Dear Friend:

Those of us who have studied these words of Jesus over the years have come to realize that his words call us not to passive resignation but to stand boldly for what we most fervently believe in: the value, dignity and worth of all life.

As we in Metropolitan Community Churches prepare to launch a new ten-year initiative that will focus on human rights around the globe, it is imperative that we, as people and communities of faith in the United States, take our place with the more than 150 other faith-based organizations that have already signed on to the "United for Peace and Justice March on Washington" on September 24th in Washington, D.C.

 

Many have died already. The figures we see daily -- the names and faces of young men and women printed in our newspapers -- do not include the many Iraqi civilians and soldiers who have also perished. And we now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that no weapons of mass destruction existed in Iraq and we know with certainty that the Iraqi people were not responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States.

 

The call to march for peace, to bring all

troops home, to end military occupation

and to redirect our nation's resources, both

human and material, toward things such as
housing and health care and education, is

not about political allegiance or party
affiliation and does not take away from our

deepest respect for those who have made

choices of conviction that led to great sacrifice.

The call to march for peace is about

honoring our firm conviction that we are all

the beloved Children of God. It is that simple.

We are a divergent people of many political persuasions and alliances. We hold many views on our nation's policies and how best to express our love for the land we call the United States and the principles it seeks to stand on.

And I want to affirm that, as throughout MCC's history, neither the Moderator nor the Elders nor any other MCC leader has the right to tell you how to believe, vote, or exercise your personal convictions.

But, I am personally persuaded that now is the time to lift our voices for peace, and that we can do so by taking a stand, along with many other faith communities, on September 24.  Both Rev. Elder Perry and I have already added our personal endorsements to the "United for Peace and Justice March on Washington."

The one thing we all hold in common is our belief in the Gospel and its imperative that we reverence all life as if coming into the very presence of Christ (Matthew 25).

 

We can have a foreign policy

based on justice and compassion for all.

We can honor the

right to life and equal dignity for all.

We can honor our dead

by telling the truth about what happened on September 11th four years ago and working to
end the violence that took so many lives then and that continues to claim so many now.

Together, we can make a difference in our world. I invite you to prayerfully consider participating in the upcoming March on Washington.

On September 24, I will be in Australia for the international events that are part of my journey to the Moderator's Installation. I am pleased that Rev. Pat Bumgardner, senior pastor of MCC New York, will be my personal representative at the "United for Peace and Justice March on Washington" and will represent us at the Interfaith Service that will be part of the DC mobilization the following day, on Sunday, September 25.

Please let me know if you and members of your community of faith will be part of this massive march for peace on September 24th by writing to me at info@MCCchurch.org. You will also find information on buses and seat bookings through United for Peace and Justice at  www.unitedforpeace.org/ride. The site is organized by state. You may purchase single seats, order blocks of 10 or reserve an entire bus to leave from a designated location.

Finally, while I am writing these words to residents of the United States, we stand in solidarity on behalf of peace with people of goodwill from around the globe, and ask for the prayers of our brothers and sisters everywhere the U.S. government for justice and compassion.

Twenty-six years ago, Metropolitan Community Churches was part of the first-ever March on Washington for LGBT Rights. On September 24th, we have a historic opportunity to expand our commitment to justice on behalf of all God's children.

Grace and peace,

The Rev. Nancy Wilson

Moderator-elect
Metropolitan Community Churches
www.MCCchurch.org