Beloved Community Through the Eyes of Peace
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
September 28, 2025
Good morning, Friends and welcome to Light Reflections. This morning we continue our series on Beloved Community Through the Eyes of the S.P.I.C.E.S. The scripture I have chosen to support my message for today is from Romans 12:17-18 from the New Revised Standard Version.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
In 2008, I traveled to Los Angeles for a Campus Ministry Conference. We were staying at the retreat center of the Crystal Cathedral. Luckily I arrived safely, but somehow my bags were left on the tarmac in Detroit (and I never even flew through Detroit). I did not see my bags again until the day before I left (and they came covered in salt since it was still winter in Detroit).
Upon arrival we were informed of a college in Tennessee that, the night before, had a tornado touchdown on a full campus of students. It was a horrific story and led us all to pause and hold this college and their students in our prayers. For that time of prayer, I randomly selected a group of people sitting around me. After we prayed, we were to continue to share what was currently causing us to have a lack of peace in our lives. For me it probably was that I had no clothing except what I was wearing.
In my prayer group happened to be Terry McGonigal, a fellow veteran campus minister. I had not met Terry before, but as we talked that night, I became really interested in something he was studying and writing about. I had mentioned that I was working on my doctorate in Leadership and Spiritual Formation, but that my focus was on how ministers could prepare for conflict. He found this fascinating and decided to share his studies with me.
Terry had written a significant work titled, “If You Only Knew What Would Bring Peace: Shalom Theology as the Biblical Foundation for Diversity.” Having just purchased my first smart phone, Terry said, “Let me just send you the document.” I didn’t open it until I returned to Indiana, but as we talked that night, I was intrigued by his use of the term Shalom Theology. In all my studies, I had never heard of Shalom Theology. Terry said, “The biblical theme of peace is foundational to the Bible.”
He pointed out to me that “peace” and its cognates appear 550 times in the Bible. I learned quickly that peace or shalom was not a byproduct or an evolving concept with the Divine, rather it is a required condition that stabilizes order, relationships, stewardship, beauty and rhythm in our universe.
Terry also introduced me that night to Theologian Cornelus Platinga, who emphasized this type of peace in his book, “Engaging God’s World” saying,
“The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Old Testament prophets call shalom. We call it “peace,” but it means far more than mere peace of mind or cease-fire among enemies. (As a matter of fact, the areas over which two armies declare a cease-fire may be acres of smoldering ruin.) In the Bible shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, all under the arch of God’s love. Shalom, in other words, is the way things are supposed to be.”
After returning to Indiana, I opened the document Terry had shared with me and began my own study of Shalom Theology. Quickly, I found that the connecting thread that flows throughout scripture is the Divine’s desire for his people to have this universal shalom or peace. It moved me so much that I ended up including this thinking in the opening chapter of my doctoral dissertation.
It wasn’t long before I was realizing the deep connection with Shalom Theology and the Beloved Community. Because when we get right down to it the Beloved Community is the tangible expression of shalom in the world. It is a people actively working to bring about God’s dream of love, wholeness, and justice for all people.
This is why when we talk about building the Beloved Community within a Quaker context, it is hard not to first talk about our Quaker Peace Testimony.
In the United Kingdom’s articulation of the Peace Testimony they explain the following:
“…Friends' peace testimony is not a creed, in the sense of a statement of belief true for all time. Nor is it a code of behavior, a set of rules to which all Quakers individually and corporately must adhere.
On the simplest level, 'testimony' means 'bearing witness'; and Friends' long history of witness to peace can be found in public statements and personal reflections, in their refusal to bear arms in times of civil and international conflict, in acts of prophetic confrontation and quiet, reconciling diplomacy.
But these are merely outward and visible signs of inward conviction. This conviction springs from a living Spirit, mediated through the human experience of those trying to understand and follow its leadings. It grows afresh in every life, in every worshipping group, in every generation.
At the heart of this conviction is Friends' experience that there is something of God - the seed of God - in all people. Quakers believe that more can be accomplished by appealing to this capacity for love and goodness, in ourselves and in others, than can be hoped for by threatening punishment or retaliation if people act badly.
This is not to ignore the existence of evil. It is to recognize that there is no effective way to combat evil with weapons which harm or kill those through whom evil is working. We must turn instead, in the words of early Friends, to the 'weapons of the spirit', allowing God to reach out through us to that of God in those with whom we are in conflict. 'Spiritual weapons' - love, truth slaying, nonviolence, imagination, laughter - are weapons that heal and don't destroy.
When one studies the idea of the Beloved Community today, you cannot go far in your study until you are faced with the concept of non-violence. Many consider it the pathway to building the beloved community and to ultimately finding peace.
For people who believed in the Beloved Community like Dr. King, Gandhi, Howard Thurman, Bayard Rustin, Desmond Tutu, Thomas Merton, Thich Nhat Hahn, or their contemporaries Bell Hooks, Elizabeth A. Johnson, Adam Russell Taylor, Joy James, and so many more, nonviolence is not a passive approach but an active and courageous force for change. Gandhi called it Satyagraha or Soul Force. They believe that the only way to achieve redemption and reconciliation is through nonviolent means. Dr. King himself even asserted that “the aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community.”
It also means that the conflicts of our lives and world are resolved peacefully. The Beloved Community does not mean the absence of conflict (which some define as “peace”) but rather that disputes are resolved peacefully and nonviolently.
Too much of our world today is about retribution and punishment. And along with that comes a growing amount of hate for our adversaries or enemies.
Unlike these violent movements and people, which only seek to defeat their opponents, the purpose of a non-violent approach is to win friendships and understanding. It is about seeking to redeem people and reconcile with them, not to harm or destroy them for the betterment of our entire community.
For many years, I have placed prominently on the wall in my office, the Principles of Non-Violence as they relate to living a lifestyle that builds the beloved community. Let me read through them as a reminder for us again this morning.
1. Nonviolence is a Way of Life for Courageous People – spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.
2. Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.
3. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, or evil, NOT people.
4. Nonviolence holds that unearned, voluntary suffering for a just cause can educate and transform people and societies.
5. Nonviolence chooses LOVE instead of HATE.
6. Nonviolence believes that the Universe is on the Side of Justice.
As a Quaker, I often get push back by people who think violence only involves bullets and bombs. But folks, we live in a world where violence meets us at every level of our lives. For example, Luis Gallardo of the World Happiness Foundation point out that,
Violence manifests in at least “30 levels” or forms across personal, societal, and global dimensions.
There is the blatant violence of war, armed conflict, and terrorism that grabs headlines, but also the quieter yet pervasive violence of daily life – domestic abuse in homes, bullying in schools, crime in communities, and hate speech and discrimination that wound the spirit.
Beyond direct physical harm, there are psychological and emotional forms of violence – trauma, intimidation, coercion – which leave unseen scars.
We also face structural violence: entrenched systems of poverty, inequality, and oppression that deny people their basic needs and rights. When a child goes hungry in a world of plenty or a group is marginalized due to race, gender, or belief, that is a form of violence by society’s structure.
Even our relationship with nature has been marked by violence – the destruction of ecosystems and harm to other species can be seen as violence against our planet and future generations.
In short, violence exists not only as bombs and bullets, but as anything that inflicts harm, domination, or injustice.
Ponder that for a moment. Where are you seeing violence in and around your life? What can you and I do about it.
When looking at the Beloved Community through the Eyes of Peace, I think there are several things we can do.
1. Speak up for peace whenever you have the opportunity.
Spark conversations off and online about the urgent need for understanding, non-violence, and even disarmament.
Use your voice and words to challenge hate and champion peace.
2. Educate yourself about peace.
Knowledge is power, and by sharing what we learn with friends, family, and communities, we empower ourselves and others to contribute to a more peaceful future.
3. Say no to violence in your life.
Change starts with us. Strive to resolve differences and conflicts at home, work and in your communities peacefully through dialogue and compassion. Treat others with respect, practice empathy and promote understanding.
4. Practice Understanding and Solidarity
More unites us than divides us; people everywhere have similar dreams for peace and prosperity. We need to support people or organizations that promote dialogue, understanding and reconciliation.
5. Report Bullying and Harassment
No one should be bullied or suffer any forms of harassment on the basis of gender, race, creed, nationality, sexual orientation, or many other parameters.
6. Protest Inequality and Discrimination
Inequality and discrimination often breed resentment and mistrust, sowing the seeds of misunderstanding and conflict in every society. Above all, make respect for the rights of others part of how you live.
7. Embrace Inclusion and Diversity
Examine how you think about different groups of people, and question assumptions and stereotypes. Consider joining a group, online or in a community, that brings people together across faiths, ethnicities, gender identities or other categories to better understand each other. Be more open to learning from others and changing how you think.
8. Support Peace Advocates
This is so easy among Quakers. If they are a Quaker organization one of their key principles will be non-violence and peace.
9. Follow Reliable News Sources
Confused about what to believe and whom to trust? You are not alone. The volume of incorrect information has exploded. Sharpen your skills to detect who may or may not be telling the truth. Are you getting facts from a reputable news organization? Or from texts or emails that arrive unsolicited? How much evidence backs up what they say? What’s missing and why? Are diverse perspectives apparent – or is everyone saying the same thing? Cultivate your skepticism and your intuition. If something feels off, investigate more.
10. Post with care on Social Media
Next time you want to like or share a social media post, pause for a moment. Will doing so cause any kind of harm to anyone? If you are feeling angry about an issue, wait 24 hours to see if you still want to post about it. While social media brings people together, it can also drive hate and division, influenced by algorithms that reward people for having the same extreme views.
This morning as we enter a time of waiting worship, I ask that we start by centering down into a peaceful silence. Allow your hearts to rest from the violence that the world around you inflicts on your daily. Then take some time to ponder the following queries:
· Do I believe that the Divine’s plan is for us to live in peace?
· Where am I seeing “violence” in and around my life, family, community, nation, world?
· When looking at the Beloved Community through the Eyes of Peace, what on that list of 10 things can I start working on, today?