Jan u ary 23,1991 -T h e Portland O b s erv er- Page 3
Portland Observer
by Mattie Ann Callier-Spears
RELIGION
SCRIPTURE OF THE
WEEK:
II CORINTHIANS 9:7-15
UMs Pray For Peace Speedy End To War
Last-minute pleas for continued
negotiations in the Persian Ga»» uavniv
failed United Methodists Jan. 17 of­
fered prayers for a speedy end to the
conflict with a minimum loss of life
and destruction on both sides, and voiced
hopes for future peace.
It was generally agreed that Sad­
dam Hussein had to be dealt with, but
some persons interviewed by United
Methodist News Service questioned
whether all diplomatic avenues had been
exhausted. Several voiced hope that
the fighting could be ended and peace
negotiations resume.
Also cited was the need to put the
conflict in the context of broader Middle
East issues, avoiding the appearance of
a “ religious” war. A warning about
violation of Arab-Americans' civil lib­
erties was sounded.
Prayers were asked on behalf of
military personnel and their families
on both sides of the conflict, as well as
for civilians killed or wounded.
“ We should have tired other dip­
lomatic and economic opportunities,”
said Bishop Leroy C. Hodappk, Indian­
apolis, presidentof the Council of Bish­
ops. “ Since that obviously is not the
case now, I hope the whole thing can be
settled quickly with as little involve­
ment of ground forces and loss of life as
possible.
“ Saddam Hussein had to be dealt
with, but I would hope that, in the
future, injustice could be handled in
some way other than militarily.”
Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, San
Francisco, secretary o f the Council of
Bishops and a prominent figure in the
church’s effort lor peace, said he had
hoped the United States would “ have
used more restraint and patience. Now
that war has begun, I pray for a speedy
end...I call for an immediate cease­
fire...(and) appeal to all parties to re­
turn to the negotiating table.”
James W. Holsinger Jr., chief
medical director of the U.S. Depart­
ment o f Veterans Affairs in Washing­
ton and lay leader of the Virginia An­
nual Conference, said, “ Force is the
last resort we have in dealing with
international affairs, but since we live
in an imperfect world, the use of force
to maintain civility among nations
sometimes is required.”
James A. Harrell Sr., Elkin, N.C.,
dentist, former Elkin mayor and lay
leader of the Western North Carolina
Conference, voiced a similar view. “ We
all hate war,” he said, “ but when you
look at it from the long view...President
Bush has done the correct thing and I
fully support him .”
Another North Carolina United
Methodist layman took a unique ap­
proach. Paul Hardin III, chancellor of
the University of North Carolina, said a
Jan. 16 basketball game between the
Tarheels and archrival North Carolina
State was postponed because “ this is a
moment (in which) our lives are chang­
ing, not a moment to play basketball.”
Ronald Williams, a member of A.P.
Shaw United Methodist Church in
Washington, said, “ As a Christian, I
think we could have waited this thing
out and let sanctions take their toll.
Maybe giving the sanctions a little more
time to work would have been more
effective than war and massive bomb­
ing on a continuing basis.”
Madison Street United Methodist
Church in Clarksville, Tenn., is about
five miles from Fort Campbell, KY.,
from which 19,000 troops have been
sent to Saudi Arabia. The church has
about 75 military families in its mem­
bership or constituency, and a large
number of military civilian employees.
The Rev. John Collett, pastor, said
a fellowship supper was in progress
when news of the attack broke. The
dinner was dismissed, most of the group
went to the sanctuary for prayer, and
calls were made to spouses of Gulf
troops.
“ I had hoped that options other
than military action could have been
used,” Collett said, “ but have been
pleased that the action has been one
trying to seek objectives with a mini­
mum loss of life on both sides. "Bishop
Joseph H. Yeakel, leader of the church’s
Washington Area, said he was “ sad­
dened by President Bush’s decision that
diplomacy in the Persian Gulf has failed
and the time for war has come. I call
upon all citizens to continue to pray for
peace, for the earliest possible cesastio
of hostilities, and that all parties will
return to the negotiating table under
auspices of the United Nations."
Sue Robinson, a Board of Global
Ministries’ area executive for Africa,
the Middle East and Europe, said she
was “ dismayed” at the U.S. attack.
“ We need to withdraw most of the
troops and let other nations, particu­
larly the Arab nations, take leadership
in negotiating a settlement.”
Robinson called an international
peace conference on the Middle East,
beginning with Palestine, “ an abso­
lutely necessary thing to do.” The fear
of the Palestinians is that “ under the
cover o f war the Israelis will take them
over the Jordan and just dump them.”
The Rev. Joe Hale, Lake Junaluska,
N.C., general secretary of the World
Methodist Council, also put the con­
flict in the wider context of the Middle
East issues.
“ The most decisive and swift
military victory imaginable will nei­
ther address nor resolve the problems
that will remain in the Gulf and in the
Middle East,” he said. “ I am further
concerned the action in the Gulf not be
perceived as Christians, Muslims and
Jews fighting each other.
“ Just as the ill-conceived crusades
severely crippled the Church for hun­
dreds of years, in our time of ‘fax’...(and)
scenes of blood and killing instantly
depicted in vivid color on television, a
war thought of in terms of a conflict
between religions would be devastat­
ing,” Hale said.
The Rev. Thom White Wolf Fas-
sett, general secretary of the Board of
Church and Society, warned about
“ another kind of violence now being
reported on an hourly basis regarding
the suspension of civil liberties for Arab-
Americans” because of fears of terror­
ism.
“ We decry any acts of racism that
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Dr. James E. Martin, Senior Pastor
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M A R A N A T H
A
C H U R C H
statement saying that “ Operation Des­
ert Storm may be a success for ad­
vanced military technology, but the
resort to war retlects a failure for the
human spirit.”
On Capitol Hill in Washington,
the United M ethodist B uilding’s
Simpson Chapel was offered to mem­
bers of Congress and Supreme Court
justices, their staffs, and others as a
place for prayers for peace. The United
Methodist Building is adjacent to the
SupremeCourt, U.S. Capitol and Sena­
tor’s offices.
The president of the Uniting church
in Australia’s Assembly,
a body that includes Methodists in
that country, called the decision to begin
military action “ terribly wrong.” His­
tory, said Sir Ronald Wilson, “ will
condemn us for having allowed na­
tional pride an self-interest-to dictate
the course of events.”
Bishop Jack M. Tuell, Los Ange­
les, called on all 410 United Methodist
congregations in Southern California
and Hawaii to open their churches for
daily prayer during the crisis.
Bishop C.P. Minnick Jr., Raleigh,
N.C., had asked each of the 844 United
Methodist Churches in the eastern part
of the state to have someone at the altar
between noon and 1 p.m. Jan. 14.
In Albany, Calif., the independent
Methodist Federation for Social Action
conducted a service to exercise “ the
spirits of militarism from the leader­
ship of the U.S. government.”
Colors. ..continued from
Wigland
’’Before You Must"
discriminate against a national group­
ing of peoples in the United States
during these most critical times,” he
said.
The president and deputy general
secretary of the Board of Global Minis­
tries’ World Division expressed con­
cern in a joint statement issued Jan. 17
for “ the magnitude of the warfare to be
employed against populations of th
region and the potential for violence
that threatens the whole world.”
Bishop J. Lloyd Knox, Birming­
ham, Ala., president, and the Rev. Robert
J. Harman, New York, staff executive,
called for “ sensitivity to those for whom
the burden of war is an additional injus­
tice, especially the large numbers of
persons of color in the ranks of the
voluntary army of the United States.”
They urged churches to provide special
care for families of military personnel
and those who conscientiously oppose
participation.
The National Council of Churches
announced that leaders of 32 Christian
and Orthodox bodies, including the
United Methodist Church, have approved
a nine-point strategy for an inter church
response to the war.
Included is a pastoral ministry to
civilians and military personnel, and
humanitarian aid to displaced persons
and other victims of the fighting. Church
World Service estimates that refugees
needing help will number in the mil­
lions.
James A. Hamilton, the United
Methodist who is NCC general secre­
tary, and other NCC leasers issued a
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Universal cries of Mourning will re­
sound to the Heavens with Prayers that
find their way to God who weeps for us
all!
We have not pursued a reck­
less road to violence.
The facts are with us, and we
m ust strive to keep ourselves constantly
informed.
My prayers for peace are raised
with yours. We all pray that the true
colors of war will be washed, and we’ll
emerge crystal clear, shimmering through
the kaleidoscope of our own tears into a
future rainbow.
Upon that rainbow we can build
a bridge toward each other...a bridge of
hope, not despair.
The power of war is awesome,
but not more so than the power of prayer,
united, to bring a swift truce to those of
us who will take up arms to preserve the
balance of a world in peace with its
neighbors, abhorring terrorism and the
carnage of human life in a reckless
disregard for anything. Acquisition of
one’s neighbor by force must be met
with requisition. When peaceful means
have been exhausted and the aggressor
threatens further forceful acquisition,
we proceed to beat our plowshares into
swords.
“ Proclaim ye this among the
Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the
mighty men, let all the men of war draw
near; let them come up;
“ Beat your plowshares into
swords, and your pruning hooks into
spears: let the weak say, 1 am strong.
“ Assemble yourselves, and
come, all ye heathen, and gather your­
selves together round about: thither
page two
cause thy mighty ones to come down, O
Lord.
“ Let the heathen be wakened,
and come up to the valley of Jehos-
haphat: for there will 1 sit to judge all
the heathen round about.”
Joel 3:9,10
For those who would seek the
ultimate peace, however, the bible of­
fers anothermiracle in its healing power
through the words of the prophet Isaiah
(Isaiah 2:4) which are repeated word-
for-word in the final chapters of the Old
Testament, which arc then followed by
the New Testament!
These are the culminating
words for peace triumphant:
“ And he shall judge among
many people, and rebuke strong nations
afar off; and they shall beat their
swordsinto plowshares and their spears
into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift
up a sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war any more.
“ But they shall sit every man
under his vine and his fig tree; and none
shall make them afraid; for the mouth
of the Lord o f hosts hath spoken i t
‘ ‘For all people will walk every
one in the name of his god, and we will
walk in the name of the Lord our God
for ever and ever.”
Micah 4:3-5
Note: The True C olorsofW arisan on­
going series o f articles written by Dr. A.
Lee Henderson, written exclusively fo r
the PortlandObserver. Dr. Henderson,
a widely published author, is complet­
ing his new b o o k,' 'Crisis, Conflict, and
Challenge' ’, which will be published in
1991.
St. Paul Missionary
Baptist Church
8101 N. Fiske Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97203
hurch Phone: 289-0147
Study Phone:289-1911
Sunday Service
10:45
Sunday School
9:30
Bible Study
6:00
Evening Service
7:00 P.M.
Pastor, Rev. James C.E. Faulkner
Theme: Whatever you're going
to do for the Lord, do it now.
1 Peter i v .ll