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A resource produced by a joint working group of the United Reformed Church and the Methodist Church on peacemaking.
Harry Patch, aged 19, went over the top in 1917 and saw a glimpse of hell, as so many men were mowed down. A Cornishman, torn apart by shrapnel, pleaded to be shot but before Harry could draw his revolver, the soldier died. We need to hear it, because this is war. In 2001 Rihab Nufal was travelling from her home near Bethlehem to give birth at the hospital there. She was stopped for some time by Israeli soldiers at the check point, where both mother and baby died. We need to hear it, because this is conflict. A Jewish mother lost her daughter in a suicide bombing. This did not cause her to view Palestinians as enemies because she recognized that the young man had acted out of despair. She regarded as enemies those who were war lovers rather than peace lovers. We need to hear it because our world desperately needs true peace.
I begin with real life stories because we need to see reports commissioned by the General Assembly against the background of the struggles and hurts, the hopes and fears, of ordinary people. As a Reformed/Methodist working group we were asked to report on the ethics of war and do so in an ecumenical context. How do you reach agreement when such a group includes some who have seen service in the armed forces, a military chaplain, experienced peace activists and several academic theologians? There was plenty of scope for lively debate and even for disagreement, but the fascinating result was a consensus on the way forward in a Christian vocation to peacemaking.
lost hopes
You will recall the euphoria of the millennium celebrations. After the end of one of the most destructive centuries in history, we had the ending of the Cold War and the beginning of a new century with high hopes for peace. Those hopes were quickly dashed when on 11th September, 2001, the US was attacked by terrorists and the twin towers were destroyed with the loss of many lives. This brought a speedy response in the declaration of a ‘war on terror’ and the invasion of Afghanistan. It was not long before an invasion of Iraq was being discussed. In February 2003, the largest ever mass demonstration took place in 800 cities, uniting faiths and nations in a global opposition to the invasion of Iraq by ‘a coalition of the willing’. Church leaders and councils in the UK as elsewhere had opposed going to war without a second vote in the UN and many people supported this stand.
Can such invasions be justified? This was claimed to be pre-emptive action. In the early centuries of the Christian era most Christians were opposed to the use of violence to resolve disputes. From the fourth century, following the conversion of the Emperor Constantine, the Church gradually adopted a position that accepted the use of war as a last resort, provided it was fought for the right reason and by the right means, not a justification of but a restriction of war. There remained a witness to peace and non-violence as the right response for followers of Christ but it was a minority view and is still present in the life of the church today pre-eminently in the Mennonites and Quakers, but also as a minority in the Reformed, Methodist and other traditions. Our group were clear that war is not an appropriate response to terrorism; in this the way forward is to tackle the root causes of terrorism and then to demonstrate that there are other ways to go forward to mutual understanding and action.
Naturally it was important to look at relevant scriptures in addressing our task. We were clear that the main emphasis of the Bible is to affirm that the will of God for his people is peace. There are texts which present a different picture and we need to examine these to decide what they teach us. We rejected any notion that passages such as 1 Samuel 15.3, concerning Saul slaughtering the Amalekites ‘both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey’ can be used to suggest that it is in the nature of God to demand such action or to justify any such killing in today’s world, since it would be described as genocide and condemned. In the New Testament, there are texts referring to swords and to conflict, even within households; from these, we recognise that the testimony is not to a concept of peace at any price but to a commitment to peace which challenges injustice and seeks to express God’s reign.practical peacemaking
Practical peacemaking
as part of Christian discipleship takes many forms, including preaching and prayer, non-violent demonstration and long term campaigning, political lobbying to remove injustice, support for organizations working for reconciliation and acting alongside people of all faiths and none in pursuit of a just peace. Another important aspect in today’s world is involvement in environmental issues.
Competition for oil and water resources may become increasingly a source of conflict unless the international community co-operates to overcome the worst effects of global warming and to improve supplies of water and sources of energy.
As might be expected, many in the Group would see themselves as ‘critical companion’ of the State which has to take seriously its role of protection. In most modern States this includes police and military provision. Whilst recognizing this, the Church expects the highest standards of moral integrity in both unarmed and armed units. There are situations where some intervention is clearly needed as in the rise of Nazism in Germany and the preparation for genocide in Rwanda. The need for reform and renewal in the UN is a factor here. In St Paul’s teaching there is recognition of the role of praying for and supporting State officials whenever they rightly express their role. When wrong decisions are considered, there is equally a responsibility to express opposition. The replacement of Trident is an example and the Group felt that the Churches should speak against replacement.
In affirmation of the God of peace, many would find a focus in non-violent solutions to pressing problems. Mahatma Gandhi is a fine example of using Satyagraha, truth force, as a non-violent way of achieving justice and peace. Martin Luther King used the same approach to obtain civil rights for the oppressed black people in the American South. There are now many examples of non-violent transition from oppression to freedom, such as Poland and the Ukraine, and the witness of individuals such as Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma. The New Testament gives a basis for such action in Jesus’ way of non-violent resistance, a way that combines strength of character with the expression of love.
ecumenical guide
There are many modern examples of non-violent projects by NGOs and these include one in which I have a particular interest. This is the work of PHARP (Peacebuilding, Healing and Reconciliation Project), led by its Rwandan Director, the Revd Felicien Nemeyimana. This has been in partnership with the Community for Reconciliation since August 1996 when I was invited to Nairobi, and later to Kigali, to share in leading Courses in conflict transformation and reconciliation. The Courses have a practical and spiritual basis for transforming situations of conflict into new ways of co-operation through a process of forgiveness and new beginnings. Another example is the support given by Methodist and United Reformed Churches to the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel.
In summary, the Group identified four areas in the Christian vocation to peacemaking: to foster just and peaceful relationships; to be active in resolving conflicts; to support strategies for preventing violent conflict; and to engage with political leaders about how and when force might be threatened or used.
I have no reservation in encouraging the formation of ecumenical groups to discuss these issues. Peacemaking: A Christian Vocation itself is not too long; each group should have at least one copy for reference and use by the group leader. We also plan to produce a study guide. I am confident that such groups will engage in lively discussion that will have a practical outcome in your local community. In addition, you will be helped to consider carefully and prayerfully how you can be faithful to your calling in Christ to be involved in peacemaking in these times of crisis. Peace be with you on your journey.
John Johansen-Berg is a former Moderator of General Assembly and co-convenor of the working group.
Peacemaking: A Christian Vocation A resource for churches produced by a joint working group of the United Reformed Church and the Methodist Church £3.99. Copies have been sent to all those attending Assembly. For those not attending Assembly copies are available from the URC Bookshop 020 7916 8629. A study guide is inserted in the report.
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