The Williston-West Navigator

This is a new day, God, and I thank you for the gift of it. I am thankful to be alive and well, but everything in my life is not in order. I have conflicts within, and the ways of the world trouble me. Sometimes I am afraid and don’t know what to do.

I cannot change the world but I can change myself. I can adjust my attitude that I may live in gratitude. On this day, I am going to be positive in all my actions. I am going to be kind and strong in all my relationships. I am going to be thankful and consciously live the love of Christ as best I can.

When I fall short of this commitment, I will step back and ask your forgiveness as well as the forgiveness of any I have wronged. I will be conscious of your presence within, and go back to spending this one day of my life as your disciple.

Amen

We are at war and by the time you read this only God will know its status and only history will record the truth of this very sad time in our world. The innocents of Iraq, mostly women and children, have already paid a terrible price from their sadistic leader Saddam Hussein. This has been exacerbated from the sanctions placed on them by our country. Given the horror of death and pain they have known, the present generations as well as future generations they will effect, will never live without the nightmare of this time. We know that our overwhelming force will win this battle with Saddam Hussein, but the war will be far from over as we have some larger issues to face in our world community. To win the war will mean for us to stand with these people until structures are in place from within their society that will give them what we have promised – freedom from oppression. The emotional price tag will be high and the financial price tag will be staggering.

We continue to manufacture and perfect weapons of mass destruction as do others like Israel and Great Britain, but like the old Western movies we are the ‘good guys’ so that makes it o.k. What isn’t o.k. is that others like North Korea are doing the same and they are the ‘bad guys’. China is doing the same thing in spades while continuing to foster an abysmal human rights record contrary to our nation. They are presently our friends, for economic reasons and economic reasons only, but what happens when our confrontation is with them? Friendships based on economic agreements are not unlike relationships based on alcohol or other drugs, tenuous at best and never long lasting.

I do not say this lightly. I believe that if we do not find a better way to deal with conflict we will ultimately incinerate this most precious of God’s gifts – our wonderful earthly home. He showed us a new way that leads to eternal life which, if it means anything at all, is a present reality as well as a future hope. Wounded, stripped naked and ridiculed he was nailed to a cross where God stamped his life with victory through the resurrection – God’s yes to life!

Technological sophistication continues to raise the ante and day by day our whole world becomes a more dangerous place. We have learned the unthinkable lesson; that even we who are nested between Canada and Mexico and look out over two magnificent oceans which have protected us since the founding of our great nation, that there is no safe place anymore. This level of sophistication without an examined spiritual balance is truly the enemy we face. This enemy’s first gift to us is a level of fear that impairs judgment. The insidious thing is that this fear works through our souls like an undetected cancer – often discovered when its damage is done and is too late for effective treatment.

There is terrible evil in this world that must be encountered. But where does that encounter begin? It begins by encountering the evil in humanity, evil in ourselves as individuals lest we project our shadows on others. It begins by encountering the evil in us as a nation, recognizing that nations have souls like individuals, lest we project our national shadow on other nations. It is only then that we can proceed with a degree of integrity that will show others, in both word and deed, that we genuinely care for the well being of all humanity. Indeed, it is only then we can care.

I am dismayed when people ask me if I love my country or if I support young men and women in uniform. It is indeed my love of country, my love of life, that calls me to speak out. I don’t even want to think about a summer when I couldn’t dig in the dirt of a garden in Jonesport. I weep for American soldiers going to battle. I weep for American soldiers who pay the ultimate price. I also weep for the Iraqi people and the loss of life they experience, for God created us sisters and brothers. Please know that my first allegiance is to the God I have come to know through Jesus Christ, which I believe is the best gift I can bring to my country because it calls me to the highest order of patriotism.

I pray that as a nation we may gain a long range vision beyond economic expediency that will prevent us from bankrolling despots like Saddam Hussein in the first place – despots who will eventually turn on us because we have turned to them for all the wrong reasons.

War is divisive in the world and fills us with fear. War is divisive in societies who wage war for we come from so many different ideologies. War is divisive in churches for we come from so many different theologies. As church people who love their country, may we first turn to the leader of the church who takes us by the hand and gently leads us on the narrow paths of wholeness for all humanity. His name is Jesus Christ.

The war with Iraq has started, but our peaceful vigil must not be diminished. UCC members and congregations are encouraged to pray daily at noon for peace, to place candles for peace in the windows of your homes and churches, and to continue to be the voice of peace and restraint in a world now gripped in death, violence, and destruction.

…from the U.C.C. Justice and Peace Take Action Web Page www.ucctakeaction.org

The Seeds of Peace Camp, located in Otisfield, Maine, is one of the "branches" of The Olive Tree, Williston-West's international outreach mission. The Seeds of Peace organization is dedicated to empowering the children of war—teenagers who will be the future leaders of their countries—to break the cycle of violence in their homelands.

Last year, in its tenth year of operation, over 450 campers attended summer sessions at the camp. Set in the supportive, relaxed environment of a summer camp in Maine, Seeds of Peace immerses teens from Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Yemen, Tunisia, Cyprus, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Yugoslaia in a month of interaction, leadership training, dialogue and recreation. Campers are selected by officials in their own countries on the basis of their motivation, leadership, and facility with English. Ultimately, the program enables future leaders to get to know one another as people--to put a face and name to their "enemies"-- and to begin to understand each other’s perspectives. Returning home, the teenagers are encouraged to continue their relationships across borders.

The following article is taken from the Seeds of Peace publication, A Decade of Peacemaking, a wonderful example of the impact the camp has on the teens who attend:

"Bashar is a born leader. In Tira, the Arab village where he lives, children follow him down the street, and for years Bashar served as a youth leader of an Arab political party. Since joining Seeds of Peace in 2000, he has also become an outspoken champion of coexistence, meeting with hundreds of schoolchildren and broadcasting his views on CNN and other news media.

The Missions Committee views the Seeds of Peace Camp as an extraordinary organization that is promoting peace in our world through our youth and we believe it deserves our attention and support.

Ah, April. The snow is going away, the leaves will start coming out, crocuses will bloom...and the IRS will be putting their hand out for whatever money you have left after paying for oil and snowplowing this winter! Yes, there’s nothing like tax season to make you wish that winter would last just a LITTLE longer.

As you’re doing your taxes, don’t forget that your donations to the church are tax deductible. That not only includes your pledge dollars, but also contributions to the Deacon’s Fund, to the various special funds that we have during the year, and donations of items for the Christmas Fair. Now comes the disclaimer—you need to consult your own tax expert to determine what is deductible in your own specific situation, since I’m not a qualified tax accountant. However, most donations to an organized church are deductible, so look into it!

A few ideas for your giving in 2003. First, make your donations by check. That will make it easier for you to track your donations when you’re getting ready for next year’s taxes. Also, remember that the more you give, the more you can write off! Another thing to keep in mind is that if you have an item that the church can use, you can often recover as much or more in tax write-offs by donating it than you could by selling it, and without the hassle of advertising, fielding calls, showing the item to people who show up during your dinnertime, etc. We’ve asked the various committees to put together "wish lists" of things that they can use; please look them over and see if you have something gathering dust that they could use!

One of the best ways to make a donation is if you happen to have stock that has appreciated in value (I know, I know...there’s not a lot of that out there right now!). If you sell it, you have to pay taxes on the gain, and then take your tax write-off on the value of cash you give to the church. However, if you give the stock itself, you can write off the same amount without paying the capital gains tax! This would be a wonderful way to make a gift to the church’s endowment, which has lost value over the last two years due to the dropping stock market.

Taxes aren’t anyone’s idea of fun, but it’s nice to know that when you give to Williston West, you not only help keep our mission alive and vibrant, but also can avoid paying as much to the tax man. Now, stop thinking about such an unpleasant subject, and go out to look for crocuses!