Over the next few days, I will be attending the board meetings for Christian Peacemaker Teams a faith-based organization dedicated to building relationships that transform oppression and violence. Please keep us in your prayers over the next 4 days as we seek God's call for this organization.
“When I bring the sword against a country, and the people of this country select one of their number to be their watcher, and the watcher seeing the sword coming against the country, blows the trumpet to warn the people. Anyone hearing but not heeding the warning of the trumpet and therefore slain by the sword that comes against them, shall be responsible for their own death... But if the watcher sees the sword coming and fails to blow the warning trumpet, so that the sword comes and takes anyone, I will hold the watcher responsible for that person's death, even though that person is taken because of their own sin..“ Ezekiel 33:1-4, 6
As a people of faith, being formed by the Word of God, we have a special responsibility to read the signs of the times in order to discern what God is doing in the world today. We also have an equally important responsibility to proclaim that discerned word to the nations.
Millions in our nation go without adequate shelter and healthcare. Children go hungry and our schools are deteriorating. The ranks of the unemployed grow. At the same time, corruption among the leaders of our largest corporations is rampant and the CEOs responsible get richer while the working class loses their pensions, their life savings and their jobs.
What is the call of the church in such a situation? How do we keep watch and sound the alarm? How shall we wake the nation and ourselves to the encroachment of death?
In the tradition of the great biblical prophets we can offer word, symbol and action to convey to the nations the emotions of a God who knows what time it is, a God who desires that we choose life over death. In our history as church, this ministry of word, symbol and action often takes the form of nonviolent direct action.