Today is the day when churches around the world celebrate World Communion Sunday, and when Presbyterian churches across the country hold the special Peacemaking Offering.
Most of the money from this offering supports peacemaking efforts of the Presbyterian Church around the world—you've been reading about them in bulletin inserts. In addition, each congregation is asked to give a fourth of what they collect to a local peacemaking effort. For the second year in a row, the Session, on the recommendation of the Peace and Social Justice Network, has chosen the Brooklyn Peace Fair sponsored by Brooklyn Parents for Peace and the Brooklyn YWCA. I'm active with Brooklyn Parents for Peace—even though I'm not a parent and no longer live in Brooklyn—so I'm here to tell you about the Fair.
Brooklyn Parents for Peace began as a small group of parents in a Brooklyn day care center 20 years ago and is now a network of hundreds of people working for a more peaceful world. But they know—and we know—that working for peace is hard and complicated; violence is the path of ignorance and least resistance. As Jesus might say, the road to war is wide and easy; peace is the narrow gate. So Brooklyn Parents for Peace began the Peace Fair three years ago to bring people together to learn about peacemaking and to renew their spirits and energy. If you come this year, you can attend workshops on Darfur, Korea, Israel-Palestine, military recruitment in schools and health care. You can hear Cindy Sheehan, the president of Gold Star Families for Peace, give the keynote address. You can hear the Brooklyn Woman's Chorus and donate blood at the blood drive. You may also make art and write poetry. There are activities for children, all day childcare for the youngest kids, and everything is free. Hundreds of people will be there, and the Brooklyn Peace Fair has gained support from an ever-widening group, from congress people to dozens of local organizations and churches such as ours. Marty Markowitz, the Borough President, has even proclaimed October 22 Brooklyn Peace Day. So come—even though it's in Brooklyn, it is a local event, just over the county line on the #2 or 3 train. There are flyers in the back, and I can tell you how to get there.
The Brooklyn Peace Fair and all the peacemaking efforts of the Presbyterian Church happen because people put in time and labor. But they could not happen without money. Making peace is not only complicated, it's expensive. Less expensive than arming humvees and nuclear weapons, but also less profitable, so as Christians we are called to help fill the gap and put our money into peacemaking. We, the pastors, Session, and the Peace and Justice Network, urge you to give generously to the Peacemaking Offering.