Interfaith peacekeeping initiative in Helsinki
The inhabitants of the country,
For almost two years now, I have served as dean of flowering, A new school of theology. Our goal is to help believing people develop platforms to become public theologians in certain contexts. In the midst of this work, I received an email from the Latvian Lutheran pastor, Pastor Pavel Levushkan. For several months we have had the opportunity to get to know each other. In every one of our interactions, Pastor Levushkan has urged me to pray for his country and the wider region as they struggle to live between the growing conflict between the West and Russia – especially in Ukraine. As the war drums begin to ring in Eastern Europe, I am determined to defend peace with my student, Pastor Levushkan. To this end, I am delighted to join The Helsinki Interfaith Peacemaking Initiative… so that our world knows more than the ongoing rumors and statements of wars.
I would like to share a few words of the initiative…
The Initiative sees it as our job to bring responsibility to the people, both to ordinary citizens and to those in power. The standard of behavior in these difficult times must be responsibility for the fate of our planet, what we leave the world to our children and grandchildren. And this is impossible if a person is deprived of a moral, spiritual core.
Our initiative is addressed to all benevolent people, regardless of religion. Our goal is to awaken the peace-making potential of every religion. Believers must say “No!” imminent catastrophe caused by short-sighted and personally obsessed politicians.
It is time to build bridges of friendship and understanding between divided peoples, ideologies and religions. Before it is too late. Judging by responsible (or rather irresponsible) reckless statements, the shadow of nuclear Armageddon is already looming over mankind.
In this situation, the voice of the religious community is more important than ever. Our Lord and Savior has called us to be peacemakers. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they are called children of God.” (Matthew 5: 9)
Believers seek peace because God calls us to it, not for political or other purposes. We can afford to speak the truth openly and face to face, for “we have only one Lender and Judge who will decide who to save and who to punish” (James 4:12).
We call on Christian believers and all benevolent representatives of every religion and worldview to turn to the deepest roots of their wisdom to work together to find solutions to the crisis of civilization and to prevent a new Cold or even Hot War and end existing conflicts on the European continent.
Our method is the golden rule of compassion that we find in the gospel: “Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.” (Luke 6:31 BTI)
It is our practice to offer prayers, meditations, roundtable discussions, and conferences where believers together seek guidance from God and offer this wisdom as a peace-building response to society.
The best response to a military threat is to avoid killing people at any cost. “Avoid evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 33:15).
Our participants are leading experts, religious figures, writers, journalists, political scientists from Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States, Western and Eastern Europe.
On January 1, World Peace Prayer Day, an international holiday during which believers call on God to end all wars and send peace to the people on earth, a presentation of the Helsinki Interfaith Peace Initiative will be held.
There will be more opportunities to take part in the initiative in the coming days. I’ll keep you up to date. For now, I ask you to join me in prayer so that Eastern Europe and the rest of the world know peace. At this special time of the year, let us stand by the angels of Bethlehem and proclaim with all our might…
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace.”
Indeed ko can we be found faithful to such a call…
Pastor Dr. Jeff Hood
December 22, 2021