wfn.org | Peace Breakfast Draws the Body Politic

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

GA99066 
23-June-1999 
 
              Peace Breakfast Draws the Body Politic 
 
 
FORT WORTH-Wednesday mornings' Presbyterian Peace Fellowship Breakfast at 
the Radisson Hotel brought a capacity crowd to hear theologian, activist 
and author Ched Myers speak.  Myers spoke of many instances of violence 
prevalent in the world today and offered his non-violent solution of the 
"body politic" as the theological center to bring the church together. 
Docetism, that heresy which denies that Christ had a human body and only 
appeared to have died on the cross,  is the functional theology of third 
world countries, he said.  This spiritualization and privatization of faith 
both suppresses and oppresses those who are not empowered to be able to 
take action based upon the physical actions of Jesus, the person.   It is 
up to us, he proposed, to be the "body politic" - the persons who put our 
physical presence on the line in places where we need to make a difference 
in people's lives.  As Jesus said,  "This is my body, given for you,"  so 
we too must stand as a bodily presence to participate in non-violent civil 
rights action which will make a difference for others.   
     Prefacing his remarks with, "there is no violent way to peace,"  Myers 
called for non- violent action as a radical Way of the Cross to resist the 
Temple authorities of our day, as Jesus resisted them in his day.  We must, 
he said, continue to follow the raised body of Jesus Christ as body 
politicians.   
     This Somatic, or Body Theology, is necessary, he said, because "where 
we place our bodies in political space and time makes all the difference." 
Our resolutions and opinions can be ignored, but non-violent mass action 
makes the "war" visible in time and space. He cited that those who made a 
difference were not the thinkers and writers, but the Rosa Parks' who made 
a bodily stand for what they believed.  We accomplish much more by being 
there in body than all our resolutions as we stand with and for those who 
cannot do it for themselves.  "Put your lives on the line," he challenged, 
"and be the Church." 
     The Peace Fellowship also awarded the 1999 Peaceseeker Award to 
Clinton Marsh, professor, pastor, author,  General Assembly and synod 
staff, World Council of Churches representative and 1973 Moderator of the 
General Assembly.  Marsh has been persistent and fearless in his witness 
for peace. 
 
Joanne Hines  

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