| November 17, 2009
Number: 69
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Contents
¬ Inseparable beams of the cross by Susan Mark Landis
¬ Otterville by Merrill R. Miller
¬ A new Colombia policy - now is the time! by Theo Sitther
¬ Afghanistan needs sustainable peace, not more troops. by Susan Mark Landis
¬ Fifty ways to fade your footprint by Anton Flores
¬ Think about these things by Tom Beutel
¬ Prayer for a caring spirit
¬ Who we are
¬ Readers respond to past issues
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Road Construction
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Inseparable beams of the cross
by Susan Mark Landis
 The Parable of the Good Samaritan:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." (Luke 10:25-37 (NIV))
The parable of the Good Samaritan was in so many of my Sunday school quarterlies when I was a child that one would think I've scrutinized every possible lesson. I got the basic one--be nice to people you meet along the way. But the wisdom of these verses is so deep that insights keep coming, year after year.
This past Sunday I preached on the vital interrelationship of love of God and love of neighbor. Jesus (and people talking about Jesus) constantly talks about both as one concept. People relationships, morality, relationship to God and physical well-being are closely related in 'eirene' (Greek for peace, which Jesus likely used); interdependence twines them in a way we dare not separate.
How will we know that it is true God who is born in Bethlehem? Because he has come for all people (Luke 2) and preaches Good News to the poor (Luke 4). How will people know if we are disciples of Jesus? By our love for one another (John 13:34-35). How will we know if we are parented by God? We'll be peacemakers between people (Matthew 5:9). How important is relationship to another human and worship of God? So important that we take care of relationships before worship (Matthew 5:23-24).
How do we inherit eternal life, the lawyer asks Jesus. Love God and love neighbor. Ethics and evangelism can't be separated. The cross reminds us: The vertical beam is our relationship to God; the horizontal our relationship to each other. Either beam alone simply isn't a cross.
When Jesus tells this parable, in one fell swoop he embraces two ideas people have difficulty accepting or living. First, mercy is more important than holiness. In recent helps for adult Sunday school on 1 Peter, one writer claimed that Jesus never called us to be holy, only merciful. Other New Testament writers do call us to be a holy people, and our congregations must live in this tension. But if Jesus called us only to mercy, perhaps we have a sense of which side might be favored.
Secondly, Jesus reminds us that our enemy/neighbor is the person who interprets scripture differently than we do. Samaritans and Jewish people during Jesus' time hated each other, went out of their way to not walk through the other's villages and generally held self-righteous anger against the other--mostly because of how they practiced religion. Through the years we've all heard re-tellings of this story with the Good Samaritan being the hated ethnic group in our country. We also need to hear the story with the Good Samaritan being the person who interprets the Bible differently than we do, the person we're not sure we can worship next to on Sunday morning.
No wonder Jesus tells us that the world doesn't understand peace the way Jesus wants us as his followers to understand peace.
| Immigration conference call
November 30, 2009, 9:30–10:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30-7:30 p.m. Pacific)
Join to hear and converse with:
- Tammy Alexander, MCC Washington Office, on recent immigration legislation and advocacy
- Emira Palacios, Sunflower Community Action of Wichita, Kansas, on helping immigrants prepare for ICE raids, advocacy against immoral immigration laws and how congregations can help
- YOU: on the moral dilemmas you and your congregation are facing
You will be charged your long-distance toll charges for this call. You will be able to speak; please learn how to mute your phone or use *6 when not speaking.
Please phone 712-432-1000; access code 582205941#
Pass this information on to others who are interested, especially on a congregational level, with immigration issues.
To join the immigration email list or for clarification, contact SusanML@mennoniteUSA.org. |
Otterville
by Merrill R. Miller
"Otterville" is copyrighted and is not to be reproduced in any form without permission. Contact Merrill Miller at <merrill@mph.org>
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Capitol Reflection
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A new Colombia policy - now is the time!
by Theo Sitther
 Colombia is home to one of the longest running internal armed conflicts. The war is fought between various armed actors and has displaced more than four million people, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere. Each year many Colombians are assassinated, kidnapped, threatened and displaced. A rural Colombian church member explains, "What you experience only in your nightmares is our daily reality."
Mennonite Central Committee partners in Colombia are reporting that in recent months, churches have come under increasing attack. The most recent report that we received was on October 29th of a community leader assassination. <http://washingtonmemo.org/2009/10/31/another-murder-in-cordoba-colombia/>
In the midst of this crisis, churches are taking courageous steps toward building peace. The most recent report by Justapaz, a Prophetic Call, Report 4, <http://washington.mcc.org/system/files/colombia_propheticcall4.pdf> states:
By being justice and peace [sic], church communities condemn violence and invite participation in genuine alternatives. Their sacred yes--spoken through truth-telling and loving practices--provides signposts to a nonviolent, just solution to social inequalities and armed conflict. Churches are saying yes to the truth of personal narratives of persecuted victims that is denied by the government. Yes to justice that strives to make all things new. Yes to dialogue between warring parties instead of speaking only through the exchange of bullets.(1)
In spite of such courageous efforts, government policy and actions have often undermined genuine peace building activities. The United States, for example, has provided significant military support (over $5 billion) for the Colombian government. After more than eight years, this policy has proven to be ineffective and a failure.
The Justapaz report recommends that the "governments review the inconsistency in providing support to military strategies while at the same time providing support for victims' recuperation programs and peace initiatives." The report goes on to state, "rather than providing military aid, prioritize social aid and peace initiatives as well as assistance for strengthening democratic institutions..."
Fortunately, there is some movement within Congress to urge the Obama administration to prioritize these efforts. Rep. Jim McGovern (MA) along with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL), Rep. Donald Payne (NJ), and Rep. Mike Honda (CA) is circulating a 'Dear Colleague' letter in the House of Representatives addressed to Secretary of State Clinton calling for a re-prioritization of U.S. efforts.
In Colombia peace is possible; this is not an impossible dream and the time to act is now. Contact your representative and encourage them to sign the 'Dear Colleague' letter to Sec. Clinton. Click here <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5764/t/5764/content.jsp?content_KEY=1757> for more information on this letter and for instructions to contact Congress.
(1) This report is the fourth in a series of annual reports by Justapaz. The full title of the report is: A Prophetic Call, Report 4: Colombian Churches Document their Suffering and their Hope.
Afghanistan needs sustainable peace, not more troops.
by Susan Mark Landis
As Mennonite Christians who are called to go into the world to spread the good news of the gospel to all people, we proclaim that sending additional troops to Afghanistan is good news to no one. We believe that our personal security rests only in God and that our nation's security rests in democracy, diplomacy and development.
A new handout (<http://peace.mennolink.org/resources/afghanistan_bin_11_09.pdf>) briefly explores the current situation in Afghanistan, God's security strategy, prayers, advocacy and donation suggestions. Writers are Lisa Schirch, professor of peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and director of the university's 3D Security Initiative; Theo Sitther, MCC Legislative Associate for International Affairs; and Susan Mark Landis, Mennonite Church USA denominational minister for peace and justice.
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Shield of Faith
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Fifty ways to fade your footprint
by Anton Flores
 Set to the tune of Paul Simon's "Fifty Ways to Leave your Lover," this is a collaborative songwriting project by Dorie Callies, Kathy Etchison and Anton Flores.
The problem is all inside our hearts, can't you see;
The answer from Jesus is we never should worry.
He will provide us with the abundant lives if we
Find 50 ways to fade our footprint.
You just line dry your clothes, Rose
Slow down your pace, Grace
You don't need new toys, Roy
Just get yourself free.
Start riding the bus, Gus
You don't need to consume much
Just turn off the TV, Lee
And get yourself free.
You know it's really an ingrained habit to consume.
Do more with less and watch Earth, sky and all life bloom.
Take God's Word to heart, and stake our faith to claim
That we've got 50 ways to fade your footprint.
Grow your own wheat, Pete
Make your own bread, Fred
Stay out of the store more
'Cause Wal-mart ain't free.
Invite your neighbor
To share of your labor
Put on the tea, Dee,
Communing we'll be.
Bethlehem: Then and Now 
These PowerPoints and coloring pages for children's times were created in 2006, but the story hasn't changed and the materials can be used for Advent this year. They'll help your congregation connect the Bethlehem Jesus knew with the reality of living there today. http://peace.mennolink.org/resources/advent06 |
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Balancing Acts
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Think about these things
by Tom Beutel
Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (Philippians 4:8 (NRSV)).
Despite his own personal hardships and problems in the church at Philippi, Paul wraps up his letter to the Philippians by exhorting them to focus on that which is true, honorable, just, pleasing, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise. This is not the advice of one who is oblivious to trouble and injustice. In fact, Paul is writing to the Philippians from prison as he awaits trial by the Roman government. We, as Christians, as peacemakers, and as citizens would do well to follow Paul's advice and, at least at times, try to find and celebrate that which is good even in those persons and institutions which we often identify with injustice and violence.
Affirming the good, finding common ground, and generally taking a positive attitude in our peacemaking work is essential. This is not to deny the real suffering and oppression of many people throughout the world. Nor is it meant to ignore or put a good face on real injustice and violence. However, it may be helpful and effective to see the good in those with whom we differ as we look for ways forward in the solution of difficult problems.
It has seemed to me that people in general, including those of us concerned with peacemaking, too often dwell on the negatives. A fictional, though insightful, example of this recently came to my attention in the Anthony Trollope novel The Warden. In this novel, written in 1855, there is a growing movement against what is considered injustice in the use of church funds for the benefit of the clergy at the expense of the poor. One character who has joined this movement writes pamphlets railing against the evils of the day, which generally include just about anything done by the church, the government, the English peerage, or anybody else. The character's name is Dr. Pessimist Anticant. Trollope, in an aside, remarks that:
No man ever resolved more bravely than he to accept as good nothing that was evil; to banish from him as evil nothing that was good. 'Tis a pity that he should not have recognised the fact, that in this world no good is unalloyed, and that there is but little evil that has not in it some seeds of what is goodly.
I think it would be well for all of us to remember Dr. Pessimist Anticant. His very name, so easy to recall, heaps burning coals on our heads (Romans 12:19-20) when we tend to emulate him. He is a pessimist; and he speaks against virtually everything, seeing no good in that against which he argues. I am sure that none of us wants to be too closely allied with Dr. Pessimist Anticant. And yet, are we not running the risk of being just a bit like him when we protest and criticize and find fault?
So, we return to Paul's admonition that "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Let's look at a case in point--the health care reform bill passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives. Perhaps many of us in the peacemaking community are not inclined to criticize this bill, but there are many--politicians, citizens and Christians--who do find fault with various aspects of this bill. To be sure, this bill, and any bill on any topic, has flaws and could be improved. However, consider some of the important and very good things this bill intends to do:
Provide for health insurance coverage for an estimated 36 million people currently uninsured.
Prohibit the denial of insurance coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
Ensure coverage of mental health conditions on a par with other medical conditions.
Guarantee availability of health insurance to all who want it at an affordable price.
Reduce the federal deficit by eliminating waste and redundancy in Medicare payments.
Place a cap on annual out-of-pocket expenses.
Continue to prohibit the use of federal tax dollars for abortion.
These are only some of the benefits provided by "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009." The point here is not to debate the pros and cons of the bill, but to emphasize that there are important and substantive benefits to the bill--to find elements that are "worthy of praise." We can choose, as peacemakers, to affirm these positive elements, and yet continue to work on aspects that seem to be problematic.
There are many sources of information about the health care reform bill; some are listed below.
Particularly when it comes to "the government," many seem to see nothing but problems and mistakes. Let's choose to not be like Dr. Pessimist Anticast. Let's choose to seek out and dwell on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise."
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Praying for Peace
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Prayer for a caring spirit
Sovereign Lord God, we recognize that
we are too often selfish, distracted and forgetful.
It is so easy for us to be that way. Why not?
Our world seems to revolve around ourselves.
But there are other people, some hurting people, needing a friend,
some looking to us, needing hope.
Needing God. They are a part of our world, too!
We are too often distracted by little things--new curtains for our bedroom, this or that game, this dress, that shirt--good things. Not that important.
O outgoing God, have mercy on us.
We too often forget about you and your purposes.
Yes, you want us to be delighted with good things, but you want us to care also about other people.
Help us to remember that your kingdom exists for everyone.
Everyone needs a home, an income, health care, justice and peace.
Help us not to get carried away with caring only about ourselves.
Help us to remember that your kingdom is bigger than us, our family,
our friends, our school, or even our church.
May your kingdom come closer now to our earth, even through us, through Jesus.
Amen.
Written by Mike Mast, retired pastor from Dalton, Ohio.
Who we are
1 & 2: Beginning & Ending, Ground of Being, Source of Knowledge:
hear our prayer of thanksgiving for what you have begun in us.
1: Some have said that we are born giving birth.
In our bodies we carry the knowledge and wisdom of creation.
The ancient symbol of a spiral represents this gift of femininity
and femaleness. We thank you for this path that leads to your heart.
All: I Am Who I Am, when you created us,
you formed us according to your very likeness.
Knit in our mother's womb, female and male, we are blessed to be
who we will be.
2: Some have said that we are born with a warrior's heart.
In our bodies we carry the knowledge and wisdom of moral courage.
The ancient symbol of an arrow, represents this gift of masculinity
and maleness. We thank you for the arc of its flight, bending toward
justice.
All: I Am Who I Am, when you created us,
you formed us according to your very likeness.
Sung by love into the universe, male and female, we are blessed to be
who we will be.
1: Like the woman who mixed yeast with flour,
we knead the dough, and watch as your reign expands.
2: Like the man who squandered his inheritance,
we rejoice when we you set us on the path to heal our relationships.
All: We are Midwives of Justice, helping you birth to something new.
We are Carpenters of New Creation, helping you build something new.
We are Peacemakers, blessed to be called Your Children.
We are One in Christ, blessed to be known and called by name. Amen
This Prayer for Peace was written by by Malinda Berry, Instructor of Theological Studies & M.A. Program Director at Bethany Theological Seminary, Richmond, IN.
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Reader Response
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Readers respond to past issues
Susan Landes Beck
Harrisonburg, VA
In response to the PeaceSigns article 'Review of Pray the Devil Back to Hell' <http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/m.pl?a=662>:
Thank you so much Wayne for this wonderful review. I wanted to let you and others know that Leymah will be in Lancaster tonight and on the EMU Harrisonburg campus tomorrow (Thursday) night. Both nights will be a free showing of the film and an audience Q&A with Leymah after the film.
Powerful film and powerful woman of peace indeed! During the Liberian war and her work for peace, Leymah spent two summers at EMU's Center for Justice and Peacebuilding's "Summer Peacebuilding Institute" then attended our Graduate Program in Conflict Transformation. Here's further info about the two events this week: <http://www.emu.edu/events/detail.php3?id=13633> and <http://www.emu.edu/events/detail.php3?id=13632> or visit our website: <http://www.emu.edu/cjp>.
Andy Wade
Hood River, OR
In response to the PeaceSigns article 'A persistent faith' by Max Ediger <http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/m.pl?a=661>:
Thanks for this article Max, Great reminder to persist in the cause of justice!
Alice M. Hinkel
Willoughby Hills, OH
I am the pastoral associate at St. Noel Catholic Church in Willoughby Hills, OH. We are preparing an adult education/formation resource entitled "30 Days of Prayer for Peace," (150 copies) which will be given to our participants free of charge. I'm writing to see if we might have permission to include "Prayer for All Who Live with Violence," which we found in your publication.
Thank you!
Bernie Smith
Markham, Ontario
Thank you for your beautiful prayers!
Are you aware of human trafficking/modern slaves in your area?
We're preparing a study guide to help congregations help stop modern slavery for sex or labor. We're looking for stories or real case studies (we will change names). Please send stories to SusanML@MennoniteUSA.org.
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