Seeking Peace

About This Book Welcome. In the pages of this book you will meet people who have embarked on a journey toward peace. These are ordinary folks from around the world who belong to the Anabaptist family of Christians, including Mennonites, Amish, Hutterian Brethren and the Brethren in Christ. Seeking to follow Jesus, they struggle to live out the truth that God loves all people, even the "enemy." This teaching is particularly evident in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7) and his choice to accept death on a cross rather than defend himself or seek vengeance. The Anabaptists believe that followers of Christ must not take the life of another human being, even if it means losing one's own life. The stories in this book struggle with some of the many practical concerns related to this central conviction. The reader will find stories about serving in the military, paying taxes for war, working on military contracts, finding personal safety, and relating to the "enemy." Larger and deeper questions are always present. What happens if one's faith conflicts with loyalty to family and country? How will following Christ's way of peace affect desires for economic well-being, security, and social acceptance? The majority of stories are contemporary. Yet they are all rooted in the history of the Anabaptist movement which arose in the midst of the Protestant Reformation. Sixteenth century Anabaptists emphasized the need for every Christian to claim Jesus as Lord, and to follow Jesus' teaching and example in all aspects of daily life. There was no division between clergy and laity, between private and public life. Adult baptism, nonresistant love, loyalty to the Kingdom of God, faithful discipleship, and evangelism became central concerns. These Anabaptist peoples now number nearly one million members and come from some 60 countries worldwide. For a fuller description of the history and thinking of the Anabaptist movement, we invite the reader to turn to the sources listed in the bibliography at the end of this book. Anabaptist people do not always agree on all applications of peacemaking. Thus, the reader will find some diversity of perspective in these stories. These stories are intended to represent sincerity of conviction rather than uniformity of practice. While this collection of stories is limited to the Anabaptist family, we recognize with gratitude the many stories of faith from other traditions which have nurtured our own commitment to Christ's way of peace. We also want to acknowledge that many Christians do not share the convictions found in the pages of this book. The stories gathered here are not intended as an argument, but rather as the witness of a people who have sought to follow Christ's way of peace, and who have sometimes failed. The primary focus of this book is the question of war and preparations for it. Nevertheless, the ethic of suffering love demonstrated in the life of Jesus extends to all of life. When faithfully lived, it permeates family life and relationships with neighbors. It speaks to how we handle conflict in our church life and business dealings. It influences how tightly we hold to our possessions when threatened with personal violence or harm. Thus, there is still much to learn about following Christ. Let us help one another on this journey toward peace.Peachey, Titus is the author of 'Seeking Peace' with ISBN 9781561480494 and ISBN 1561480495.