Glory to God and Peace on the Earth

Day 2: Peace in Community
The theme of the day, Peace in Community. After morning worship we broke into small group Bible studies, to look at the text of the rape of Tamar. The silence and shame around the violation that woman experience is deeply rooted in our culture, faith traditions and communities of today- this is the challenge of the church today- to break that silence. The plenary sessions where an outstanding program of speakers including Martin Luther King III, Dr. Muna Mushahwar who elegantly spoke of her experience and perspective as a Palestinian woman who has worked for peace from within the Church in Palestine. She is one of the many Christian Palestinians who contributed to the Kairos Palestine document that calls for solidarity and action from the rest of the world to work for Just Peace in Palestine.

In the afternoon I attended a workshop (or ‘Reasoning’ as was adopted from the local Jamaican culture for this conference) lead by the Church Resource Center against Sexual Abuse. The resource center provides a safe place and sacred worship for those who are survivors of sexual abuse. During the workshop we participated in a liturgy that is regularly offered at the center that specifically offered the opportunities to name one’s experience of pain, offer that experience as a prayer and share in a healing liturgical moment. Within the liturgy, that included Eucharist, was the powerful statement “All my experiences touch God”

The second reasoning session I attended was on the declining Christian presence in the Middle East. The panel discussing current shifts in the Middle East was made of two Palestinians and a Palestinian who is former head of state in Jordan. The session was also attended by Dr. Deborah Weissman, who brought a contrasting opinion and kept the conversation lively. The overall theme of the workshop pointed to the need for solidarity and support of our Arab Christian brothers and sisters who suffer under occupation. Christians are a minority in Palestine and much of the Middle East, and as the case with many political conflicts, those on the margins who are in the minority suffer the consequences of violent conflict. It was not left unsaid that there is an absence of Middle Eastern Clergy (although there are lay representatives) and participation from the Middle East Council of Churches.

A question within the book of Samuel, asked by Tamar to Amnon before he violates her, has echoed in my head throughout the day; “As for me, where could I carry my shame?” This question challenges me; leading me to wonder how the church can better be a place for woman, or any victim, to carry, name and heal from their pain. It is easy to be polite in our religious communities and ignore the ugly past which will only continue to isolate survivors of violence and perpetuate their pain.

That evening, we attended a showcase concert in Emancipation Park in downtown Kingston. It was a special event of all of Jamaica's best- a heartfelt performance. I felt kind of guilty that I couldn't fully appreciate their best classical violinist and dancers since all I wanted was some authentic reggae!

Day 3- Peace with the Earth
Our bible study this morning looked at the text of Isaiah 11:3-9. We talked about the literal, symbolic and eschatological implications of this vision of peace in Isaiah. The questions were raised; If this is a vision for things to come, what does this vision mean for the life of the church today? What is Peace in light of Jesus’ words “I have not come to bring peace but a sword”? Is Peace an experience, a moment in time, or something that only comes to fruitarian in the eschaton? We also discussed the ways we consume and over consume food, especially meat. This conversation about choosing right living, kept bringing to mind for me the danger of the presumption that we are able to bring peace by our own strength, will or hard work, forgetting that Peace is like all things, a gift from God.

The plenary session opened with a video of the community at Tuvali, Due to the change in usable land mass caused by climate change, on this small island in the South Pacific, the people of Tuvali have been forced to change their lives on many levels due to the injustice of the destructive practices that perpetuate the environmental violence that leads to the demise of fragile eco-systems. Later in the plenary session, the words of Elias Crisostomo Abramides summed up the echoes of hope we have as Christians; “Another world is possible, it is here and now, it is inside this world”… “although the signs of the times are not optimistic, but we have the Christian hope for peace with and in creation”. This unique hope of Christians for an alternative world of Just Peace is our signature and challenge.

In the afternoon session we examined the theory behind a “solidarity economy”. This system, like many other alternative plans is based more on a critique of our current system than a constructive proposal for an alternative. A solidarity economy takes seriously the connection between unbalanced resources and an unbalance of power by working for the transformation of the existing systems of structural violence. This unbalance of power has proven to easily lead to exploitation and violence. For the presenters of this workshop, this is the case in this current capitalist system of globalization, under which peace is not possible. What is possible, is transformation of this system through action on the micro-level (addresses cultural change), intermediate level (networks, foundations and monetary systems), and macro level (local and global politics) toward alternative systems that hold common welfare and sustainability as a priority. Much of the theory presented in this workshop is already being put into action. What the presentation of a solidarity economy offer, is vision for the church to participate and offers them tools of transformation to reconsider in our changing social environments.

The second afternoon session I attended was on the Kairos Palestine document. Kairos Palestine document is a statement by Palestinian Christians, released in 2009, that assesses the situation of Palestinian Christians, describes their resistance to Israeli Occupation from a theological perspective (linking resistance of evil to the love of enemy), and invites Christians to be steadfast in their struggle while holding hope for those who are losing hope. This document has contributed to the increase in churches around the world engaging in active lives of solidarity with Palestinian Christians who are suffering under Israeli Occupation. The document can be found online (www.kairospalestine.ps). The panel of presenters were contributors to the document (aside from an ELCA representative who spoke about the document’s reception in the United States) and are all active voices in the ongoing Christian resistance to occupation. Although this document comes from within the Christian Church in Palestine it’s suggestions for action (Boycott, Divestment, Sanction) are disputed among mainline churches (including the Episcopal Church).
That evening I went with some new friends to a place I like to call Ugly Fish Beach, but it is actually called Fort Clarence Beach. We arrived in time for a few fish to be fried up for dinner (well I didn’t eat the fish, just ‘festivals’ which is fried dough) while we swam. It was a lovely evening and good to get off the University of the West Indies Campus.
Day 4: World Sunday for Peace
Sunday was our ‘Caribbean Day’ for which a mini festival was set up on the campus for us to learn about all of the various destinations in the Caribbean. We first began the day with an Ecumenical Prayer service which was beautifully written and incorporated many perspectives. I was at this point missing Eucharist in our corporate gatherings, but this is not an act they the worship coordinators choose to tackle- no wonder there being a mix of Orthodox, Anglican and every Protestant denomination.

That afternoon, with a group of about 10 people we took a mini-tour of Kingston, going to the downtown in all its colorful poverty so visable on the street corners, the harbor, Bob Marley statue and (just drove by) his home and Museum and finally a Historic Mansion. The poverty and crime that is Kingston was not very present to us while on the heavily guarded campus, but this day offered just a glimpse into the reality Kingston. While at the Harbor, one Rasta saw our group and came to us. He kept saying we should stay around because “Kingston is safe. You are safe here”. His enthusiasm and the growing awareness of our presence by others in the harbor told us the opposite. Our tour guide filed us back into the van and we got out of there.
We returned to the campus just in time for a few of us to join the young adult (under 35) meeting where we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the Call for Just Peace that the WCC central committee had prepared for this gathering. We brainstormed additions of our own and organized for a team to draft this feedback into a statement that would be shared with the convocation. It seems in recent years the need for increased presence and influence of young adults has been called for, but like many organizations, realizing this need for change and actually accepting this change in practical decisions are two different things.

Day 5: Peace Among the Peoples
The bible study for the day focused on Ephesians 2:11-22. The themes we discussed included the differences exist between us, they become evil and divisive when these differences are institutionalized. What are the differences between those in the covenant and those with Christ and those without Christ? Answer: nothing divides us after Christ, but we are made into “one new humanity”. The bible study was a diverse group, beyond our very different outward appearances but our theology. At the end of the study we were each asked to exchange a stone we had brought to the study, with a person with whom we disagree. In exchanging stones we agreed to carry that person’s stone with us, and agreed to consider their words, and perspective.

The plenary session delivered a powerful message challenging our concepts of national security and instead adopting an agenda for the safety of all God’s people. The WCC has made it clear that the goal of Just Peace is to move beyond Just War theory. The major question Just Peace (as pacifism) leaves us with is the dilemma of the international community’s commitment (as laid out by the UN) to protect a vulnerable people. For some, leaving room for a very last resort use of military force in these cases of protection, was creating a loop hole for any nation (everyone believes their own cause if just) to wage war.

Lisa Schirch shared a powerful message: “Jesus doesn’t use the word security, but teaches to be ready to give one’s own life” which means we need to reframe our idea of National security into security for all of God’s people. She continued; “Security does not land in a helicopter but it grows from the ground up” which is how it was described to her by an Iraqi woman. So how do we become partners in growing the security from the ground up? Schirch points to the work of the church being to reframe the paradigm of National Security- to include all God’s people and bringing that new paradigm to the Pentagon, to the White House saying ‘there is another way to be safe, another way to peace’. Supporting a community of Women in government roles, and listening to the voices of woman around the world who are working for peace are two concrete actions of the church to move towards a transformed paradigm of security. Archbishop of Armenian Orthodox Church in Baghdad, Iraq addressed the crowd describing the work for peace within his community that includes dialogue with Muslims. He suggested that the church has been (and can continue to be), a facilitator between different Muslim sects and is standing in a unique role to work for peace in Iraq.

In the afternoon I attended an Innerstanding, which is a session during which the ideas presented in the morning session and within the document A Just Call to Peace are fleshed out in more detail. My new friend Emily, a professor at Pace University in NYC and the new head of their Peace Studies program was on the panel to discuss changes to the document. Her soft spoken, humble composure did not stop her from delivering a powerful message and challenge to the WCC to not focus on the words of this document, as much as the actions this document can inspire. She challenged this body to live up to their calling to be prophetic and advocate for the peace that was preached and practiced by Christ (pacifism), and not craft a political statement that politely makes a suggestion to refrain from war if possible. Her words were well received and had influence on the final statement from the convocation which supported making all war illegal.

Day 6: Weaving together a Message of Peace
The final day of the convocation was centered around the final draft, revisions and the presentation of the final statement from this convocation. The statement would help to determine the trajectory of the WCC’s work and the starting place for the next gathering in S. Korea in 2013. The final statement can be found on the WCC site here: http://www.overcomingviolence.org/en/resources-dov/wcc-resources/documents/presentations-speeches-messages/iepc-message.html

The opportunity to participate in this convocation was a great privilege and I will continue to build off of the relationships I made, on behalf of the church, in Kingston. I will come back from this experience asking some new questions of The Episcopal Church about our own commitment to Ecumenical work on all levels, our promotion of younger people into leadership roles for peacemaking and our plans for future involvement in the next WCC gathering.