Baptist World Alliance

Despite the recent act of terror carried out in England this month, later this week some friends of mine and thousands of other Baptists will converge on Birmingham, England to celebrate the Baptist World Conference. Below is an email I sent to one of those friends and his wife...


Grace and peace to you!

Irie and I are so very disappointed that we were unable to attend the Baptist World Congress with you, Ardelle and our many friends in the Baptist world. In these times of conflict, terror, war and rumors of war I am confident that the hope of the world rests in the coming together of believers for the purposes of promoting peace, justice, fellowship and reconciliation among the nations.

Two weeks ago I sat on the bed with Irie as she wept for the sons and daughters of England. I too was moved with shock, fear and anger. I was at first impressed with the level of calm Tony Blair and the rest of the British people displayed in their reaction to the bombings. However, on the heals of this week's innocent shooting of an apparently innocent Brazilian suspect and the purported "shoot to kill" policy now under effect in Britain, my hopes for a peacable end to these crimes has dimmed. I fear that we are now truly living in a state of suspended ethics - just what the terrorists want.

But, as BWA officials have again and again declared over these past two weeks, it is in God that we trust! For it is in God that we have our hope, our peace and even our very being.

I preached the Sunday after the first set of London bombings. It was the first time in my young career in which I have had to step into the pulpit following an event of national or international horror. The lectionary text for the day was the Parable of the Sower. The parable of a farmer, who in spite of all common sense, goes out to scatter his seed even in the most unlikely of places. On the road, on the hard surface, amongst the thistles. Perhaps Christ will do just this in Birmingham. Perhaps he will indeed be just crazy enough to sow the kingdom of God into the hearts and minds of a violent world. And perhaps he might be just crazy enough to grow it also...

In preparation I recalled that wonderful prayer of Saint Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
Where there is sadness, joy...

Hardy, I am thankful you, Ardelle and the rest of our Baptist friends have not lost the courage to sow the kingdom of God. And I pray your works will bear fruit some one hundred, some sixty and some thirty fold.

I am glad to be your partner and look forward to the pickin'.

Peace in Christ and love to you both,

Ryon