My journey in peacemaking: Confessions of a fence sitter. Prologue
(beginning thoughts for a longer conversation)(feedback welcome. Respectful feeback).
“That’s NOT the Gospel Andy!”
I bristled inside as I felt another contrary voice rise up, seeking with good intention to re-direct my thinking and efforts back to what I should really be doing as a minister of the Gospel.
Apparently peacemaking should not really be the main thing, what I should be focused on. It should not be what I lead with in my ministry engaging those outside the church community, whether in the Middle East or right next door in Seattle.
Maybe I’m concluding too much from this, and other conversations. But honestly, I don’t think I am. I’ve heard echoes of this comment multiple times when I speak in churches ever since I started on this journey building relational bridges with the Muslim community or seeking to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One older gentleman stated it even more clearly over coffee at church. “You’re touching political issues when you should be focused more on spiritual matters.” That statement of course touches on a bigger problem within many churches, the sacred and profane split that we inherited from Gnosticism. That little nasty idea sabotages our role within society at multiple levels, keeping us cloistered in our church community. Few subscribe to this idea currently in church leadership or our seminaries but the new understanding hasn’t filter down into the pew very well.
to be continued….
Thanks Andy…you continue to inspire thought, reflection and are a voice in the dessert. Jesus said the Kingdom is already here…and it’s also coming. We are called out, in uniquely, albiet imperfect ways, to reflect his light, which above all is to love our neighbor. The question we all need to pursue is how do I love my neighbor? and who is my neighbor? Jesus gave us some pretty good examples. Good starting point. Blessings to you in your journey.