to download PDF - Mennonite Central Committee Canada

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Digging deeperThese reflections on resistance gobeyond the stories and pose uniqueperspectives or challenges. They canbe used for pastoral reflection, assermon ideas, or Sunday school discussionstarters.Resistance and non-resistanceNon-resistance has been until recently the term ofchoice among churches of the Anabaptist tradition forwhom retaliation and going to war goes against theexpress teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5:39: “Youshall not resist evil.” . . . At the present time, mostAnabaptists committed to active peacemaking find itdifficult to think in terms other than resistance. . . .One reason for this change is positive, namely thefruitful pairing of peace with justice. Greater awarenessof the nature and roots of injustice, violence,poverty and racism as not only personal but systemichas brought about an urgent desire to address concretebrokenness and injury, and the conditions ofinjustice and violence which bring them about. . . TheChristian Peacemaker Team’s slogan is wonderfullysuggestive: “Getting in the Way.” It combines followingthe way of Jesus with getting in the way of evil, discipleship with obstruction andresistance. —Tom Yoder Neufeld, Resistance and Nonresistance: The Two Legs of aBiblical Peace Stance, The Conrad Grebel ReviewSpeaking out against warTraditionally, Mennonite commitment to peacemaking has meant a refusal to go to warand to take up the sword, but it has not involved a critique of war itself. The earlyAnabaptists understood the world in terms of two kingdoms: the kingdom of the worldand the kingdom of those who commit their lives to Christ.CO’s working ona dam at ClearLake, RidingMountainNational Park,Alberta. MHC,Ed Brooks PhotoCollectionThey realized that armed force, war and “taking up the sword” were part of the reality ofthe kingdom of the world. They argued that because their loyalty was to the kingdom ofChrist, they could not participate in this. They believed that their calling was to live outthe non-violent way of Christ in their communities and, in doing so being a witness to others.This is largely the kind of thinking that guided Canadian Mennonites and Brethren inChrist churches until World War II. During World Wars I and II, Mennonites’ concern was:would Canada provide means whereby their commitments not to go to war and to be“conscientious objectors” would be honoured? They did not really challenge Canada’sdecision to go to war.This has changed in the last 30 to 40 years. As a result of Mennonites ’increasing involvementin the larger society, some Mennonites have begun to speak out more against warand preparations for war itself. —Esther Epp-Tiessen, MCC CanadaDigging Deeper26
War will exist untilthat distant day whenthe CO enjoys thesame reputation andprestige that thewarrior does today.— John F. KennedyRedefining courageThere is an imbalance in the language used to talk about war and peace. Men whobecame soldiers are held to be “heroes for freedom” while conscientious objectorswere dubbed “conchies,” a derisive term reflecting that their choice not to fightwas not valued. Soldiers are revered with commemorations and monuments. Forconchies, it has even been difficult to compile a list of names of those who servedin this capacity.E.J. Swalm was one of the church leaders who advocated for CO status and supported theyoung men who did alternative service. Having experienced prison himself, he had nodoubt as to their courage. He dedicates his 1949 book entitled Nonresistance Under Testto:that noble and courageous group of young men and women who, during WWII,served in the Civilian Public Service and Alternate Service programs in the UnitedStates and Canada and at great sacrifice worked in mental hospitals, researchinstitutions, served as guinea pigs, smoke jumpers, etc., all for the privilege ofbearing a testimony, not only to a personal knowledge of Christ, but for the greatBiblical doctrine of peace.World War II was a very popular war, and it was very difficult to oppose it and beridiculed by society. While the current wars may be easier to oppose on a political basis, itstill requires courage to articulate opposition that is based on a deep commitment to JesusChrist’s way of peace. It takes courage to choose a different way of being in the world.Teaching peace in the churchWhat happened to people in WWII who chose not to be CO’s? Many did end up choosingmilitary service. This caused huge divisions and anguish in churches and families. In manyways the church had failed these men by not explaining non-resistance convincingly tothem, and then excommunicating them, or not following up and pastoring them even asthey were soldiers. Of course it’s important to remember people who chose not to killothers. It’s a long and courageous tradition in our history. But it’s also important toremember that our conflict in the church resulted in the departure of thousands of youngmen.A Mennonite pastor recently saw a young man from his congregation join the army andhead to Iraq. What does one do with people like this? Excommunicate them? Hope theystay away and don’t bother us? Hope they join another church that isn’t pacifist? In thiscase the minister decided to pray for the person who enlisted; there was a public prayer tosend him off, “That he would do no harm and come to no harm.”What does it mean to be a peace church in how we teach our children? If they decide to goagainst our peace teaching, what then? Can we still love them? —Carol Penner, Vineland,Ont.The myth of redemptive violenceTheologian Walter Wink has called attention to what the myth of redemptive violence, thedominant religion in our society today. It enshrines the belief that violence makes thingsturn out right, that war brings peace, that might makes right.“The belief that violence ‘saves’ is so successful because it doesn’t seem to be mythic in theleast. Violence simply appears to be the nature of things. It’s what works. It seems27 Digging Deeper
Page 1 and 2: Cultivating Peace:Courage, Conscien
Page 5 and 6: Cultivating Peace:Courage, Conscien
Page 8 and 9: FridayA different way of lifePut yo
Page 10 and 11: On becoming a COHow does one learn
Page 12 and 13: swords into ploughshares. Is.2:4Str
Page 14 and 15: Committed even unto death:the story
Page 16 and 17: Public witness for peaceToday there
Page 18 and 19: Objecting to paying for warCanadian
Page 20 and 21: Our task is not only to keep our so
Page 22 and 23: Litany of ResistanceJim Loney, who
Page 24 and 25: Mennonite Church ManitobaTo listen
Page 26 and 27: Love your enemies. Mt 5:44More Old
Page 30 and 31: inevitable, the last and often firs
Page 32 and 33: Learning in ActionCO RegistryA numb
Page 34 and 35: Peacemakerswho sow inpeace raise ah
Page 36 and 37: The Powers That Be: Theology for a
Page 38 and 39: AppendixSample sermonBlessed Are th
Page 40 and 41: Readers’ theatreO Bind Us in That
Page 42 and 43: Voice 3: Blessed are those who trus
Page 44 and 45: How did the church/family react to
Page 46 and 47: pious answers, and sitting back to
Page 48 and 49: “Our beards,” Joseph interjects
Page 50: Peacemakerswho sow inpeace raise ah

to download PDF - Mennonite Central Committee Canada

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?