“A Peaceable Kingdom”
Service for the Unitarian Universalist Church of
Winchendon, Massachusetts
November 5, 2006
The Rev. Jennie Ann Barrington
Reading: from, The Declaration of Independence, by Thomas Jefferson:
“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good…
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their substances…
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns and destroyed the Lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation…
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” [1776]
Sermon:
What does a peaceable kingdom look like? Thomas Jefferson, and the other Founding Fathers, and the Founding Mothers, envisioned a nation free from the abuses of a tyrannous king, with the right of self-governance, the right to declare war and to declare peace, the right of safety, privacy, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This Tuesday is Election Day, a national reminder to all of us that the ability “to dwell in peace” is what we all want for ourselves and our loved-ones, and what we all should want for everyone. I encourage you all to educate yourselves on the candidates and ballot questions, and then vote, and then to stay informed, involved, and outspoken about our civil rights, and whether those rights are being protected or stripped away… Please remember to vote, and please remind other people to do so. On WGBH’s Greater Boston’s program, “Beat the Press” this past Friday, the panel of journalists were discussing whether or not journalists should vote. Some journalists feel that they should not vote, as that could make them biased when researching and writing a story. Commentator Callie Crossley, who is an African American woman, reminded the panel, and all of us, of how precious and hard-won our right to vote is. She said that wherever she has worked as a journalist, it has been the policy to not go to political rallies, not sign contribution checks, not have signs in the yard, and she agrees with that. “But,” she said, “I could not not go into the voting booth, when my people were knocked down on a bridge in Selma to get the right to vote. What do I look like? Crazy? No. People literally died so that I could go in that booth. And every time I go, I honor them by doing it. So I think everybody should be voting, reporter or not. And when you do your story, then it should be without any stuff that would be unfair to one candidate or the other. And that’s the end of the story on that.”
The phrase, “A Peaceable Kingdom” refers to a passage in the Hebrew scriptures, from the prophet Isaiah, chapter 11:
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the divine spirit shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and awe of the divine. And his delight shall be in the awe of the divine… The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them… They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the divine as the waters cover the sea.”
Edward Hicks, popular American nineteenth century painter and Quaker minister, painted Isaiah’s vision of “the Peaceable Kingdom” over a hundred times. One version of it hangs in the Worcester Art Museum. It includes the lamb and the lion and the little child dwelling together harmoniously. Hicks also included in his painting a vignette of William Penn signing his treaty with the Native American people. It was a peace treaty-- And Hicks also viewed Penn, by bringing Quakerism into Pennsylvania, as having created something of a small peaceable kingdom on earth. “The Peaceable Kingdom” is also the title of a scholarly book by contemporary theologian Stanley Hauerwas, who believes strongly that the heart of Christianity is non-violence. And it’s the name of an organization that befriends farm animals and advocates that they be treated humanely. And “peaceable kingdom” is also the name of a bed and breakfast / retreat center in Conway, Massachusetts. So “peaceable kingdom” will mean something somewhat different to each of us in this room. Some may object to the use of the word “kingdom.” The Founding Fathers and Mothers certainly did. They discerned that they did not want these United States to be a monarchy. One of my Bibles says “peaceable habitation” instead of “peaceable kingdom.” Personally, I like the phrase “Peaceable Commonwealth.”
Though we will differ on many of the specifics, I imagine we all could agree with the core philosophies of a peaceable commonwealth. Most of us can recite from memory the Four Freedoms Franklin D. Roosevelt articulated in his State of the Union Address on January 6, 1941:
“The first is freedom of speech and expression – everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way – everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want, which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants – everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear, which translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor – anywhere in the world. This is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called ‘new order’ of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb.”
In his speech, Roosevelt made the connection that economic security –freedom from want- is necessary for peace, and leads to “a healthy peacetime life” for a nation’s inhabitants. Muhammad Yunus made that connection, too. He is the economist from Bangladesh who just won the Nobel Peace Prize. His “use of micro-credit has been duplicated across the globe since [he] started the project in his home village three decades ago. Loans as low as $9 have helped beggars start small businesses and poor women buy cellular phones and basket-weaving materials.” [Washington Post, 10/13/06] Yunus said, “You cannot go on having absurd amounts of wealth when other people have problems of survival. If you can bring an end to poverty, at least from an economic point of view, you can have a more livable situation between very rich people and very poor people, very rich countries and very poor countries. That’s our basic ingredient for peace.” The Nobel Committee stated, “Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty. Micro-credit is one such means.”
What would it look like for our denomination to really focus on creating a more peaceable world? Some Unitarian Universalists have proposed that the UUA do exactly that. Last June at General Assembly, the UUA formally began a three-year study and discussion period about whether our denomination should “reject the use of any and all kinds of violence and war to resolve disputes between peoples and nations.” Some Unitarian Universalists are beginning to feel we should adopt an “eighth principle” of non-violence. This movement within our movement got my attention more than any other proposal from our denomination has in several years. And it is a people’s movement-- not from the clergy, and not from UUA officers. I’m very interested in studying and discussing this idea, with the reservation that we must not be disrespectful of people in the armed services and their families. This is the text of the study-action issue, so you can think it over for yourselves [it’s on the internet at uua. org/csw/issues_pm_ga06]:
“Should the UUA reject the use of any and all kinds of violence and war to resolve disputes between peoples and nations and adopt a principle of seeking just peace through non-violent means? As the human population has increased, there has been a corresponding increase in contact between groups of people who were largely isolated from one another in the past. This, coupled with differences in politics, religions, moral values, and beliefs, as well as economic injustices and competition for resources, have led to countless conflicts around the world. Humankind struggles to achieve co-existence economically, socially, politically, and spiritually. Historically, Unitarian Universalists have agreed with the theory and practice of ‘just war,’ or use of force in self-defense to preserve the life of another person. However, we have also supported peace and disarmament in over eighty resolutions since our merger in 1961. We offer counseling for conscientious objector status. We call on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, Mahatma Gandhi, the Buddha, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our principles are models for peacemaking, yet we act as if violence is more effective than non-violence in certain situations. As a religious denomination, we need to clarify our position and apply our covenant to affirm and promote the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all [our sixth principle].”
One of the possible questions for discussion posed as part of this new study / action issue on non-violence is: What are the hallmarks of peaceful cultures? His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the most widely-respected contemporary authority on the subject of spiritual peace. He states that, in a peaceful society, the individuals must have achieved some sense of inner peace. And that comes from working collaboratively on goals that are creative and develop the human condition up from a foundation that is compassionate and fair. He writes:
“Basically, we all cherish tranquility. For example, when spring comes, the days grow longer, there is more sunshine, the grass and trees come alive and everything is fresh. People feel happy. In autumn, one leaf falls, then another, then all the beautiful flowers die until we are surrounded by bare, naked plants. We do not feel so joyful. Why is this? Because deep down, we desire constructive, fruitful growth and dislike things collapsing, dying, or being destroyed. Every destructive action goes against our basic nature: building, being constructive, is the human way. To pursue growth properly, we need to renew our commitment to human values in many fields. Political life, of course, requires an ethical foundation, but science and religion as well should be pursued from a moral basis. Without it, scientists cannot distinguish between beneficial technologies and those which are merely expedient. Unless our minds are stable and calm, no matter how comfortable our physical condition may be, they will give us no pleasure. Therefore, the key to a happy life, now and in the future, is to develop a happy mind.” [Ten Eternal Questions, p. 201]
The famous union organizer Cesar Chavez has also stated that working together constructively reduces the tendency toward violence in a group. He wrote: “Non-violence forces one to be creative. When people are involved in something constructive, trying to bring about change, they tend to be less violent than those who are not engaged in rebuilding or in anything creative.”
And a publication by the Fellowship of Reconciliation states: “A culture of non-violence values love, compassion, and justice. It rejects violence as a means of solving problems. Instead, it embraces communication, cooperative decision-making, and non-violent conflict resolution. It ensures freedom, security, and equitable relationships. It promotes inner peace, personal transformation, and disarmament.”
Living in the way of non-violence does not mean living passively. It means noticing injustices in the world and assertively speaking up and working for equality and reconciliation. The King Center lists the six principles of non-violence, and re-states them for children as the Six Principles of the Peaceful Community:
“(1) Non-violence is not passive, but requires courage (Non-violence is a way of life for brave people). (2) Non-violence seeks reconciliation, not defeat of an adversary (The Peaceful Community is the goal for the future). (3) Non-violent action is directed at eliminating evil, not destroying an evil-doer (Attack problems, not people). (4) A willingness to accept suffering for the cause, if necessary, but never to inflict it (Know and do what is right, even if it is difficult). (5) A rejection of hatred, animosity or violence of the spirit, as well as refusal to commit physical violence (Avoid hurting the spirit and body of yourself and others). (6) [lastly, the way of non-violence includes the] faith that justice will prevail (the belief that the world is on the side of justice). The Six Steps for Non-violent Social Change are: (1) Information Gathering, (2) Education, (3) Personal Commitment, (4) Negotiations, (5) Direct Action, and (6) Reconciliation.”
This week a documentary will be released which shows how difficult it has been to take a stand for non-violence during this Presidential Administration, and how brave one has to be. Called, “Shut up and Sing,” the movie chronicles the attacks and boycotts of the Dixie Chicks after their lead singer criticized President Bush in March of 2003, as American was about to invade Iraq. At their concert in London, where protestor against the war were many and loud, Natalie Maines said, “We’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war or violence. We’re ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas.” On hearing that remark, many people publicly burned The Dixie Chicks’ CDs. Their music was immediately pulled by dozens of country music stations in the United States; the powerful radio franchise Clear Channel banned playing The Dixie Chicks. The three musicians also received death threats, the more frightening and complicated since they travel with their young children. Yet throughout the ordeal, they kept their sense of humor, their passion for making music with a message, and their political ideals. And their new album has debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. Here, so you can hear them for yourselves, are some lyrics from that 2002 CD which so many people with power considered to be so dangerous [“More Love,” by Tim O’Brien and Gary Nicholson, as recorded on, “Home”]:
“We gotta meet in the middle to work this thing out / More love, I can hear our hearts cryin’ / More love, I know that’s all we need / More love, to flow in between us / To take us and hold us and lift us above / If there’s ever an answer, it’s more love… Just look out around us / People fightin’ their wars / They think they’ll be happy / When they’ve settled their scores / Let’s lay down our weapons / That hold us apart / Be still for just a minute / Try to open our hearts / More love, I can hear our hearts cryin’ / More love, I know that’s all we need / More love, to flow in between us / To take us and hold us and lift us above / If there’s ever an answer, it’s more love.”
Let us join our hearts and voices together in singing hymn number 95, “There is More Love Somewhere.”