Peace + Justice: Resources for Peacemaking

Resources for Peacemaking

Through reports, online events, and study guides, the Peace and Justice Team provides tools for discussions about nonviolence.

By Rick Sarre Peace and Justice Team lead

World Conference in April 2019 gave Community of Christ a significant challenge for the future. It is found in World Church Resolution 1319, which ends with:

Resolved, that the position of Community of Christ on nonviolence be referred to the First Presidency for a report and/or statement to be presented to the 2022 World Conference.

The conference has shifted to April 2023, but the challenge for the church remains solidly in frame and time is of the essence. In the first part of 2020, the Peace and Justice Team wrote a position paper on nonviolence that was sent to the eight other World Church teams for responses. Each team was asked to provide a written response that discussed—from the perspective of that team—the role nonviolence plays in the life and mission of the church. After all eight responses were received, the Peace and Justice Team produced a final version that is now with the World Church Leadership Council and the Council of Twelve for further reflection and development.

This has been a long and comprehensive process precisely because the task is an important one. Indeed, it was Joseph Smith III who said that “peace is eminently our mission.” Although the current version of the position paper cannot yet be shared with a wider audience, I can say that it strives to link our quest for peace to human rights, the ecology of the Earth, and the inclusivity of all societies by highlighting the importance of justice, reconciliation, well-being, wholeness, the inalienable worth of all persons, and the sacredness of creation.

The quest for peace, we affirm, includes challenging “cultural, political, and religious trends that are contrary to the reconciling and restoring purposes of God” (Doctrine & Covenants 163:3b). Importantly, the document addresses the need for our advocacy for the protection of those who are vulnerable to violence. In essence, we say, the challenge for peacemakers is to bring about right relationships on and for the Earth.

Although we had to cancel the in-person 2020 European Peace Colloquy, the event morphed into a much larger international online event with over 400 registrations. Attendance ranged from 110 to 270 per session. From July to October 2020, nine speakers covered seven dimensions of peace: • Finding Personal Peace • Learning Peacemaking • Forming Action Teams for Peace • Peace in the Neighborhood • Peace for the Earth • Peace on the Earth • Peace in the Marketplace

Additionally, the first European Peace Award was given to an inspiring peacemaker, Keith Hebden.

The attacks by Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza in MayJune 2021 affected hundreds of thousands of Palestinian and Israeli men, women, and children of various faiths and heritages. This violence resulted in the deaths of at least 337, including 68 children. The ceasefire brought an important end to the violence, but tensions between the warring parties are still high and wrought with deep-rooted conflict.

In addition to a statement from the First Presidency, the Peace and Justice Team issued a statement and call to action in response to the ongoing conflict, including important resources for those interested in further reading on the subject. This statement can be found on the Peace and Justice Team page (www.CofChrist.org/ world-church-peace-and-justice-team).

Lastly, Peace and Justice Team members produced “Four Approaches to Violence,” a study guide available for download at www.HeraldHouse.org/collections/ member-created-nonviolence. The authors reviewed various Christian approaches to violence and nonviolence, and the authors hope the church will understand different perspectives fairly and share respectfully in their discernment. This resource is useful as the church prepares for World Conference 2023.

Learn more at www.CofChrist.org/ world-church-peace-and-justice-team.

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