the primary response to conflict.  The most challenging aspect of peacemaking is often overcoming our violent tendencies, which are shaped by the myth of redemptive violence.  This myth posits that we can secure authentic peace and happiness through violence against that which threatens us, but unknowingly fall into an endless cycle of violence, both on interpersonal, communal, and national levels.  Catholic Theologian John Dear describes the role of violence on our society:

"Violence starts when we forget who we are, when we forget that we are human beings, sisters and brothers of one another, children of the God of peace.  Once you forget that, or ignore it, or refuse to learn what it means to be a human being, your life loses its meaning.  You can hurt others, even kill others, even support mass murder in warfare, because nothing matters.  You have become a sociopath and you do not even know it.  You have no empathy, and without empathy, you cannot grow in compassion, understanding, or love." --John Dear in The Beatitudes of Peace

Peacemaking is about creating possibilities rather than responding to problems.  Developing a list of "isms" and attacking them will not create a community of peace although its helpful.  Peace requires space for reconciliation and a sense of intentionality that participants are committed to achieving it. This differs significantly from the partisan political activities that many churches actively participate in.  This is not saying that partisan approaches are immediately evil or sinful, but most of them are fear-inducing, hate-filled, and slanderous.  This will never lead to unity and, more importantly, does not honor Jesus.  Peacemaking Theologians Allan Boesak and Curtiss Paul DeYoung describe the differences between political and partisan approaches to reconciliation and that of Biblical reconciliation:

"Political reconciliation's concern is that we must come to a point where we do not kill each other.  And indeed, we do well if we do not kill one another, if we tolerate each other as political adversaries, no longer treating each other as deadly enemies who have to be eliminated.  That is no small thing. But biblical, radical reconciliation wants to bring us to the point where we learn to live, not just with the other--because we have no choice--but for the other--because that is our choice--where the peace among us is not just the absence of violence but the active presence of justice." --Allan Boesak and Curtiss Paul DeYoung in Radical Reconciliation

If this sounds impractical and overly idealistic, then you are beginning to understand why the church has the responsibility to be peacemaking communities that advocate for peacemaking beyond all boundaries.  A local or national government cannot do this, but only living out the mission of the savior of the universe is capable of true peace and renunciation of violence.  

I realize that international conflicts and law enforcement are incredibly complex, and that the potential for violence in enforcing a cessation of hostilities is a key factor in peacekeeping. However, violence ultimately cannot create peace.  That requires reimagining our polity, or how we treat one another.  This is the ultimate role of peacemaking communities.  We are called away from systems of violence and into what Theologian Will James Jennings (Acts: A Theological Commentary of the Bible) calls "a purpose bound to the giving of life".

I challenge churches to understand peacemaking as a core function of the church. Instead of promoting more fear and hostility, consider the way of Jesus.  If our task is to embody the presence and character of Jesus, peacemaking is a large part of that, and it requires our attention and devotion.  I end this long blog with a challenge from Anabaptist Theologian Drew Hart:

"We are called to the work of scheming and plotting for good, for God's delivering presence on the earth, for justice, righteousness, and peace in our world.  And we do this while refusing to use the evil means that the powerful employ to accomplish their goals.  We remain as innocent as doves by employing strategies of peacemaking and nonviolence, by overcoming evil with good, through radical love and prophetic intervention, and through vulnerable noncooperation with anything that clashes with the reign of the Messiah.  We are invited to scheme and plot for God and to engage in strategic preparation in the way of Jesus." --Drew Hart in Who Will Be A Witness