Sanctuaries: JUST PEACE

Photo Credit: Kiều Trường-Pixabay

Forty years ago in 1985, the United Church of Christ declared itself a “Just Peace” church. At the biennial national General Synod, delegates voted on a resolution that outlined what that meant for our denomination as a whole in terms core values for programming and outreach, and of shaping future social justice resolutions.  It’s not a requirement in the UCC that all churches and regional conferences uphold that resolution as if it were a doctrinal law.  Rather, they take it into serious consideration as it whether they too, as independent entities, want to embrace the same values. And, with intentional study and discernment, and a corporate vote, they can declare that “Just Peace” is part of their core values and identity.

As I look forward into  2025, for the first time in my life, I fear the potential for another world war is at its highest peak.  We talk a lot about PEACE during this time of year, yearning and praying for it, but in its corporate wisdom 40 years ago, the UCC attached a second word to it, “JUST,” meaning not just peace alone. Not just peace that can easily slide toward a peace where everyone retreats into their caves of denial and bias, so no one’s feelings are hurt or no boats are rocked…but rather, PEACE needs to be marked by JUSTICE…not just anything that might pass for peace…but a JUST PEACE.

So, as I’ve been trying not to let my fears or anxiety paralyze me and instead find ways to keep myself engaged and rooted in hope and my joy, I’ve been thinking about what kind of sanctuary a JUST PEACE sanctuary would look like for me. I’ve come up with a helpful acronym for myself in guiding my own actions when trying to create or maintain peace.

First, when I am making, creating, contributing to PEACE, I will ask: What needs to be Justified. By justified, I don’t mean defended or rationalized. I mean corrected, or brought into alignment, reconciled. Depending on what type of peace I’m concerned with, I need to discern just what is in my power and my responsibility.  If I’m concerned with world peace, for example, I probably have little influence on that big stage.  So, I need to discern where I do have influence and ability to contribute to justification of whatever is out of whack, off track, out of alignment. I may also realize that in any given conflict, I may or I may not have responsibility. My working for a just peace may be realizing that despite my own discomfort and desire to fix things, I need to stay out of it, to detach, thus empowering those responsible to work out their own justifying, or deal with their own consequences of misalignment.

Second, peacemaking involves Understanding. Mutuality and empathy are built when I try to increase my understanding of all the sides of conflict. This involves setting aside my own agenda and trying to listen to perspectives that I may not share. I can try to hear and experience where the other person comes from.

Third, peace may be sustained through creating Structure. If peace relies simply on a good feeling or everyone being cool, calm and collected, then it will be short-lived and superficial.  A true deep and abiding peace can only be achieved with structures in place: structures of realigned systems, structures that bring consistency and outline healthy boundaries and accountability, yet also can stay flexible and adaptive to new eras and needs.

And finally, Trust.  All these previous things: justification, understanding, and structure, help to build the necessary TRUST to enable peace to be maintained.  If they break down, then trust breaks down…and peace is lost.  The previous three will need to be revisited and assessed for peace to be regained. Questions will need to be asked: is there something new that needs to be justified, something new or old that is out of alignment? Is there a new motivation or value or problem that needs to be understood with an open mind?  Is there a structure that needs to be adapted, torn down or rebuilt to address new needs?  Are we still in trusted covenant with each other to address these?

Building, creating, or contributing to a real PEACE need these four building blocks: Justification, Understanding, Structure, and Trust.  So, let’s understand that not just any peace will do in 2025….but we need a JUST PEACE.  Let’s each find our own ways, large or small, to contribute.