Shattered but Revived

In Matthew's account of the trial of Jesus, one memorable moment the evangelist captures presents Pilate washing his hands (Matthew 27:24). The governor's wife had sent him word of a warning she had received in a dream and Pilate appears to have wanted to avoid having anything to do with Jesus.

Throughout the passion narrative, Matthew depicts Jesus as the person in control of the situation. Our Lord is accused, arrested, sentenced, and crucified, but none of this comes as a surprise to the one who comes with royal splendor to accomplish the will of the Father.

Pilate appears to have decided to use the provision of a paschal amnesty as a means of freeing himself from the difficult bind in which he found himself. When this strategy failed, Pilate washed his hands, in a gesture aimed at creating distance between himself and Jesus' sentence of guilt.

Whatever the reason for Pilate's action - and speculations are many - the governor was unable to evade responsibility for what he had done. He, too, had a share in the guilt of those who desired, and made possible, the execution of the Messiah.

Many are the situations in which we may face the dilemma of making difficult choices. Yet, there is no escaping responsibility for the decisions we make. The complex challenges of the decision-making process - developing an accurate definition of the situation, clarifying the loyalties informing our values, applying sound reasoning, and so on - do not release us from responsibility for the choices we make.

Jesus' refusal to choose the path of self-defense did not make Pilate's dilemma any easier. His majestic silence bespeaks his resolute decision to do the will of the Father.    In the circumstances, Jesus decided to remain loyal to his Father, whatever the cost. As it turned out, our Lord faced the terror of the cross. He suffered the death of a criminal!

Yet, suffering does not have the last word when we are guided by the Holy Spirit to make hard choices. On Easter day, Jesus rose from the dead unveiling for our benefit that, sometimes, sovereignty is mediated through brokenness.

When we have to make painful decisions, we may need to remember that, in the end, the purity of our motives and the defensibility of our actions may be vindicated.

Easter reminds us that, from the crucible of harsh choices, we may rise with confidence and joyfully take hold of the future that God unfolds before our eyes. The resurrection of our Lord Jesus reveals that life trumps death and truth shines brightly when, by the grace of God, we refuse to avoid the path of costly discipleship.

Neville Callam

General Secretary

Baptist World Alliance 

North American Baptists condemn burning of Qur'an

April 13, 2011

Washington (BWA)--Baptists in North America have condemned the burning of the Qur'an by an American pastor in the state of Florida.

The Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, burned a copy of the Qur'an on March 20 following a mock court trial presided over by its pastor, Terry Jones. The burning of the Qur'an led to protests by Muslims in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere, leading to loss of life, injury, and property damage. 

The church had previously backed down from a threat to burn the Qur'an on September 11, 2010.

George Bullard, general secretary of the North America Baptist Fellowship (NABF), one of six regional fellowships of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), has condemned the Qur'an burning, declaring that the "book burning was obviously carried out by a pastor and congregation on the fringe of Christianity, and not within its core."

The BWA Regional Secretary for North America maintained that "a basic tenet of Christian civility is mutual respect for all of humankind, their deeply held faith perspectives, and that which they consider holy; such as their holy books."

Bullard went on to say, "while as Christians we consider the Bible to be the record of the authoritative, inspired Word of the Triune God, we do not live out the spirit of God's Word if we support or are silent about the burning of books like the Qur'an. Such actions sadden Baptist Christians everywhere, and provide an opportunity to express the love of God for all people; especially our Muslim brothers and sisters."

American Baptist Churches (ABC) USA also decried the book burning. Their General Executive Council, made up of national and regional leaders, and which met in Orlando, Florida, in early April, called the Qur'an burning the desecration of a sacred text that violates "the Great Commandment of Jesus to love God wholly and the neighbor as ourselves."

The group, also a BWA member body, indicated that the burning of the Qur'an "is not representative of the larger American Christian community, is an act that we deplore and causes us to reaffirm our historic Baptist commitment to religious liberty for all people and all faiths."

The ABC USA statement avers that "in our religiously diverse world we believe it is vitally important that we all reach out to each other with respect and openness to advance mutual understanding and cooperation among faith communities."

Concern for immigrants

April 6, 2011

Washington (BWA)--The Baptist World Alliance invites its members to exercise continuing concern for the status and treatment of immigrants worldwide. This is not surprising, considering the organization's long history of committed action of settling immigrants in their new countries. After the Second World War, the BWA encouraged the United States government to adjust immigration quotas to allow displaced persons from Europe to come into the country. In the face of opposition from American anti-immigrant groups, who feared that the new immigrants would become a "public charge," the BWA helped to settle more than 5,700 displaced Europeans in the US and 1,700 in Canada between 1949 and 1953. Similar assistance was given to Cuban and Angolan refugees in the 1960s, with the BWA helping nearly 500 Cubans settle in the US by 1962. The undiminished BWA concern for the welfare of immigrants was given expression in a 2008 resolution, bemoaning the "array of cultural, linguistic and economic burdens" faced by immigrants whose presence sometimes "generates political situations of great sensitivity, fear and misunderstanding in host and home countries alike." Because of the parlous state of millions of immigrants around the world, the BWA has urged nations to develop transparent and equitable systems of migration that treat applicants with dignity; to administer laws and regulations with justice and fairness to citizens and immigrants alike; and to renounce xenophobia and the misuse of immigration for political repression and division. The BWA encourages its member bodies to instill an ethic of love that reaches across ethnic, gender and political boundaries; to act as advocates for migrants; to develop ministries of reconciliation and integration; and to freely share resources with those in need. BWA concern for immigrants is based on the understanding that human beings are "fellow sojourners in this world" and the conviction that the way we treat the immigrant in our midst is a sign of the authenticity of our faith. In its 2008 resolution, the BWA affirms a "scriptural mandate to live in love and justice with refugees and immigrants." Baptist pastor and theologian, Delroy Reid-Salmon, in Home Away From Home (2008), says many immigrants seek "a community of faith to which they could belong as members." Churches, Reid-Salmon explains, are sometimes the only social organization in which immigrants can become easily assimilated. This provides a unique opportunity that churches should cherish.

As Baptists, we should remain true to our historical roots, both as immigrants - many Baptists migrated to places where they could practice their faith in freedom - and as hosts who are ready to welcome others.