“Seek peace and pursue it” Psalm 34:14

A Message to Churches and Society
From the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Council of Churches
May 2002

 

To the churches

Since September 11, 2001 clergy and churches have been called upon to be sources of strength and hope in the face of a crisis in the nation and in the world. We commend you for the pastoral care and worship experiences that have brought people together, provided comfort, and helped to deepen their faith in the face of fear. While this task of healing undoubtedly will continue for many months- perhaps years, we also believe we have been called to be communities where prophetic voices can be raised and heard. We are concerned that some in our culture have discouraged responsible discussion and critique of the war on terrorism, the expansion of military operations, and America’s role in the world. Churches can provide a special forum for the discussion of our national priorities.

Because the church is a community it is able to provide a context for people to hear one another. Because it is a community of faith it has enabled people to explore perspectives that may be different from national priorities.

We call upon our churches to affirm this historic task while maintaining their pastoral and healing responsibilities. We are called to be peacemakers and to enter into fruitful dialogue on the issues of our world in the light of the Word of God. While it may not necessarily be the nation’s responsibility to seek ways to love our enemies, it is the obligation of churches to do so. (Matthew 5:43-48) The churches are called to create a context where we can learn to love our enemies. Let us again help our fellow Christians bring our faith to bear upon the issues of our time. We urge churches to reestablish an atmosphere, through ecumenical efforts and through local congregations, where honest and faithful evaluation is honored and affirmed. Let us come to this task confessionally, acknowledging our failure to love our enemies, our too easy acceptance of injustice and racial profiling, and our silence as our nation continues to put its trust in human might.

To the culture, within which the church is called to live and witness

The churches in the United States of America long have been a source of national strength--from the light in the steeple of the Old North Church in Boston, to the sanctuary provided for people of conscience, to the forum created for exploring national goals in the quest for civil rights. At this difficult time in our nation’s history we urge institutions in our society, such as the media and government leaders, to welcome the role of churches and communities of faith as a place where people can come together from different perspectives to ask searching questions and to pursue truth.

As people of faith we have a distinct perspective. We try to look at the nation and its policies through the perspective of the God of all nations and by the teachings of Jesus. At times this may lead us to offer a counter vision.

We are concerned about those who say that any critique is unpatriotic or untimely when, in fact, such responses are fundamentally American. Such exploration is neither unpatriotic nor untimely and it serves the purposes of God and the nation. The God we proclaim blesses and judges all nations. The God we know through Jesus Christ judges us on how we care for the poor and marginalized. We recognize that all nations, including our own, contribute to the deep divisions in our world. All nations should respect and give due honor to cultures, nations, and peoples. We urge the kind of dialogue that will lead to critical analysis of our national policies and to a compassionate and creative rebuilding of the nations.

As churches provide opportunities for conversation and discourse on our national issues we urge our government and all governments to respect this effort. Let us hear one another across religious, cultural and political identities as we seek the common good for all humankind that God has created.

The Massachusetts Council of Churches is an ecumenical partnership of sixteen Orthodox and Protestant churches/denominations in the Commonwealth.