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August 10, 2017
After hearing
the news of the escalating tensions between the U.S. and North Korea
that included taunts of nuclear missiles, I found myself needing a word
from God. I posted on Facebook: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
will be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9. Within minutes, my
status was shared by numerous individuals, all as hungry as I am for a
bit of hope and comfort in these uncertain and turbulent times.
And so I am going back to the Bible to remember whose I am and what I am called to be and do in this world:
The Bible tells me that those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.
The Bible reminds me that Blessed are the peacemakers, not the warmongers.
The Bible invites me to live into the peaceable kingdom where the lion shall lie down with the lamb.
The Bible commands me to beat my swords into plowshares.
The Bible
calls me to aim not a gun but aim intentions for restoration, to comfort
one another, agree with one another, and live in peace.
My siblings in
Christ, our witness is needed more than ever before. If your heart is
aching and your soul is in despair because it seems as if the world is
spinning into violence, find comfort in the One who loves you and will
never let you go.
Jesus pushes
back against those who would harm us with words, labels, power, policies
and guns and reminds us of who we are and whose we are. He dares to
stand up against those who allow violence to simmer and fester. He
offers a way of life that brings us back to a sense of our worth and our
own power. He says: “A thief is only there to steal and kill and
destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better
life than they ever dreamed of.”
We live in a
violent world, but we don’t have to accept that it must always remain
so. The God who made us loves us enough to offer us a different way of
living, because we are so priceless, so precious. Our task is to believe
that enough to live it out, and then invite others to live out that
truth in their own lives as well.
In these
uncertain days, may we take on the task of peacemaking in our families
and communities, and may the power of that peace spill out into the
world in ways that heal, restore, and liberate.
Stay loving, my friends,
Bishop Karen
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Words from Rev. Youngsook C. Kang
The escalating
tensions on the Korean peninsula are not only a geo-political issue for
the world, but also a personal one for me. My family back in South Korea
are living in the reality of a divided country, and I from a
distance. Although I currently live in the United States, I was born in
Korea and grew up witnessing the pain and suffering of the division
between the South and the North.
War and peace
in the 21st century is no longer defined by ideology only. As we are
witnessing right now, one of the most critical issues surrounding the
Korean peninsula as well as northeast Asia (including Japan, Taiwan,
China) is related to nuclear power and energy.
As a
Korean-American, I aspire for peace and reunification and express hope
for a peaceful resolution of the situation even in the midst of this
current crisis. The United Methodist Council of Bishops’ 2009 statement
on God’s Renewed Creation gives me a theological and spiritual foundation in pursuing peace and reconciliation in the Korea peninsula.
As reflected in
their statement and letter, I am committed to overcome the
proliferation of weapons and violence. I say “no” to nuclear power and
energy and to any use of weapons. I firmly believe this stance reflects
our commitment to a pilgrimage of just peace, which is part of the
vision of the World Council of Churches and The United Methodist
Church. I ask my friends and colleagues to faithfully respond to God’s
grace and call to action on just peace and adopt a statement for a
nuclear free world.
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A Call to Prayer for a Just Peace
Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe | August 9, 2017
On this day, 72
years ago, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese
city of Nagasaki – just three days after dropping one on the city of
Hiroshima. It is estimated that over 150,000 people were killed over
those three days.
Fast forward to
present day, the last few months have been met with anxiety and tension
around threats of nuclear weapons and warfare. Leaders in North Korea
continue to isolate their country as they threaten Creation with nuclear
missiles. Leaders in the United States agitate and provoke with threats
of destruction. It is during times like these when we must join
together in a call for the exhaustion of all diplomatic efforts before
turning to military action.
Read the rest of this statement on the General Board of Church & Society website
Read the rest of this statement on the General Board of Church & Society website
