Today is an interesting day for me. I have been reading a lot of Facebook statuses about thanking veterans, etc. And it seems like that is right. Much like the police protect a city (and I am trying to appreciate the police more, really I am!), it seems necessary and right that a country would have a military force that defends its citizens. However, there can be considerable and legitimate debate as to whether or not everything the US military does around the world is all about simply protecting its citizens. It seems we go on "offense" a lot, too.
On the one hand, I sincerely appreciate what it must take for a soldier to put himself in harms way for others. My grandfather served in World War II, and I have numerous other cousins and friends who have served in the military. How could I take such action lightly, especially when I have lived a life of relative safety? But isn't there a better way to solve conflicts than resorting to weapons and violence?
I look at the example of Jesus, who was willing to die at the hands of his enemies, but was not willing to kill them. And he urged us to accept persecution and pray for those who would oppress us. I never want to dismiss the teachings of Christ in the name of practicality, in fact, I believe nonviolence and peacemaking are in fact much more practical and successful in helping people forgive and care for each other. Are American Christians willing to accept persecution in the name of following Christ? What does that even look like in a messy and sinful world?
I am really not trying to placate both sides or avoid offending anyone, but this issue is just difficult.
I would enjoy hearing what others think or feel...feel free to leave a comment.
-Ryan
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Nelson Mandela
Last night I was watching 60 minutes and saw an interesting piece on Nelson Mandela. So I did a little google search and found some excerpts from a speech he made on April 3, 1994:
Our Messiah, who came to us in the form of a mortal man, but who by his suffering and crucifixion attained immortality.
Our Messiah, born like an outcast in a stable, and executed like criminal on the cross.
Our Messiah, whose life bears testimony to the truth that there is no shame in poverty: Those who should be ashamed are they who impoverish others.
Whose life testifies to the truth that there is no shame in being persecuted: Those who should be ashamed are they who persecute others.
Whose life proclaims the truth that there is no shame in being conquered: Those who should be ashamed are they who conquer others.
Whose life testifies to the truth that there is no shame in being dispossessed: Those who should be ashamed are they who dispossess others.
Whose life testifies to the truth that there is no shame in being oppressed: Those who should be ashamed are they who oppress others.
-Ryan
Our Messiah, who came to us in the form of a mortal man, but who by his suffering and crucifixion attained immortality.
Our Messiah, born like an outcast in a stable, and executed like criminal on the cross.
Our Messiah, whose life bears testimony to the truth that there is no shame in poverty: Those who should be ashamed are they who impoverish others.
Whose life testifies to the truth that there is no shame in being persecuted: Those who should be ashamed are they who persecute others.
Whose life proclaims the truth that there is no shame in being conquered: Those who should be ashamed are they who conquer others.
Whose life testifies to the truth that there is no shame in being dispossessed: Those who should be ashamed are they who dispossess others.
Whose life testifies to the truth that there is no shame in being oppressed: Those who should be ashamed are they who oppress others.
-Ryan
Monday, September 27, 2010
9/11 Postscript
In the midst of the well-publicized controversies recently surrounding “9/11,” I was encouraged and overjoyed by some of the results. Yes, in the turmoil surrounding the strong objections by some people over the location of a Muslim-sponsored, multi-faith Cultural Center near Ground Zero, and the planned burning of the Qu’ran (or Koran) by the Gainesville, Florida, pastor ---- a unified Christian LIGHT shined!
Rising to the surface were the reminders from several sources that the vast majority of Muslims (especially American Muslims) are not terrorists, but rather peaceful and peace-loving citizens. And, even more, were the proclamations criticizing (condemning) the words and planned actions of a Christian pastor to burn the Muslim holy book. These responses are cause for thanksgiving, in the midst of potential trouble.
For example, our own Executive Director Ken Hunn circulated to us the National Association of Evangelical statement from NAE President Keith Anderson that “the plans announced by a Florida group to burn copies of the Qu’ran on September 11 do not represent the vast majority of Christians. To all followers of Islam, please do not judge all Christians by the behavior of one extremist. One person with 30 silent followers does not speak for 300 million Americans who will never burn a Qu’ran” ..... and there was more!
A news release from Church of the Brethren Headquarters in Elgin, Illinois, led by General Secretary Stan Noffsinger, likewise criticized the pastor’s announced actions as being totally un-Christian. Similar statements appeared from:
World Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
Mennonite Central Committee
A youth leader from the Nigerian Ch. Of the Brethren
Christians Working Together
Massachusetts Bible Society
Sojourners, Washington D.C., via Jim Wallis (Chief Executive Officer)
Open Doors, a group serving persecuted Christians worldwide
And many more!
Then, too, I received the following “Pastor’s Log” from a Baptist minister friend, who formerly lived here in St. Petersburg, Florida. Here is his September church newsletter column in Annapolis, Maryland (written prior to 9/11/2010) – and he is pleased to have me share it with you:
We are rapidly approaching a date that, if we are not careful, will become a date to commemorate fear and hate instead of casting out fear and overcoming hate with the real courage of the constitutional rights of religious freedom and property rights for everyone!
I am sad and ashamed of some people who call themselves Christian, some who intend to use the date of September 11 to exhibit hate by burning the Koran. This is shameful and outrageous, and anyone who would support such a thing is either ignorant of history or intentionally supportive of actions designed to incite more evil and violence. Hate is not a Christian virtue and the role of any responsible Christian community will be to remind their followers that “God is love” and that we are to “love our enemies.” These are simple truths we learn from our Holy Book, the Bible. Another lesson taught in the Bible by Jesus is, “love your neighbor as yourself.” How is it possible to say you are a follower of Jesus when you do not follow what he says? How is it possible to love our Muslim neighbor and burn the Holy Book of that neighbor?
The World Trade Center site, now known as Ground Zero, has become, in recent days, a center of hostility and hate instead of a place where we might be able to teach tolerance and respect. Let us turn off the voices of fear. Let us reject those who incite violence. Let us respectfully follow the laws of our land and a real reading of the Constitution. Let us not turn back the clock to the hateful actions that led to the events of 9/11/2001. Let us not turn the clock back to the days of Joseph McCarthy. We are better than this and we have the power to act in ways consistent with love instead of hate. If we live by the law of an eye for an eye we would all go blind.
Muslims are not more or less tolerant than anyone else. Yet, that fact does not excuse people who claim to be Christian to take actions that intentionally incite less tolerance because some small group of people in the Muslim community acts with intolerance or are seemingly insensitive to someone’s imagined injustice. If you value your freedom of religion, you’d better protect theirs. For, you may be next if someone decides they don’t like your religion. Martin Niemoller, a conservative German pastor who first supported Adolf Hitler, but later realized the evil he was bringing to the world and the nationalization of churches, said, “First they came for the Communists but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists but I was not one of them, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews but I was not Jewish so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”
You can possess all the “truth” in the world, but if you are all about hate, then your “truth” means nothing at all!
I am a Christian and call myself a follower of Jesus Christ. That confession has some very specific implications for everyone who chooses this identity. Some of these implications were mentioned earlier when I spoke of Jesus’ lessons on love. I John 2:5b-6 says, “This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (NIV). This is not up for discussion and it is not up for debate. The people who call themselves Christian and advocate for hate in our communities are not following the teachings of Jesus.
As indicated earlier, when some of the basic “outreach-tenets” of our faith and conduct are agreed upon, underscored, and proclaimed – that is cause for thanksgiving and rejoicing!
May the world hear what individual Christians and Christian groups were saying! May our personal convictions grow stronger and be demonstrated more widely. May such emphases appear more openly and impact more people and policies every day! And may Jesus, our Lord and Example, be honored more highly by the way we live our lives every day.
-Phil Lersch, for the Brethren Peace Leadership Team:
Rich Hagopian
Carolyn Hagopian
Ryan Gilmer
Matt Black
Mark Logan
Chantal Logan
Rising to the surface were the reminders from several sources that the vast majority of Muslims (especially American Muslims) are not terrorists, but rather peaceful and peace-loving citizens. And, even more, were the proclamations criticizing (condemning) the words and planned actions of a Christian pastor to burn the Muslim holy book. These responses are cause for thanksgiving, in the midst of potential trouble.
For example, our own Executive Director Ken Hunn circulated to us the National Association of Evangelical statement from NAE President Keith Anderson that “the plans announced by a Florida group to burn copies of the Qu’ran on September 11 do not represent the vast majority of Christians. To all followers of Islam, please do not judge all Christians by the behavior of one extremist. One person with 30 silent followers does not speak for 300 million Americans who will never burn a Qu’ran” ..... and there was more!
A news release from Church of the Brethren Headquarters in Elgin, Illinois, led by General Secretary Stan Noffsinger, likewise criticized the pastor’s announced actions as being totally un-Christian. Similar statements appeared from:
World Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
Mennonite Central Committee
A youth leader from the Nigerian Ch. Of the Brethren
Christians Working Together
Massachusetts Bible Society
Sojourners, Washington D.C., via Jim Wallis (Chief Executive Officer)
Open Doors, a group serving persecuted Christians worldwide
And many more!
Then, too, I received the following “Pastor’s Log” from a Baptist minister friend, who formerly lived here in St. Petersburg, Florida. Here is his September church newsletter column in Annapolis, Maryland (written prior to 9/11/2010) – and he is pleased to have me share it with you:
We are rapidly approaching a date that, if we are not careful, will become a date to commemorate fear and hate instead of casting out fear and overcoming hate with the real courage of the constitutional rights of religious freedom and property rights for everyone!
I am sad and ashamed of some people who call themselves Christian, some who intend to use the date of September 11 to exhibit hate by burning the Koran. This is shameful and outrageous, and anyone who would support such a thing is either ignorant of history or intentionally supportive of actions designed to incite more evil and violence. Hate is not a Christian virtue and the role of any responsible Christian community will be to remind their followers that “God is love” and that we are to “love our enemies.” These are simple truths we learn from our Holy Book, the Bible. Another lesson taught in the Bible by Jesus is, “love your neighbor as yourself.” How is it possible to say you are a follower of Jesus when you do not follow what he says? How is it possible to love our Muslim neighbor and burn the Holy Book of that neighbor?
The World Trade Center site, now known as Ground Zero, has become, in recent days, a center of hostility and hate instead of a place where we might be able to teach tolerance and respect. Let us turn off the voices of fear. Let us reject those who incite violence. Let us respectfully follow the laws of our land and a real reading of the Constitution. Let us not turn back the clock to the hateful actions that led to the events of 9/11/2001. Let us not turn the clock back to the days of Joseph McCarthy. We are better than this and we have the power to act in ways consistent with love instead of hate. If we live by the law of an eye for an eye we would all go blind.
Muslims are not more or less tolerant than anyone else. Yet, that fact does not excuse people who claim to be Christian to take actions that intentionally incite less tolerance because some small group of people in the Muslim community acts with intolerance or are seemingly insensitive to someone’s imagined injustice. If you value your freedom of religion, you’d better protect theirs. For, you may be next if someone decides they don’t like your religion. Martin Niemoller, a conservative German pastor who first supported Adolf Hitler, but later realized the evil he was bringing to the world and the nationalization of churches, said, “First they came for the Communists but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists but I was not one of them, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews but I was not Jewish so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”
You can possess all the “truth” in the world, but if you are all about hate, then your “truth” means nothing at all!
I am a Christian and call myself a follower of Jesus Christ. That confession has some very specific implications for everyone who chooses this identity. Some of these implications were mentioned earlier when I spoke of Jesus’ lessons on love. I John 2:5b-6 says, “This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (NIV). This is not up for discussion and it is not up for debate. The people who call themselves Christian and advocate for hate in our communities are not following the teachings of Jesus.
As indicated earlier, when some of the basic “outreach-tenets” of our faith and conduct are agreed upon, underscored, and proclaimed – that is cause for thanksgiving and rejoicing!
May the world hear what individual Christians and Christian groups were saying! May our personal convictions grow stronger and be demonstrated more widely. May such emphases appear more openly and impact more people and policies every day! And may Jesus, our Lord and Example, be honored more highly by the way we live our lives every day.
-Phil Lersch, for the Brethren Peace Leadership Team:
Rich Hagopian
Carolyn Hagopian
Ryan Gilmer
Matt Black
Mark Logan
Chantal Logan
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
an event we could have mentioned...
Hey friends,
This was shared with me as a "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda" event by a friend of the brethren peace initiative. It's an event that's already happened, unfortunately, but it's worth looking the website over...pretty interesting stuff, and hosted by an anabaptist seminary to boot. (The conference was called "Peace Among the Peoples," and hosted by Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.)
peace,
rich hagopian
This was shared with me as a "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda" event by a friend of the brethren peace initiative. It's an event that's already happened, unfortunately, but it's worth looking the website over...pretty interesting stuff, and hosted by an anabaptist seminary to boot. (The conference was called "Peace Among the Peoples," and hosted by Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.)
peace,
rich hagopian
Friday, August 20, 2010
Grace and Peace
Consider the following verses:
Romans 1:7
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:3-5
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:2
To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
1 Thessalonians 1:1
Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
2 Thessalonians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is interesting that in all of these letters to the churches, Paul begins them all with a reminder of grace and peace. It is interesting to me that the grace and peace do not originate with us, but rather with God, through Christ. It's also noteworthy that this is the first thing Paul wants to write down, almost like its of utmost importance, yet easily forgotten.
Let's learn to pass on God's grace and peace to each other.
Ryan
Romans 1:7
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:3-5
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:2
To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
1 Thessalonians 1:1
Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
2 Thessalonians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is interesting that in all of these letters to the churches, Paul begins them all with a reminder of grace and peace. It is interesting to me that the grace and peace do not originate with us, but rather with God, through Christ. It's also noteworthy that this is the first thing Paul wants to write down, almost like its of utmost importance, yet easily forgotten.
Let's learn to pass on God's grace and peace to each other.
Ryan
Monday, August 2, 2010
Peace with God Part 2 and Peace with Ourselves
http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/nakedness-holiness-god
The link is a sermon from Tim Keller talking about what he calls the problem of human nakedness (really its intertwined with the problem of sin). The link is a little funky but if you start around the 26th minute you will get the whole sermon. It starts with a scripture reading from Genesis 3. It's about 45 minutes long. I know people don't read blogs to get 45 minutes of wisdom, but I think it's worth it if you'll take the time. Chances are if you are blog reader you spend more than 45 minutes online at a time, anyway.
What does this sermon have to do with peacemaking? In my opinion, conflicts of all kinds can be resolved by both parties being vulnerable to the other party, admitting fault, letting guard down, and trashing the presupposition that we are perfect people that have it all together. When we repent and ask forgiveness of each other, we can accept each other for who we are, rather than who we wish we were.
May we learn to accept and love each other with sins, warts, and imperfections.
Ryan
The link is a sermon from Tim Keller talking about what he calls the problem of human nakedness (really its intertwined with the problem of sin). The link is a little funky but if you start around the 26th minute you will get the whole sermon. It starts with a scripture reading from Genesis 3. It's about 45 minutes long. I know people don't read blogs to get 45 minutes of wisdom, but I think it's worth it if you'll take the time. Chances are if you are blog reader you spend more than 45 minutes online at a time, anyway.
What does this sermon have to do with peacemaking? In my opinion, conflicts of all kinds can be resolved by both parties being vulnerable to the other party, admitting fault, letting guard down, and trashing the presupposition that we are perfect people that have it all together. When we repent and ask forgiveness of each other, we can accept each other for who we are, rather than who we wish we were.
May we learn to accept and love each other with sins, warts, and imperfections.
Ryan
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Peace with God
This blog is going to be discussing the many aspects of peace and peacemaking from a biblical perspective. Of course the Bible is often used to justify many agendas, and none of the posters on this page can completely escape some forms of bias. So, we want this to be a place for healthy discussion where we can search for truth together. Many of us want Christians (and especially Brethren churches) to understand the history of the Brethren Church and its nonviolent roots. It also seems the topic of peacemaking is not talked about much and we want to focus discussion on it, since it seems to be a theme running through the whole of the Bible.
In the future we may be talking about topics just as conflict resolution, just war theory, pacifism, revenge, and the many other applications of peacemaking in everyday life. But before delving into specific issues like that, I wanted to point out the basic message of scripture - that we can have peace with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The message of the gospel is simple, but not easy. In Romans, Paul says:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God......You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5: 1-2, 6-8
The message is simple: that God loves us to the extent that he will not tolerate separation from us indefinitely. Our sinfulness is not the final word. Jesus took upon himself the wrath of God that was reserved for me, and through it, I am completely accepted by God through faith in Jesus. Love has the final word. And God was willing to pay the price of all human sin himself.
But the message is not easy for me to comprehend. I find that I can't believe that God really does love me this much. I see my constant failings, my anger, my impatience, the way that everything naturally in me tends towards selfishness. How could God love a person like that? Of course there are good qualities in my life, or occasions when I do what is right. But the vast majority of my heart is something I would be ashamed to have the world see.
Christians can be great agents of peacemaking in the world because we understand that we are fully loved and accepted by God through the cross of Jesus. We understand that we are fully at peace with God. There is no defect in the work of the cross, it is all we need.
Of course the enormity and implications of this are greater than what we can discuss in a simple blog post. That's why we will keep going, discussing, and reminding each other along the way.
Ryan
In the future we may be talking about topics just as conflict resolution, just war theory, pacifism, revenge, and the many other applications of peacemaking in everyday life. But before delving into specific issues like that, I wanted to point out the basic message of scripture - that we can have peace with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The message of the gospel is simple, but not easy. In Romans, Paul says:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God......You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5: 1-2, 6-8
The message is simple: that God loves us to the extent that he will not tolerate separation from us indefinitely. Our sinfulness is not the final word. Jesus took upon himself the wrath of God that was reserved for me, and through it, I am completely accepted by God through faith in Jesus. Love has the final word. And God was willing to pay the price of all human sin himself.
But the message is not easy for me to comprehend. I find that I can't believe that God really does love me this much. I see my constant failings, my anger, my impatience, the way that everything naturally in me tends towards selfishness. How could God love a person like that? Of course there are good qualities in my life, or occasions when I do what is right. But the vast majority of my heart is something I would be ashamed to have the world see.
Christians can be great agents of peacemaking in the world because we understand that we are fully loved and accepted by God through the cross of Jesus. We understand that we are fully at peace with God. There is no defect in the work of the cross, it is all we need.
Of course the enormity and implications of this are greater than what we can discuss in a simple blog post. That's why we will keep going, discussing, and reminding each other along the way.
Ryan
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