Rev. Jonathan Goodell

Last weekend our church, Tewksbury Congregational Church, thoroughly enjoyed the preaching of Brother Ray Cook of St. Williams’ parish.  Each pastor in town took a turn at another pulpit to celebrate the deep unities that we share.  Just the week before that my parish enjoyed the preaching of our pastoral associate Donna Spencer Collins.  Back to back we sampled the  important “internship” experiences that prepare pastors for their ministries, whether Roman Catholic or United Church of Christ.

A vision of unity is at the heart of the Christian hope. Christians believe that God is a community of three, expressing a single intention of love… a vision that can truly move the heart!   In a world that is fractured by violence and fear, where political officials are attacked for no good reason and the vitriol of political language hurts our sense of civility and decency … in that world we seek the balm of the human and Christian vision for peace.

Perhaps even more than a vision we seek someone who has actively lived out that vision.  Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke to a profound vision of ethnic and racial harmony.  But his willingness to bring unfairness and racial judgment to its knees by speaking the truth in love, by approaching his foes non violently and expecting them to respond from a deeper place, is what we find moving about Rev. Dr. Kings’ life.

A peaceful heart feeds the human spirit.  A practitioner of peace is a true hero in our fractured world.   I invite you to respond with your own vision of peace.  Ask us, each parish of Tewksbury, to support you as we seek a more peaceful community together.

Rev. Jonathan Goodell is pastor of Tewksbury Congregational Church.