Given the violence we have witnessed in Venezuela and Minneapolis, I have been reflecting on peacemaking. While I am committed to peacemaking as a matter of faith, at times I feel overwhelmed by violent forces. What does it mean to be a peacemaker when national leaders use violence as a primary means to solve problems?  

My role within the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery frames my perspective on peacemaking because I interact with vulnerable people daily. People I know and love are targets of violence. I have close friends in both Venezuela and in Minneapolis.

In the coalition, dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery is not a meta­phor. This body of law and policy adopted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1823 frames reality for Indigenous people. It frames the violent policy that harmed and displaced our ancestors from our traditional lands and that continues to harm and displace us today. 

We believe we can work to replace the Doctrine of Discovery with ­equitable policy, but we know this will take time. That is why we are working over generations. We believe we can dismantle it in the span of 100 years. Those of us working for justice now are creating momentum for the ones who will come after us to continue this work for justice and peace.

In the coalition, we see our work as countercultural. We center the wellbeing of vulnerable people rather than striving for power and position. While the U.S. dominant culture rewards individual pursuit of power and position, we invite Christians to join us as we seek to embody a world that Jesus talked about, the kindom of God. 

We must collaborate with people from all walks of life — including people who do not agree with us — to bring about change. Some may see their interests as different from ours. For this reason, we encounter conflict regularly, especially as organizations and institutions seek to benefit financially from the extraction of resources on Indigenous lands, a process that is detrimental to the health of Indigenous peoples. 

Examples of violent extraction are embodied at Oak Flat in Arizona, where the lands of the San Carlos Apache are earmarked for copper extraction, and in the rainforest of ­Suriname, where the lands of the Wayana are mined for gold. 

While it may feel uncomfortable, our practice is to step deeper into relationships when we encounter conflict. 

We strive to embody lovingkindness. We provide skills training — including conflict management, active listening and restorative practice — because building relationships builds community, and relationships enable us to embody lasting change.

We are calling Christians to embody the economic justice of Jesus’ radical gospel. For me, this is a central part of peacemaking, because economic gain is a common motive to justify violence. 

When John the Baptist heralded the coming of Jesus in Luke 3, the people asked him what they should do to repent. He replied: “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” 

Jesus emphasized loving people over money. He said it is not possible to serve both God and money. 

We ask our Christian siblings to struggle for justice side by side with the oppressed. This means struggling for economic justice.

Peacemaking is walking with the vulnerable and embodying nonviolence as we encounter those who use violence to pursue their interests. In Minneapolis, this means standing with communities experiencing displacement and violence. It means offering relationship as we encounter those who do not agree with us. And it means engaging in a long-term effort to seek policies that prioritize the well-being of vulnerable people. 

I am committed to Jesus’ gospel of peace. The Greek word evangelion literally means “gospel” or “good news.” In ancient times, it was commonly used as an announcement of regime change, after a battle or the ascension of a new king. In ancient times, calling Jesus’ ministry gospel was subversive, because it announced the replacement of all kings and earthly authorities with God’s authority. 

The gospel of Christ heralds a change in consciousness. It announces a change in our way of being together. And that is good news indeed.