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Following Jesus in nonviolent struggle for justice and peace, we love our neighbors and enemies as God loves us all, becoming a peace church to share in Gods work to save the world.

Thou Art the Church

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     Last Saturday Matthew Johnson wrote in this space "Thou Art the Nation," from the words of Samuel the prophet to David the King. He concluded by saying that no church can ignore its complicity in this state of affairs.

    I would like to continue that theme by challenging the church to look at its vocation to bring the world the good news of another way of managing human affairs. The Apostle Paul called it the ministry of reconciliation (II Cor. 5:18). Jesus modeled it through his whole public ministry (which public ministry, incidentally, got no mention in the creeds developed under the watchful eye of Roman emperors), a ministry of challenging injustice and inviting reconciliation by forgiveness and making peace.

      I have called that "another way of managing human affairs." It is not the way Roman emperors or modern presidents/ premiers and empire builders manage human affairs. But the church has long since quit thinking of Jesus as one who showed us an alternative way of running the world. Not that Jesus did not try to show and tell us that his project was one of demonstrating how God wants the world to be run. He did, after all, call this thing which he brought "the kingdom of God." Which, if he did not want people to think that this was a challenge and an alternative to the kingdoms of the kings of his time, he should have used a different word than kingdom. Couldn't he see that?

     In their new book AMBASSADORS OF RECONCILIATION, (Orbis) Ched Myers and Elaine Enns, present "New Testament Reflections on Restorative Justice and Peacemaking." Yes, restorative justice and peacemaking are not superior violence and warmaking. This is indeed another way to run the world. Which way will the church promote? I recommend the book. I'll say more about it in future columns.

John K. Stoner jstoner@ecapc.org

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