Glen Guyton is executive director of Mennonite Church USA
Ephesians 2:14-16 The Inclusive Bible
For Christ is our peace; who made both groups into one and has broken the barrier of hostility that kept us apart. In his own flesh, Christ has abolished the law, with its commands and ordinances, in order to make the two into one new person, thus establishing peace, and reconciling us all to God in one body through the cross, which put to death enmity between us.
Philippians 3:20 The Inclusive Bible
But we have our citizenship in heaven; it’s from there that we eagerly await the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ
In 2013 when Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, our message was “Citizens of God’s Kingdom, Healed in Hope.” At the time, our nation and our church was divided over political rhetoric and the treatment of immigrants, primarily from Mexico. Many of our Hispanic members did not feel safe and chose not to attend the national convention.
In 2016, as our church prepared for the national convention in Orlando, 49 people from the LGBTQ community were killed, and 53 were wounded in the Pulse nightclub shooting. MC USA staff responded with a letter of sympathy. We received mixed reactions to the shootings. There were divided cries from the members of MC USA, some for compassion and some cries that the deaths were deserved.
In 2020, our nation erupted in violence because of continued murders of Black people by those in power. When MC USA proclaimed that the lives of Black people mattered, some cheered and some jeered. The church, like much of society, was divided – so much so that an expression of love and compassion was debatable. It is only through God’s love for all of humanity that peace is possible. The divisions within our own church have demonstrated how we have failed to love one another and be a peace witness to the God that loves us all.
At the start of 2021, we saw violence erupt at our nation’s capital as protestors stormed the Capitol Building. We are not used to this as Americans. We take pride in our democracy, especially as demonstrated through the peaceful transfer of power. We tend to think violence like this happens in other nations, not here. But today, the privilege and moral authority of the United States has been diminished.
I admire the early Anabaptists who resisted wrapping themselves in the cloak of nationalism, but who wrapped themselves in the living Word of God. We are reminded today that true peace cannot be found at men’s feet, but it can only be found at the foot of the cross.
We have, indeed, done violence to one another by using partisan political positions as a litmus test for Christian faithfulness.I want to caution us. There is a danger in thinking that what we saw on Capitol Hill today is a problem that others have. The broader Evangelical community wrapped themselves in the flag of God and country, blindly worshipping political icons. This worldly movement has even spilled over to our Anabaptist communities. The reality is the polarization and division around political ideologies cuts through MC USA congregations and conferences as well. We have, indeed, done violence to one another by using partisan political positions as a litmus test for Christian faithfulness. We must repent if we want to live fully into our calling as peacemakers.
Today, like many other days, is a time for MC USA to live into its witness as a peace church.
Today is a time for us to remember that our citizenship and identity in Christ supersedes our political and national identity. Today is a time for us not only to pray for peace but to be agents of peace. We must disengage from destructive rhetoric and political ideologies and preach the new humanity that is obtained via our union to the risen savior. God is in control, and God is bigger than our fears, our biases and self-righteousness. Please take the time to stop and pray with your friends and family members today. Let us overtly love our neighbor and move beyond differences that divide us as a nation and a church.
Thank you for these excellent words, Glen. This is indeed a very sad day for all of us. We do belong to the kingdom of God as citizens and belong not to any ideology or nation. Ours is a ministry of peace and reconciliation. I pray that something good can come from this shameful attack. Thank you again.
So well stated. Thank you, Glen.
Thank you for a reminder to all of us who follow Jesus to actually live as Jesus called us to live. I appreciate the prayer you included in your message.
“Love your enemies”. For those enemies who acknowledge their wrong is not so hard. But how do we love those enemies who still believe the lies. How do we seek for justice and love at the same time. We have not chosen an easy path. Each moment we must ask ourselves how in this situation will I seek justice and show love.
Thank-you Glen for being open and honest about your understandings of the realities we face in our churches in this 21st century. I agree with you completely.
Thank you for these inspiring words, my brother. God bless you as you continue to serve us as Executive Director.
Thank you, Glen, for reminding us to be true peacemakers; for calling out the violence among us, and for summoning us to always love our enemies.
Thank you Glen for so eloquently reframing yesterday’s events into a broader conversation of the divide threatening the MC USA, families, and the country. Well said.
Thank you Glen for your calming words. Calm in dialogue is what is needed today from our highest government officials to our neighbors and ourselves. At the same time we must hold true to our beliefs, both spiritual and civil until reason moves us to change.
Keith Mullett
Fort Collins, CO
Glen, I deeply appreciate how you espouse/express the basic principles of your CHOSEN Anabaptist faith more accurately/eloquently than many of us “cradle” Mennos could/would. Only 4yo when the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack occurred, I absorbed the peace church theology/ethics of higher loyalty in the context of WW2–when Mennos, still largely focused inwardly, often equated our sectarian nonconformity with God’s kingdom. Today, as we rightly work for peace/justice in the larger social/political system, we face the opposite danger–identifying too closely with partisan hopes/fears of particular sides as they struggle to win in the decision-making centers of power.
All healing is a miracle, whether or not it is enabled with the help of medical resources and all the other tools that God enables through our efforts. Now the soul of yet another nation needs to recover, and marshaling the participation of all the members of the community is necessary for this to succeed.
But I also yearn for the recovery of trust, hope, and a renewed confidence in justice for us as individual humans. Many of us have been personally shaken by the recent events; our optimism, our faith, has been gravely injured in some cases. It’s definitely OK to talk about the state of our own well-being and not just that of society, and to give voice to this in our prayers.
Powerful letter. I am increasingly alarmed at the state of idolatry in our world, loving everything but God and neighbor, worshiping everything but our Lord. I pray that we can all refocus on love and Jesus and not much more. May God’s Kingdom and only God’s Kingdom reign.
[…] Response to the Attack on U.S. Capitol […]
Thank you for your leadership through difficult times. I appreciate these encouraging words and reminders of in whom we really should be placing our faith.
Thank you to John David Kenny and to Glen Guyton. Your statements remind us that we have good leadership in our church and conference. I thank God for your well-written statements and leadership.
Thank you for the way in which you lead our church in the way of Jesus Christ. I pray that I follow my own words with actions.
Thank you for your leadership and statement calling us to repentance and encouraging us to move beyond differences to love and care for one another.
Amen!