In a world reeling from the escalation of conflict with Iran, our mission as a community of faith has never been more vital. We ground ourselves in the radical pursuit of God’s unconditional love, justice, and extravagant welcome—values that stand in stark opposition to the drums of war beating across the globe.
While political rhetoric often masks the truth, we must be courageous enough to name the sickness at the core of this “insane” violence: greed. Whether it is the pursuit of resources, the expansion of hegemony, or the profits of the military-industrial complex, this war is fueled by a desire for power that treats human life as a line item on a ledger.
As followers of a Way that prioritizes the “least of these,” we recognize that greed is a form of idolatry that demands the sacrifice of the innocent.
We believe a fundamental, uncomfortable truth: Peace cannot be achieved by killing other people’s children. The cycle of “an eye for an eye” leaves the whole world blind. Every missile launched and every life extinguished in a distant land is a tear in the fabric of our shared humanity. To advocate for “extravagant welcome” means acknowledging that a child in Tehran is as precious to God as a child in our own pews. Justice is not found in the wreckage of cities, but in the restoration of relationships and the equitable sharing of the earth’s abundance.
Our Demand: Stop the War Now.
The violence must end immediately. We call for an urgent ceasefire and a pivot toward diplomacy rooted in humility rather than hubris.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
Let us pray with our feet, with our voices, and with our votes. Let us demand that our leaders choose the path of life over the profits of death.
Shalom, Paul
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (Prayer for Peace)
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.