The Just Peace Exploratory Team of Friedens United Church of Christ was authorized by our church’s council in July 2020 to embark on a journey of discernment toward proclaiming that Friedens is a Just Peace Church.

The UCC Just Peace designation, “focuses attention on alleviating systemic injustice of all types using non-violence and calls us to offer the message, grounded in the hope of reconciliation in Jesus, that “Peace is possible.” Learn more here, from the UCC.

In the coming weeks and months, the Friedens Just Peace Exploratory team, or “JPET” for short, will offer opportunities for members and friends of Friedens to continue and enrich our peace-seeking and justice-doing ministries in our communities, and we seek new ways to love and serve like Jesus by learning more about insidious forms of injustice that stand in the way of ushering in God’s kin-dom in the here and the now.

If you would like to hear more about our Just Peace work, please contact team lead, Adam Hayden.

We begin this month with our educational initiatives by kicking off an exciting series organized by team member, Janet Raker. In this post, Janet describes her project, Peaceful Prose.

About 20 years ago, I used what I thought was an innocent phrase in a conversation with my youngest daughter, Kelli. She pointed out my phrase was offensive to women. I had never thought twice about using that phrase and made the decision to try to not ever use it again. As I’ve learned the origins of many other words and phrases, I know my language will never be perfect but have vowed to at least try to do better.

I genuinely believe most of us want to be sensitive and treat people with empathy. However, many of our commonly used terms or phrases actually have racist, sexist, or otherwise distasteful origins. While we may not intend to cause harm with our language, it’s important that we take the time to explore how our language is ingrained in our culture and our language’s history.

One of the smallest things we can do toward creating more equity in our community is changing any unintentionally harmful words we say to make our language more inclusive and welcoming.

Our language reflects our attitudes, thinking, and how we view people around us, regardless of whether we know its history and origin or not.  The goal is not to feel shame, as I did, but to consider if we want to choose to revise some of the words we use, or not use them at all.  Language also changes over time and is experienced differently depending on our cultural background, and our word choices(s) can make a difference. 

As Friedens begins exploring the possibility of becoming a Just Peace Church, we’re discussing what it means to be a peace-seeking and justice-doing church.  One small thing we can do is explore our language.  Each week in the church’s newsletter, we will learn how an everyday term or phrase is currently used and explore its origin.  Learning about the power of our language is just one small way to practice peace.

“What does the Lord require of you?  To act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”  Micah 6:8

Janet Raker

Member of the Just Peace Exploratory Team