We say it every week as we look each other in the eye and shake hands. The meaning of peace is as
deep as it is wide, intense as it is delicate, earthly as ethereal. And what does it mean for us to be
together a people of peace, a “peaceable community?” Hmmm…
Part of the answer, it seems to me, lies in a deep understanding of hospitality and welcoming the
stranger. To that end, Bethlehem is joining the greater Grand Rapids area community in “2012, Year
of Interfaith Understanding.” The idea behind this community wide initiative is that, “without peace
among the religions, how can we ever have peace among the nations?” Like you, I long for peace among
people, peace among nations. Peace is a deep craving of my soul. So, if others who know about such
things (such as the great Lutheran theologian and historian Martin Marty) suggest that the way to peace
includes understanding other religions, this is a path worth taking.
One way that we will engage in this dialog is to utilize the PBS Series, “God in America,” during our Adult
Sunday School class time starting on January 8. There are six episodes that we will watch together on
Sunday mornings, taking two weeks to watch and discuss each episode. (People are also welcome to
watch the series on WGVU, 7-8pm on Sunday evenings from January 8 through February 12.) From what
I can tell by the preview of the series, it has been created to exacting production standards, and really
moves along. I hope you will make the effort and take advantage of this opportunity—learning, growing,
listening, speaking…these are things we can do to honor and stoke the gift of our faith. 9:30-10:10 each
Sunday. Come when you can.
With you in Christ,
Pastor Cheryl
More on the Series: For the first time on television, God in America explores the tumultuous 400-year
history of the intersection of religion and public life in America, from the first European settlements to
the 2008 presidential election. A co-production of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, this six-hour
series examines how religious dissidents helped shape the American concept of religious liberty and the
controversial evolution of that ideal in the nation’s courts and political arena; how religious freedom and
waves of new immigrants and religious revivals fueled competition in the religious marketplace; how
movements for social reform — from abolition to civil rights — galvanized men and women to put their
faith into political action; and how religious faith influenced conflicts from the American Revolution to
the Cold War.
Bethlehem Church welcomes