At the recent Lake Junaluska Peace Conference sponsored by the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, spokespeople from various faiths offered an interreligious perspective on peacemaking. The annual event was held November 8-11 at Lake Junaluska Conference Center.
The Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette opened the ceremonies with a rousing speech. The Candler School of Theology Distinguished Scholar shared his insights and experiences as a prominent leader of the civil rights movement, where he proved to be a master strategist of nonviolent activism. He instructed, “First, the thing with nonviolence is you’ve got to work on yourself.” “I can understand not attacking your enemies, but love your enemies?” he rhetorically inquired, “The purpose is transformation…Once people become transformed, they join your movement.”
Just as prominent was Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee. She inspired the audience with her account of how she helped end Liberia’s civil wars.
An interfaith roundtable discussion on the second day of the conference was among the highlights, with five distinct voices offering their own opinions on the role of nonviolence within religion.
Representing the Jewish tradition was Batsheva Meiri, a female rabbi. “Our core narrative as Jewish people…is the Exodus,” she stated, “We are told, ‘Be kind to the stranger, because you know the heart of the stranger.’” Meiri surmised, “When people perpetuate violence on another person, it’s because they don’t know the heart of that other person.”
Perhaps the most intriguing presentation came from Ahmed Amara regarding the Muslim position on peacemaking. Amara asserted “the very word ‘Islam’ means ‘peace.’ It is the Arabic equivalent to ‘Shalom.’” Muhammad, who was born into a bloody society, brought in principles of “agree to disagree” and “a way of peace” due to his revelations. According to one passage from Muhammad’s sayings, “if you don’t agree with your opponents, turn away from them.” “He preferred treaties and agreements more than reactions and retaliations,” Amara contended. He also reported, “The Koran taught Mohammad to be kind to all people around him.”
Alan Storey of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa closed the ceremony with a Sunday morning service. He opened with a reinterpretation of the Noah’s Ark story, musing especially on the fear that had to overtake those left outside in the Deluge. Storey demanded empathy for these victims, since only faulty logic makes the distinction between “righteous” and “wicked” people, noting, “Once the flood had subsided, wickedness remained.” Storey contended, “God’s war on terror became a war of terror…And God repents.” Storey’s goal of challenging the audience continued, “It is impossible to be a peacemaker if we serve a violent God.” He considered the thought process behind the belief that “evil people” are “cast into Hell” was “nothing more than hate speech.” “God can do all things except use violence successfully,” Storey added.
At the end of the conference, attendees emerged from the auditorium and into the crisp air full of ideas shared by speakers with a wealth of experience and hardships; they walked to their vehicles and went about their days individually. The success or failure of the ideas shared may only become apparent in the days ahead, but for one beautiful weekend, Lake Junaluska reveled in the idea of peace and nonviolence and how those principles can change the world.
