Kirchengemeinschaft Co-statement from Stephen W. Camp

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

Co-statement
Stephen W. Camp
Conference Minister
Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ

I am honored to share a moment to respond to the excellent presentation that Rev. Christine Busch has just made to us today. As she has talked about the German church’s many resolutions and action in the peace movement and how that ties to justice work, I am compelled to offer a word from my prospective on the subject. In fact my comments will be rather raw and in many ways in the form of questions to us in this gathering.

I would first suggest to you that in the United Church of Christ as well as in the German church, justice is vital work. It is important to remind ourselves that to do peace work we must do justice work. To find peace we must do justice. Justice for us in the UCC is in our DNA. It is a vital part of us and how we see the message of the gospel. I suspect that is true for the German Church too.

As we mourn in America the recent death of Rosa Parks, but also celebrate her life and history making moment, we see a woman who had tired feet and refused to relinquish her seat and by doing so touched off a movement. It suggests that to work for justice results in peace. It is the justice work that we do, that leads us toward the way of peace. Is the work we are doing, the pronouncements and resolution we make leading us to peace?

It begs the question as we discuss these important issues and make our resolutions public, can we see the work of justice within them? And who is missing in our discussions? Who is not around our tables? As we see the violence that has erupted in France and the anger that those young people are displaying, are we recognizing that this behavior is right on the doorstep of the German church? What is the work of justice that we need to do to find the way of peace today?

This is a world that is complicated and growing smaller each day. We are intertwined with one another whether we like it or not. We should ask ourselves constantly, with whom shall we engage to strengthen our partnerships and our resolve to do justice and to bring peace? If we do work for justice, watch what will happen in our churches. We will see God acting in creative ways with us and in our day.

Thanks you Christine for helping us see a clearer way to peace by the way of justice work that you describe.