Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
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6 Here's What You Can Do Join in the work and witness of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program. Visit www.pcusa.org/peacemaking to download resources, sign up for action alerts, join travel study seminars and much more. The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program coordinates the International Peacemaker Program, where leaders in peacemaking from our partner denominations visit PC(USA) congregations. Turn to pages 10 –13 for an article by one of the 2015 International Peacemakers, Sushma Ramswami. T salient issues connected to violence and those who are affected by it to public a ttention. Picasso took Guernica on t our, which helped raise awareness a bout the Spanish Civil War and the horrors of fascism and violence. I believe that this was Picasso's way of ending an unbearable silence around what was taking place in his country. Guernica is a widely acclaimed reminder that we can, that we must address vio- lence through creativity and create awareness about the plethora of related issues that affect our communities. Message of Hope and Peace In addressing the destructive and nihilistic character of violence, I often think of Jesus' words of peace in John 20:19–23. The disciples, having wit- nessed Jesus' crucifixion are in hiding, afraid of being hunted down them- selves. Jesus enters their hiding place and they then also get to be witnesses of ebullient grace and hope through a risen savior. Christ—who appears and defies barriers of fear, doubt, and death— greets and empowers the disciples. He says, "Peace be with you." As their Risen Lord breathes new life and courage into the disciples, they encounter the incredible truth that vio- lence does not ultimately destroy the message and power of the Prince of Peace. They learn that with the power of the Holy Spirit, faith overcomes fear. As a result, the disciples as messen- gers of peace recognize that they are called to also be practitioners of peace and wholeness in the world. Akin to the disciples, the same is true for us. A s people called by God and empow- ered by the Holy Spirit, we are called to do the same. Witnesses for Peace Proclaiming peace is risky work because it means that we cannot run away from violence. Instead, the cross challenges us to see Jesus in the midst of the struggle of those who are victimized. In the John text, the resurrected Jesus does not hesi- tate to show Thomas the marks in his hands and side, a reminder of the pain and struggle of the cross. In an article entitled The Cross and Male Violence, theologian James N. Poling gets at this idea of seeing Jesus in the midst of struggle: "One can interpret the cross as a judgment on all forms of domina- tion and violence that exists in human societies." 6 We as peacemakers and doers of justice also realize that the power of the Holy Spirit is alive, present and active in us. Christ "breathes" new life and purpose in us and calls us to be creative in cultivating ways of non-violence. The foundational document of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, Peacemaking: The Believer's Calling, adopted by the 192nd General Assem- bly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), rightly points out the life-giv- ing and affirming character of peace- making as such: "God's call to peacemaking is absolute. God is not a God of destruction, abandonment, or death, but a God of life, peace and joy who is j ealous for a dynamic and full response f rom Christians called to be peacemak- e rs in a warring world." 7 No matter how pervasive, how ubiquitous violence is or has been, we are called and strengthened by Christ to be messengers and practitioners of peace and wholeness. Empowered by the Holy Spirit and steeped in hope, we are called to elicit a "response" to violence with our faith. In these times, we cannot afford the luxury of being "culprits" of silence any longer. 8 Alonzo Johnson is the mission associate with the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and a graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Notes 1. Cheryl Kirk-Duggan, Violence and Theology (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2006), 1. 2. Global Status Report on Violence Prevention (World Health Organization: Geneva, 2014), 2; www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/st atus_report/2014/en. 3. Corinne David-Ferdon and Thomas R. Simon, Preventing Youth Violence: Opportunities for Action (Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014), 6; www.cdc.gov/violencepreven- tion/youthviolence/pdf/opportunities-for-action.pdf 4. World Health Organization Fact Sheet 2012, www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs356/en/; accessed December 15, 2015. 5. Marjorie Suchocki, The Fall To Violence: Original Sin In Relational Theology (New York: Continuum, 1994) 85. 6. James N. Poling, "The Cross and Male Violence" in Cross Examinations; Readings On The Meanings Of The Cross Today, ed. Marit Trelstad (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2006), 51. 7. The 192nd General Assembly of The United Presbyterian Church In the United States of America, Peacemaking: The Believer's Calling (Louisville, KY: Office of the General Assembly, 1980), 17; www.pcusa.org/resource/peacemaking- believers-calling-text. 8. This article was originally published in Unbound, www.justiceUNBOUND.org.