Peace Conference offers challenge

01-06-2012

Peace Conference offers challenge

By Natasha Murray-Norman and Brittany Richardson Watson
Special Contributors

What is the Church’s role in addressing matters of economic justice, and how does it relate to our pursuit of peace?

We, along with the Revs. Maxine Allen, Jessica Durand, and Bishop Kenneth Hicks, had the privilege of attending the 2011 Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, an inspiring and challenging event held at Lake Junaluska, N.C., Nov. 12-15, to discuss that question. The United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas made it possible for our small group of Arkansas clergy to attend.

The focus of this year’s conference, “Poverty, Abundance, and Peace: Seeking Economic Justice for All God’s Children,” led us to explore issues of systemic poverty, economic disparity and interfaith action through a variety of speakers and small group discussions.

Bishop Nukulu Ntanda Ntambo of the North Katanga Area, Democratic Republic of Congo, who spoke at Arkansas’ 2010 Annual Conference; David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World; and several other speakers shared their visions for the continued role of the Church in issues of economic justice. Bishop Ntambo stated in his address that Americans have privilege and abundance.

“America is blessed to be a blessing,” he said. “With the abundance of everything that you have, you must be willing to share.”

Bishop Ntambo described how different conferences in America have taken on projects to help build wells and help build bridges in places where bridges were torn down because of the war. The role of the Church in the midst of poverty and brokenness is to build bridges in communities that are impacted by these conditions.

The Peace Conference maintains a focus on interfaith dialogue surrounding peacemaking. This year, an interfaith panel with scholars of Judaism, Islam and Christianity discussed what we can learn from each faith’s sacred texts about peace, justice and economics. The beauty of this discussion was not in the brilliant words spoken, but instead in the true congeniality and love expressed among those on the panel, and the hope they shared in God’s will for peace in the world.

The conference’s leaders encouraged us to seek ways to live in peace and rethink our understanding of peace not just through our own faith lens, but through the lenses of all faiths. Our discussions gave us a sense of hope that we can all develop greater understanding of each other.

Most people attending the conference were actively involved in ministries of justice. Many used it as a place for sharing information with other laborers from their respective fields, as well as for a time of spiritual renewal.

Small group discussions centered on topics presented throughout the day. Group members shared their context and experiences of addressing hunger and poverty within their communities.

Throughout the weekend, we received encouragement to answer God’s call for us to work toward good and justice in the world. While the promise of God’s presence brings us hope, the task ahead seems daunting.

On the last morning of the conference, Dr. Bob Edgar, a United Methodist clergyman, former U.S. Representative, and current president and CEO of Common Cause, left us with words of inspiration as we returned home to our ministry contexts.

“We are the leaders we have been waiting for,” he reminded us.

His statement is both a challenge and a word of hope. We must stop waiting for someone else to come in and do the work for us. God has called us—yes, even us—to bring words of love and actions of peace to the world around us.

At the close of the conference, we all were asked to write a letter stating what actions we would be willing to commit to once we arrived home. After writing the letters, we addressed the envelopes to ourselves in the hope of keeping us accountable to the commitment we made.

Now that we have returned home, our challenge is to continue to do the work that was planted in our hearts by sharing it with those in our ministries. We were all forced to ask ourselves, “What are we doing and how are we being the bridges to provide resources to those in need?”

In the coming year, we hope to continue the conversation that began at Lake Junaluska as we seek God’s direction and vision for what lies ahead. Others will incorporate this into their day-to-day ministry by taking seriously their call and responsibility to journey toward economic justice. We must find ways to foster this sense of call in the congregations we serve.

This is not just a duty for our mission committees or our social action groups. It is a call for each and every Christian to be sure that our brothers are fed, that our sisters are clothed and our children have the hope of a peace-filled world.

The Rev. Murray-Norman serves at New Hope and Parkview UMCs, both in Benton. The Rev. Watson serves as associate pastor at Highland Valley UMC Little Rock.