The 10th Assembly (2003) of The Uniting Church in Australia resolved (Minute 03.19.02(c)):
affirming that God loves all creation and that all people, as members of God’s family, are called to love each other, and, recalling past resolutions of this Assembly, that God came in the crucified and risen Christ to make peace; and that God calls all Christians to be peacemakers, to save life, to heal and to love their neighbours; and that the Church is committed to be a peacemaking body;
to commit to work for peace through justice and genuine security,
believing that:
(i) true justice can only be achieved through means that do not consist of violence, nor perpetuate the cycle of violence;
(ii) true security can only be achieved through non-violent means that seek to build trust and relationships of understanding and acceptance between nations and people.
The biblical notion of peace (shalom Hebrew) is not simply about the absence of conflict. Sometimes disagreement and argument when conducted with respect can be constructive. Peace is also not about ignoring conflicts.
Shalom is not simply about quiet, but about wholeness and about wellbeing, not just of individuals, but of community and of the whole creation.
Christian people believe that true peace between God and creation is achieved in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, i.e. in God entering the creation itself. As members of Christ’s body, we are called to witness to that peace through our lives—our words, our actions, the way we live in the world. Everything counts. Act for peace. Live for peace wherever you find yourself each day.
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