Peace Rooted in Justice
Luke Dowding, CEO, attended The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America - Bautistas por la Paz in July. He writes:
Peace rooted in justice was the theme for the fortieth anniversary of The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America - Bautistas por la Paz, celebrated at the annual Peace Camp gathering. This year the event was hosted at Mars Hill University, North Carolina USA, bringing together Baptist peacemakers from across North America. BPFNA is one of the few Baptist organisations that is not only affirming of LGBT+ people, but has been for decades, and so it was a pleasure to be invited to attend the conference, contribute to the programme, and learn new things alongside some new friends.
I first became connected with BPFNA thanks to the work of their Executive Director, Jason Smith, who I met when he worked for the Alliance of Baptists. It became clear that Jason was a strong ally for our shared cause, and quickly became an advocate for our work in connecting progressive Baptists around the world.
The theme of Peace Camp this year was described as:
"Peace Rooted in Justice," inspired by the parable of the sower in Mark 4:1-9, invites us to a deep reflection on the essential connection between peace, justice and care for our environment, fundamental pillars in our effort to achieve reconciliation and harmony. Through this parable, Jesus teaches us how the act of sowing resembles sharing the message of the kingdom of God, where the sower symbolizes those committed to spreading the Good News and working to establish peace and justice in our society, our world. The seeds, which have different fates depending on where they fall, represent the variety of human responses and the diverse social circumstances we face.
I was delighted to contribute to this thoughtful and necessary programme by leading a workshop entitled: “LGBTQ+ Justice: Sowing Global Seeds”, sharing about our work as we grow internationally and build out our programmes for a broader audience. Using the language of the prophetic voice and drawing on the wisdom of justice found in the book of Esther, we explored one of the core principles of our shared faith: that we are working towards a reconciliation with God, living in the kingdom of God, which is both now and not yet.
It might seem like global peace has never been further from our collective grasp, and so it won’t be a surprise that Israel and Gaza weighed heavily on hearts and minds at this gathering. The desire for justice to be known, and for peace to be restored to the Holy Land, so that the oppressed can go free and that no one need live in fear for their lives.
Being a bilingual organisation, it was clear that BPFNA keenly appreciates the necessity in understanding intersectional identities – particularly when the rhetoric around immigration particularly from Mexico remains so divisive. Applying this commitment to recognising the whole self of someone, not as distinct parts but holistically, demonstrates BPFNA’s unique insight into issues of justice and how to collaboratively and progressively approach peacebuilding.
OneBodyOneFaith continues to enjoy the dynamic growth of our partnerships with organisations of shared values, all over the world. With thanks to support from BPFNA for the cost of my conference ticket and accommodation, and generous donations by Baptist individuals and groups, as well as our own grant-funding and gracious legacies, we were able to participate in this conference and take a lot away too. I’m hopeful that this will continue to build on our relationships with Jason and the whole team, and that we can continue to be an organisation that brings people together, from all traditions and denominations.
