Volume 13, Issue 6

Live Peaceably with All

Cover Stories

The Cosmic Justice of Peace
By Rev. Candace Chellew
“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Those words always comfort me when I come face to face with the rudeness and often downright meanness of this world.

Making Peace with Ourselves
By Lincoln Rose
Perhaps that’s a core component of loving neighbors and living peacefully. Giving a fair ear to people, even when we know (or suspect) that they might not have good intentions.

God Is Coming… And Is She Pissed!
By Lori Heine
A popular slogan for the Civil Rights era said, “No peace without justice.” Any attempt to establish peace without justice, as President Obama’s favorite theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr made clear, will end in tyranny and result in neither justice nor peace. We ignore such warnings at our own peril.

One Word for the Whole World
By Rev. Vera I. Bourne
If we truly seek to live peaceably in a world that has forsaken peace, then we must put aside all judgements concerning the words or actions of others, all thoughts of revenge and any lack of forgiveness.

Breaking the Chains
By John H. Campbell
A search on Google News for the word “War” yields an astounding 259,641,747 results; by contrast, a search for “Peace” yields a mere 104,361 — a shockingly infinitesimally small number by comparison. That to me speaks volumes about where our societal psyche seems to be presently residing lately, and it’s not a very happy place.

And We Bring Help and Peace
By Rev. Suzie Chamness
Love is the greatest technique for bringing peace. We bring peace when we begin loving others as Christ loved us.

Features

Are You Sure We’re Not a Christian Nation?
By Dr. Robert N. Minor
There’s nothing in any of the New Testament about any effort to turn the Roman Empire into a Christian nation.

Study: Welcoming Congregations More Active on Issues of Social Justice
More than half of clergy in welcoming congregations reported that the welcoming process helped their congregation to witness and act on other social justice issues.

The Decline of the Culture Wars
By Martin E. Marty
The one issue in the culture wars that still has energy is “gay marriage” — “same-sex unions,” and the like.

The Religious Violence of “Defending Marriage”
By Jon Pahl
A true defense of marriage would not involve mean-spirited exclusions, but would embrace practical policies that strengthen deep trust and support families facing economic challenges.

Misogyny, Homophobia, Racism and Xenophobia
By Rev. Dr. Jerry S. Maneker
Gay men are likely viewed with far more revulsion by misogynists than are lesbians because the former aren’t viewed by many misogynists as “real men” …

Mainline Called Uncounted Force for Change
By John Dart
A majority (56 percent) of mainline clergy identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party, compared to about one-third (34 percent) who claim a Republican affiliation, according to the study, released March 6 by Public Religion Research.

Some Afterthoughts on Bishop Gene Robinson’s Pre-Inaugural Prayer
By Rev. Dr. Jerry S. Maneker
In my opinion, Bishop Robinson’s behavior in the context of the inauguration was not that of a “called-out” messenger of God.

Letters to the Editor

From the Pulpit

A Holy Whole
By Rev. Candace Chellew
Our often bitter and violent divisions over faith are not God’s will for our lives. Instead, we are to be reconciled — made a holy whole — with God through Jesus’ message.

Where’s Your Jesus Now?
By Rev. Candace Chellew
Just as Jesus walked with those disciples, unrecognized until the breaking of the bread, God continues to walk with us and watch over us. Even in our distress, Jesus is present.

Bible Study

Love One Another
By Louie Crew
Jesus introduced a new commandment, superseding all others: that we love one another. What does that love look like?

Salt and Light
By Rev. Micah Royal
In the ancient world both salt and light were important commodities.

Holy Humor

You Might Be a Unitarian Universalist If…

A Star in the East?