Interview with Reverend Paige Besse-Rankin
Woodmont United Church of Christ
Milford CT
May 16th, 2007
Q1. Why have you received the billboard from Bethlehem at Woodmont
United Church of Christ?
Rev. Paige: We want to be supportive of projects that build bridges for peace and open non-violent dialogue. We are excited to hear about children from Israel and Palestine coming together and hopefully building friendships. We feel that it is important to listen and to try to understand the voices from Israel and Palestine about this painful conflict. We are aware that our government can have a tremendous impact in this part of the world and that we must deepen our understanding of the issues at stake as responsible citizens.
Q2. Haven't the Jews and the Muslims been fighting for thousands of
years? Isn't it crazy to think that peace can be found?
Rev. Paige: The Christian belief is that "with God, all things are possible" and "blessed are the peacemakers." I believe that peace can be found and is in the interest of all those involved to work for it in non-violent way. I also recognize the tremendous pain, the history, the prejudice and anti-Semitism, the theology and complicated issues are involved here that lead many to despair. The road is not easy, but as people of faith, that does not mean we can turn away from the work.
Q3. If you could change the sign, what changes would you make and why
would you make them?
Rev. Paige: This sign is not my message or my church's message. Some in my church might speak these words and others might not. Our congregation has not
taken a stand or spoken in one voice about the issues in Israel and Palestine. This sign is a message to us and not from us. It is the message of the participants in Israel and in Palestine in the billboard project. It is my role in this process to support and celebrate the dialogue, to listen, to learn, and to pray. In the tradition of my denomination, the United Church of Christ, we often speak to one another instead of for one another. Our national body, General Synod, has voted on resolutions expressing concern about what is happening in Israel and Palestine (refer to www.ucc.org) It is the role of each of our members and congregations to listen to these resolutions, to study them, and to pray about them, but not necessarily to agree with them. We believe that dialogue is healthy and strengthens us as individuals and as a community. We need to be able to listen to one another and even to disagree without quickly moving to polarization and rhetoric that distances us from each other. Learning to talk lovingly to one another about complex and painful issues is part of how we become peacemakers and lead others to peace, as well.
Q4. Are you concerned that this sign will distract your congregation from more important things here at home?
Rev. Paige: I believe that working for peace with justice is a central part of our mission. Each of us finds ways to do this work - sometimes in our homes, sometimes in our schools or workplaces or communities, and sometimes on the world stage. Each week I preach and teach and encourage folks in my congregation to do God's work and to live out their faith in the world. One of the members of the church, Bruce Barrett, has chosen to serve God by working on this project and we support him in his efforts to live out his faith as a peacemaker working for justice.
I see this as an exciting opportunity for our congregation to build bridges with people of other religious communities here in Connecticut – to worship and to pray and to dialogue with each other. I also see it as an important moment for us to learn and to grow in our understanding about a very broken part of our world community and a corner of the world where our own government has a profound impact. As a citizen of this country and of God's world, I feel that it is our responsibility to be paying attention, to be learning, and to be speaking to our government about our concerns in this area.