Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- The leaders of two mainline Protestant
denominations Dec. 7 sent a pastoral letter to church members supporting
the newly reached Dayton peace accord, stating that the U.S. has a moral
responsibility to use its power positively toward the achievement of peace,
and urging prayer for the peacekeepers and their families.
The letter, sent by the Rev. Richard L. Hamm, general minister and
president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Rev. Paul
H. Sherry, president of the United Church of Christ, urges Congressional
leaders to approve and support U.S. participation in the peacekeeping
force under NATO command.
"We acknowledge that the agreement does not achieve perfect
justice ... Nevertheless, what is most needed now is a secure peace"
offering the opportunity for the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina to
rebuild their lives and society, the leaders wrote. "We affirm the
Dayton peace accord as the most hopeful means to achieve that end."
The leaders also cautioned that the accord does not resolve all of the
questions arising from the conflict, and said that the investigation of war
crimes and violations of human rights should continue.
"Not all issues of the conflict are within the power or authority of the
U.S. to resolve. The one step, however, which at this time is most urgent
and is within U.S. capability, is full participation in the peacekeeping
force," the letter states.
Hamm and Sherry also asked members to pray for the peacekeepers,
their families and the military chaplains from the two denominations.
The 1.5-million-member United Church of Christ, with national
offices in Cleveland, and the 1-million-member Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) with general offices in Indianapolis, have been in an
ecumenical partnership since 1985.
[EDITORS AND PRODUCERS: Here is the full text of the pastoral
letter on peacemaking in Bosnia-Herzegovina, sent Dec. 7 by the Rev.
Richard L Hamm and the Rev. Paul H. Sherry to members of the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ.]
"One of the biblical texts for the Second Sunday of Advent offers a
vision of the day when 'they shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy
mountain; for earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters
cover the sea' (Isaiah 11:9). We welcome with gratitude and hope the
agreement reached in Dayton to end the hurt and destruction that has
consumed Bosnia-Herzegovina in three-and-a-half years of genocidal
inter-communal conflict leaving a quarter million dead, millions displaced
from their ancestral homes, and inflicting intolerable human suffering and
physical destruction. This war has been marked by the most heinous
crimes such as 'ethnic cleansing,' the use of systematic rape as an
instrument of war policy and detention of prisoners in inhuman conditions
of deprivation. To a people weary of waiting amid deep shadows, the
promise of peace is a healing gift of grace.
"The agreement which has been negotiated to maintain
Bosnia-Herzegovina as a single state satisfies some of the essential
aims of each party and involves some concessions by each. We
acknowledge that the agreement does not achieve perfect justice in
light of the reprehensible evils which have occurred. In truth, no solution
could justly compensate the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina for all they
have endured. Nevertheless, what is most needed now is a secure peace,
offering the opportunity for their lives and their society to be rebuilt. We
affirm the Dayton peace accord as the most hopeful available means to
achieve that end. While any peacekeeping effort means significant risks
in this volatile region, the humanitarian need to stop the genocide and
ethnic cleansing and to build the capacity for multi-national peacekeeping
operations makes the risks worth taking. At this time, therefore, it is
crucially important that all concerned support and contribute to the full
implementation of the peace accord.
"As Congress now considers the question of U.S. participation in the
peacekeeping force under NATO command and at the invitation of the
governments directly involved, we consider a decision to approve and
support that participation to be imperative. The U.S. leadership role in the
world today places on it the moral responsibility to use its power
positively toward the achievement of peace. This goal at the same time
serves indispensably the vital interests of the U.S. as well as of all peoples
of the world. The successful implementation of the peace accord in
Bosnia-Herzegovina is essential not only for the welfare of those directly
concerned, but also for the prevention of any further extension of this
conflict, as well as for the establishment of a positive precedent for the
resolution of disputes elsewhere by negotiation rather than by force.
"The Dayton accord does not finally resolve all questions arising
from the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. For one, the investigation of
war crimes and violations of human rights, leading to prosecution and
punishment of those guilty, is still in progress and should continue. Not all
issues of the conflict are within the power or authority of the U.S. to
resolve. The one step, however, which at this time is most urgent and is
within U.S. capability, is full participation in the peacekeeping force. This
step, of course involves great sacrifice for the soldiers who will be going
to Bosnia-Herzegovina and for their families. The separation from loved
ones, and anxiety for their safety, is particularly difficult during the
Christmas celebration. We ask you to remember especially the members of
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ
who will be serving as peacekeepers, their families, and the military
chaplains of our two churches who will help care for them.
"Finally, let us remember that the true peace we yearn for is in the
Christ whose birth we celebrate and whose coming we await. As our
nation prepares to take on the risks of peacemaking for the sake of
vulnerable and hurting sisters and brothers in Bosnia-Herzegovina let us
prepare ourselves for the One who comes as our judge and our savior, that,
in the words of Paul, we may be filled with all joy and peace in
believing ... abounding in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit'" (Romans
15:13).
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