Tag Archives: Peace

September 14, 2013 · 10:21 am

Awareness

At times, we participate in profound moments unaware. Only in retrospect do we realize the significance of what we are a part.

Other times, we know – at least partly. We may not know all the details and nuances, but we recognize that matters of deep import surround us and we play our tiny part.

IMG_0247 (800x600)This past week, I had the privilege to accompany Dr. Mary Mikhael as she made an amazing witness for peace and justice in Syria. Mary is from the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon.  Until 2011, she served as the president of the Near East School of Theology in Beirut. After her retirement,the church has named her their interpreter and communicator in this time of tragedy and crisis for the people of Syria.

In that role, she traveled to the United States for the month of September. She spent last week in New York where I had the privilege to accompany her as she told the story of her church and her people, as she witnessed to her faith, as she advocated for peace and justice.

Mary went to Washington, DC on Tuesday. The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness arranged for her to speak at their Second Tuesday Briefing and to meet with aides of five elected officials and a State Department official.

Wednesday saw her in New York with the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations. We did extensive video work with my friend and colleague David Barnhart and my new friend Scott Lansing. The video links will be shared when they are posted. That afternoon, Mary spoke to a public event attended by church members, UN agency staff members, and representatives of nongovernmental organizations.

On Thursday, Mary met with staff members of two Permanent Missions to the UN – missions that sit on the Security Council. She also met with representatives of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Syrian Crisis Core Group made up of UN agencies working in Syria.

As we rode uptown toward the place where Mary was staying, her relief was obvious. She had witnessed well and she was tired.

Then the phone of my colleague Ryan Smith buzzed. An offer arrived for Mary to meet with a representative of the  Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict on Friday.

“Would you do one more meeting?” Ryan asked.

No hesitation. Mary replied, “How can I say no?”

Ryan and I looked at each other. “You can say no because you are tired and this is one extra meeting and you had other plans.”

“How can I say no?” Mary repeated.

We conceded. “You can’t.”

“But can it be early in the day?” Mary asked.

Ryan confirmed the meeting and on Friday morning, it took place.

Mary and I then went uptown and for a moment said farewell. We will meet again, I am sure.

I give thanks for the time we shared.

And I gave thanks for Dr. Mary Mikhael.

And I gave thanks for her witness, her courage, her grace, and her faith as she told stories of horror and proclaimed hope.

And I give thanks for the small role I played in these profound moments.

See you along the Trail.

1 Comment

Filed under Current Events, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations, United Nations

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

September 7, 2013 · 7:34 am

For the peace of Syria

Today … and everyday …

pray for the peace of Syria

work for the peace of Syria (contact U.S leaders by email and by phone)

fast, if you are able, for the peace of Syria

Today … and everyday …

pray, work, and fast (if you are able) for the

peace of Syria and the

peace of the world.

See you along the Trail

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events

Tagged as , , , , , ,

September 6, 2013 · 8:37 pm

Heartbeats above drumbeats

Prayer vigil Syria

We gathered at the Tillman Chapel of the Church Center for the United Nations – Lutherans, Mennonites, Methodists, Presbyterians, and more. We shared statements from our various denominations. We prayed – for the people of Syria – for our brothers and sisters who have been killed, wounded, and maimed by chemical weapons and by conventional weapons. We prayed for those who seek peace in the face of violence. We prayed for those who resort to violence that they might turn away and seek peace. We prayed for leaders of the United States and Syria and the world – that they might have the courage and wisdom to seek nonviolent, diplomatic solutions.

We prayed that we all might hear the heartbeats of life and love above the drumbeats of war.

The use of chemical weapons is abhorrent. It violates international standards and international law. International standards. International law. Thus the only appropriate response lies within the international community. It is not the place for any one nation or any coalition of nations to decide guilt and determine the appropriate response.

May we hear the heartbeats of life and love above the drumbeats of war.

A unilateral response by the United States or any nation flaunts international cooperation and violates the Charter of the United Nations. The Charter – to which the United States as a member of the UN agrees to abide – provides that the Security Council is the appropriate body to maintain the peace and security of the member states.

May we hear the heartbeats of life and love above the drumbeats of war.

Unilateral military action by a state undercuts the authority and integrity of the United Nations and the international system of cooperation. Unilateral military action defies diplomacy and cooperation and denies the possibility of a nonviolent, diplomatic, negotiated solution.

May we hear the heartbeats of life and love above the drumbeats of war.

May we – peoples, leaders, nations – turn from violence and seek alternative solutions.
May the efforts of Syrians to make peace and care for one another be blessed.
May diplomatic initiatives and efforts be redoubled.
May all the parties to the violence in Syria be brought together to negotiate.
May an international peace summit be  convened.
May investigations into the use of chemical weapons take place.
May the results of those investigations be honored – charges filed and trials held and verdicts rendered and sentences enforced.
May the international community act to help Syria rid itself of chemical weapons.
May an embargo be created and enforced against all parties who would provide any weapons to any parties to the violence in Syria.
May humanitarian aid be increased – to refugees, internally displaced, wounded, and all the people of Syria in need.
May humanitarian workers be protected and granted the access needed to meet the people.
May steps that I cannot imagine be taken on the path to peace.

May we hear the heartbeats of life and love above the drumbeats of war.

Naive?
Idealistic?
Unlikely to work?

Perhaps. Certainly it will be difficult.

But one thing that the people of the world has seen again and again is that violence feeds violence and war breeds war. Other options have to be tried.

May we hear the heartbeats of life and love above the drumbeats of war.

See you along the Trail.

1 Comment

Filed under Current Events, United Nations

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

September 4, 2013 · 7:32 am

PC(USA) church partners support call for no military action in Syria

From the Presbyterian News Service:

The General Secretary of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, a longtime church partner of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), sent a letter to the PC(USA) yesterday, expressing appreciation for PC(USA)’s “prophetic stand against all kinds of violence in Syria and your condemnation of the use of chemical attacks no matter who was the user.” He also affirms the Synod’s opposition to the use of force by the United States or any international power as it “will only multiply the suffering,” and warns that “what happened in 2003 [war against Iraq] must be a lesson for all.” Click here to download the full letter.

The Christian Palestinian group, Kairos Palestine issued a statement on the situation in Syria on September 2, 2013. “We are certain that any military response will merely escalate the situation and increase civilian disaster,” Kairos shared, as they urged churches worldwide “to stand in opposition to this intended war which will not herald any just peace.” Click here to download the statement.

Last week, the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, the Rev. Gradye Parsons issued a statement in the wake of the escalating violence in Syria, calling upon U.S. and world leaders to refrain from military action. The Clerk’s statement emphasizes the need for a negotiated approach involving all parties in the region in response to a violation of international law.

The Office for Public Witness issued an action alert asking constituents to send messages to their congress representative indicating their opposition to military action in Syria.

The 220th General Assembly (2012) approved a resolution “On Prayer and Action for Syria” and a statement “For Human Rights and Civic Freedom: Movements for Democratic Change in the Arab World” both of which speak to the current situation in Syria.

You can learn more about PC(USA) mission and history in Syria at World Mission’s Syria page.

See you along the Trail.

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Tagged as , , ,

August 30, 2013 · 11:42 pm

Stated Clerk issues statement in the wake of the escalating violence in Syria

This story originally appeared on the Web pages of the Presbyterian News Service:

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness provides an opportunity to tell President Obama and Congress to refrain from a military response in Syria.

LOUISVILLE

The Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) issued a statement today (August 30) in the wake of the escalating violence in Syria, calling upon U.S. and world leaders to refrain from military action.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

We are deeply concerned about events in Syria. We grieve for our brothers and sisters who have suffered so deeply for so long. We yearn for an end to the bloodshed and renew our call for a cease-fire and a mediated process involving all parties to provide new choices for all Syrians.

We condemn the use of chemical weapons. Regardless of who perpetrated the attack, such a usage violates a longstanding international norm.  We recognize the authority and the responsibility of the United Nations Security Council to deal with this violation of international law. We call all nations to encourage the Security Council to address this illegal and immoral act. We do not doubt that justice is needed, but question the unilateral and inevitably selective role the United States has too often played, too often leading to greater violence, terrorism, and instability.

We call upon the President and the members of Congress to follow the example of other strong leaders in the past by exercising the courage and wisdom to refrain from military action that is likely to escalate the conflict further, and to bring our country directly into another war in the Middle East.

We applaud the President’s efforts to consult widely, conferring with international leaders and with Congress.  Now we ask him to spend time over this holiday weekend listening to what Americans want and fear.

Now is not the time to feed the violence and instability that has claimed the lives of over 100,000 Syrians, driven 3.4 million Syrians from their country, and displaced an additional 6.8 million Syrians from their homes. Most people affected by the conflict are noncombatants. Expanding the conflict will increase the suffering of the innocent.

Now is the time to heed the voices of our church partners who pray and call and work for peace. Our partners look to us to challenge policies of our government that help to fuel conflict in Syria and proxy wars across the Middle East.

Now is the time to reflect on the lessons of 12 years of involvement in conflict in the Middle East by the United States. Limited engagement is never truly limited.

Now is the time to support the peacemakers of Syria who seek to end the violence and build a future. In any Congressional deliberations, we urge that nonviolent forms of intervention be considered, and that next steps beyond military force be grounded in defensible cooperative goals for the region.

Now is the time for all outside parties to cease all forms of military intervention in Syria. States and and non-state actors must stop feeding the conflict in Syria by sending weapons to the government and to opposition forces.

Now is the time to renew the efforts for a diplomatic solution. The United States must work with the United Nations and other governments to contain the violence, restore stability in the region, provide humanitarian assistance, and encourage the building of an inclusive society in Syria that protects the rights of all its citizens.

Now—in the grimmest of situations—is the time to build a coalition of nations and peoples willing to do the long, hard, and essential work of establishing interfaith relationships of respect and understanding.

Now—for Syria and all its neighbors—is the time to seek a new vision of cooperation and nonviolence that will support an intervention with the power of impartial justice that will lead to a just and lasting peace.

Now is the time to pray for wisdom for leaders, for courage to turn from violence, for grace to build and nurture relationships, for justice to roll down like waters, and for peace to prevail in Syria.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” For the people of Syria, may it now be a time for peace.

 

1 Comment

Filed under Current Events, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), United Nations

Tagged as , , , , ,

August 6, 2013 · 7:13 pm

Isaiah 2:4 revised

Eggs in cannon

They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
They shall transform their cannons into nests.
Nation shall not lift weapons against nation
neither shall they learn war any more.

5 August 2013
Shiloh National Military Park

Leave a comment

Filed under National Park, Photo

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 29, 2013 · 9:55 am

Pray for peace on Korean Peninsula

My friends Hyeyoung Lee and Kurt Esslinger serve as the Young Adult Volunteer coordinators in Daejeon, Republic of Korea for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). They offer this prayer for PC(USA) members to use during the season of prayer called for by the statement on the Peace of the Korean Peninsula. It is posted here with their permission.

God of the universe, God of the nations,
The people of the Korean Peninsula are crying out,
They no longer wish to live in the shadow of war,
They no longer wish to have resources diverted from life toward death,
They no longer wish to live in fear of the next possible misjudgment in calculation and rhetoric,
They yearn for healing and truth,
You call us to be a people of light, of life, and of peace,
But we have stood silent as our country perpetuates the machinations of death, darkness, and war.
How long, O Lord, must the Korean people live in a state of war?
We confess that we stood by and watched as we split an unwilling country into two,
We confess that those we voted into office ignored the context of a people tired of colonization,
We confess that our military has taken advantage of Korean gratitude,
We confess that our SOFA agreement denies justice to all those harmed by our representatives,
We confess that military presence comes hand in hand with the presence of brothels and sex trade,
We confess that we would much rather pretend this is “their problem,”
We confess that we believe we have no responsibility,
We confess that we hope to continue a policy of isolation despite its ineffectiveness,
We confess that we find it easier to continue the tired old song of hostility than to boldly move toward peace,
Help lead us into a future with the possibility of life,
A future where tools of death are laid down and the call of life,
Rise up a passion for justice, for peace, and for advocacy in your children,
Give our leaders the creativity to find new effective steps toward peace,
Give us the will to reunite families,
Help us lift up the voices of peace within the Korean Peninsula,
Gracious God of forgiveness and healing,
May we be transformed into effective agents
in partnership with the people of Korea
in making your Heavenly Commonwealth of Peace a reality on this planet.
Amen.

May it be so.

See you along the Trail.

1 Comment

Filed under Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Tagged as , , , ,

July 27, 2013 · 12:03 am

Time for an end after 60 years

IMG_2732 (533x800)On June 25, 1950, conflict broke out on the divided Korean Peninsula. North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel, an artificial line of demarcation chosen by the winning superpowers after World War II, invading South Korea.

The police action, the Korean Conflict, the Korean War expanded to include forces from South Korea, North Korea, the United States, and the People’s Republic of China. Fifteen other countries provided combat troops to the United Nations Command, created by UN Security Council Resolution 83, recommending that members of the United Nations aid South Korea.  Several other countries provided humanitarian aid. The Soviet Union aided North Korea with advisers and  material assistance.

The fighting ranged up and down the Korean Peninsula with neither side gaining an advantage. The number of killed and wounded among combatants and non-combatants is disputed. CNN suggests that:

The toll of the war included about 1.2 million deaths in South Korea, 1 million deaths in North Korea, 36,500 deaths for U.S. troops and 600,000 deaths for Chinese soldiers.

After more than three years, an armistice was signed on July 27, 2013 – sixty years ago. This armistice was a truce, a ceasefire. A treaty ending the war has never been signed. Military commanders from the People’s Republic of China and North Korea signed the armistice with the US-led United Nations Command signing on behalf of the international community. South Korea did not sign.

The truce has generally held, but many of the people living on the Korean Peninsula want a true peace. They view such a peace as the an important step toward the end of the periodic tensions and confrontations that arise. In this anniversary year, efforts to seek such a peace are increasing.

The ecumenical community in the United States has created a Korean Peace Petition to send to the Obama Administration. The petition, which you can download and sign, encourages the administration to move toward a path to peace and reconciliation

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Presbyterian Church of Korea issued a Joint Statement on the Peace of the Korean Peninsula that called members and congregations to join in a Season of Prayer for peace in Korea. My friends Kurt Esslinger and Hyeyoung Lee serve as mission co-workers in South Korea. They have written a prayer for the Season of Peace that begins:

God of the universe, God of the nations,
The people of the Korean Peninsula are crying out,
They no longer wish to live in the shadow of war,
They no longer wish to have resources diverted from life toward death,
They no longer wish to live in fear of the next possible misjudgment in calculation and rhetoric,
They yearn for healing and truth,
You call us to be a people of light, of life, and of peace,
But we have stood silent as our country perpetuates the machinations of death, darkness, and war.
How long, O Lord, must the Korean people live in a state of war?

Check out the whole prayer. Use it. Use other prayers. Pray for the peace of Korean Peninsula.

See you along the Trail.

2 Comments

Filed under Current Events, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), United Nations

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

June 27, 2013 · 11:37 pm

A prayer for South Sudan

An earlier post focused on participating in a National Day of Prayer with the people of South Sudan in response to the violence that has plagued their country since independence and that continues to tear at the fabric of society and the people. Here’s a prayer that I wrote for that day:

God of grace, God of justice, God of peace,
you create us to live together,
to honor and respect one another.
Hear us as we pray for South Sudan.

With our sisters and brothers,
we give thanks as they celebrate their independence.

With our brothers and sisters,
we pray for your presence and guidance
as they seek to live together.

Comfort all who mourn the death or injury of loved ones.
Keep safe the Reverend Idris Joshua Idris Nalos and Pastor Trainee David Gayin and all who are detained and their families.
Speed the day when they will be released.

Protect the women who are targets of sexual violence
the children and the most vulnerable.

Grant all your children
the grace to see each other as sisters and brothers
and the courage to turn from violence and  break cycles of vengeance.

Renew within the leaders of South Sudan
the vision for a just and peaceful country
that leads to the wisdom to govern wisely.

Provide the leaders and peoples of South Sudan with
strength to work for justice for all;
passion to seek reconciliation and peace;
and all that is needed for the living of these days.

God of grace, God of justice, God of peace,
you create us to live together,
to honor and respect one another.
Bless South Sudan and her people,
we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

See you along the Trail.

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events

Tagged as , , , , ,

June 24, 2013 · 8:26 pm

Nelson Mandela International Day for freedom, justice and democracy

mandelaThis year it seems more important than ever to observe Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July. Make your plans now!

Started by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and promoted by the United Nations among others, this year marks the fourth celebration of Mandela Day. The day is about individuals around the globe giving 67 minutes of their time to make a change in their community and thus, the world. Mandela Day seeks to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately, it seeks to empower communities everywhere. The theme for this year’s observance is Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.

Why 67 minutes? First, remember that you can always give more than 67 minutes. Second, the idea is to make every day a Mandela day by doing some good for others. But again, why 67 minutes? The Mandela Foundation suggests that number because:

Mr Mandela spent more than 67 years serving his community, his country and the world. The number is symbolic of how people can start to do the same – one small step at a time – and so become part of a continuous, global movement for good.

Looking for something to do? Here are some activities already planned for the day. Find 67 ways to mark the day from the Mandela Foundation. Share what you do – post a comment here or use your own social media tools. Use your imagination!

I will post when I know what I will do. Until then, here are a few resources:

Make your plans now. I look forward to observing this day with you.

See you along the Trail.

1 Comment

Filed under Current Events, Human Rights, United Nations

Tagged as , , , , , , ,