U/U Clergy for Peace and Justice in the Middle East
April 1, 2008
The creation of Peace with Justice in Israel and Palestine is a matter of great concern to Unitarian Universalists (UUs). The most recent social justice statement addressing conflict in the region was a General Assembly (GA) Action of Immediate Witness in 2002 which provided guidance for congregational involvement and Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) advocacy efforts. In 2007 the General Assembly's annual Ware Lecture featured noted Middle East scholar and Palestinian activist, Rashid Khalidi. For decades Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East has sponsored GA programs on various aspects of the conflict, offered UU fact-finding tours to Israel/Palestine and provided presentations to congregations. And, individual Unitarian Universalist lay-people, UU clergy, and UU congregations—working in coalitions or on their own—have offered a voice and witness in local, national, and global forums. Unitarian Universalists have deep concerns about the conflict in Israel/Palestine, and clearly seek ways to be effectively engaged.
On Wednesday, March 19th, a handful of UU clergy and seminarians participated in a teleconference to discuss options for raising the profile and effectiveness of Unitarian Universalist involvement in the creation of peace and justice in Israel/Palestine. The inspiration for the teleconference was a communication from Reverend Charles J. Stephens—minister of UU Church of Washington Crossing in Titusville, NJ—sharing that he would be participating in an interfaith clergy Compassionate Listening Project trip in March 2007 (for more information about Rev. Stephen’s trip, please see the article below). Knowing that many UU clergy have participated in similar trips or pilgrimages, both recently and over many years, Reverend Eric Cherry, the UUA’s Director of International Resources, invited UU clergy to join this teleconference and begin to envision effective ways of leveraging our shared experience, our UU faith, our social justice tradition, and our natural interfaith outlook on this matter.
Participants in the teleconference described recent trips that they had participated in. Reverend Hilary Landau-Krivchenia—who serves the UU Church in Lafayette, IN—shared her experiences during a 2006 trip sponsored Interfaith Peace Builders (IPB), as well as the continuing work she has offered following the trip. Another participant in the teleconference, John McCarthy—who is completing the final year of his seminary training at Harvard Divinity School and who is interning with the UU Service committee—described a similar 2006 tour sponsored by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) and the follow-up work he has pursued.
All participants agreed that while there are already tremendously effective religious and secular organizations that Unitarian Universalists can partner with as they engage this issue, there is an important opportunity for UU clergy to organize and provide a shared witness. The next step in the hope of organizing that shared voice will be a planning meeting during General Assembly 2008.
For more information, please visit the Office of International Resources at the UUA or contact Rev. Cherry, international @ uua.org.
Article by Rev. Charles J. Stephens
A round the world and here in our own land, mistrust and hostility exists between religions, between various perspectives within the same religion and between Theists and Humanists. Such hostility squanders one of religion's most basic principles: doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Will we be able to keep from destroying one another and the rest of life here on the earth, all in the name of religion?
In a recent book “Acts of Faith,” Eboo Patel wrote: “One hundred years ago, the great African-American scholar W.E. B. DuBois famously said, "the problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line.' I believe that the 21st century will be shaped by the question of the faith line.
“On one side of the faith line are the religious totalitarians. Their conviction is that only one interpretation of one religion is a legitimate way of being, believing, and belonging on earth. ... On the other side of the faith line are the religious pluralists, who hold that people believing in different creeds and belonging to different communities need to learn to live together.
“Religious pluralism is neither mere coexistence nor forced consensus. It is a form of proactive cooperation that affirms the identity of the constituent communities while emphasizing that the well-being of each and all depends on the health of the whole. It is the belief that the common good is best served when each community has a chance to make its unique contribution."
We, people of faith, people of all faiths, must awaken to the reality that what touches one affects us all. The fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Kenya, Israel, Palestine and many other places snuffs out thousands of lives and leaves millions more physically, psychically and spiritually wounded.
We, people of faith, people of all faiths, must awaken to the reality that what touches one affects us all. The seas that wash round us are polluted by what people of all faiths pump into them. The clouds that cover us, the rains and snows that fall contain poisonous particles that come down on Jews, Muslims, Christians and the rest of us regardless of our spiritual outlook.
We, people of faith, people of all faiths, must awaken to the reality that what touches one affects us all. Violence committed by any one group inspires greater violence. It is after all hurt people who hurt people. Which is the reason why I accepted the invitation to take part in the “Delaware Valley Interfaith Compassionate Listening Delegation” to Israel and Palestine this coming March.
We will travel throughout Israel and the West Bank of Palestine hearing personal stories of politicians, peacemakers and the people of Israel and Palestine. We go because we believe it is critically important to build a local interfaith response to the seemingly eternal religious conflicts taking place in the world. Twenty of us, Muslim Imams, Christian Clergy, Jewish rabbis, a Roman Catholic sister, several lay leaders and me, a Unitarian Universalist minister will travel together, learning to compassionately listen to the stories of people who are living in a crucible of fear, mistrust, violence and hate. We will also listen to their efforts at forgiveness, maintaining hope and working to make peace.
Our goal is to return changed and inspired by what we hear and bring back what we hear and share it with one another's congregations and other area groups. Our goal is to develop greater mutual understanding of our rich religious pluralism and how together we can resolve conflicts through compassionate listening. It is our hope that our actions will help inspire a broader public engagement in peacemaking and the value of religious pluralism.
H.W. Longfellow, who lived during the tumultuous time before, during and after the Civil War, wrote: “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each person's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all animosity.”
Might we then be able to put down our own pain and fear long enough to begin anew?
I personally am grateful for the religious pluralism that enriches and ennobles my faith, deepens my understanding and expands my vision.
Listening compassionately to another's story reveals the unhealed wounds that abound in our world. Having been involved in providing one-on-one interfaith spiritual guidance for the last seven years, I have learned that if I want to really hear someone else's story, I need to close my mouth and open not only my ears and eyes, but also my heart and soul.
Come; let us listen compassionately to one another.
Come; let us strive to discern the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
Come; let us fully recognize the interconnected Web of existence of which we are a part.
The Rev. Charles J. Stephens is minister of Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing, Titusville, NJ. "From a Faith Perspective" is a weekly column written by members of Lower Bucks faith communities.
For more information contact international @ uua.org.
Last updated on Wednesday, April 2, 2008.
