Christian Peacemaker Teams- Two weeks and Counting

Over the past couple of years, I have been increasingly burdened by what Pope John Paul II has called our ‘culture of death.’ On average, the world witnesses 25-30 wars per year. In the last decade, 40 million political refugees have had to flee their countries to escape violent conflict. My work at Vanderbilt has revolved around this perennial question: What truth, if any, can the church proclaim in an age of destruction? Leaning on such theologians and practitioners as Jesus, Ireneaus of Lyons, Justin Martyr, John Howard Yoder, Jurgen Moltmann, and John Wesley, I have come to believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus is God’s divine ‘no’ to the patterns of violence and oppression in our current culture and God’s divine ‘yes’ to life and peace. Furthermore, the church must stand as a witness to God’s loving presence in the world. Next year, I will begin writing my senior project, “A Holiness Theology of Nonviolence.” In preparation for this culminating work, I have applied for and received a grant from Vanderbilt Divinity School to travel with a peacemaking delegation to the region of Palestine/Israel with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT).

CPT is rooted in the Mennonite, Brethren, and Quaker traditions, aiming toward participation from all denominations of the Church in seeking organized, nonviolent alternatives to war. CPT’s motto, ‘Getting in the Way,’ symbolizes both the physical aspect of nonviolent peacemaking and the spiritual foundation of the work as following ‘The Way’ (as early Christianity was called). They ask the question: What would happen if Christians devoted the same discipline and self-sacrifice to nonviolent peacemaking that armies devote to war? In this way, they train and deploy full-time and part-time peacemakers in areas of world conflict: Iraq, Palestine/Israel, Colombia, and Ontario, Canada. These teams have been invited to join with local peace and human rights workers in nonviolent direct action, working to reduce violence, documenting oppression, and undoing racism/sexism.

The following weeks will be devoted to this trip. I hope to be able to share with you my experiences as they happen. In the meantime, I plan to document my questions, thoughts, concerns, and theological inquiries prior to my July 20th departure on this blog. If you want, let the comment section be a place for open dialogue. I look forward to sharing this time with you. May the peace of Christ be with you always.