This article appears on Presbyterian Outlook with the permission of the Presbyterian News Service. The Outlook has a paywall to help fund our independent journalism. If our paywall prevents you from reading the full story, you can read it freely at pcusa.org/news.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. …” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” — Luke 2:10-11, 13-14, NRSVUE
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is one among many Christian and Reformed traditions whose religious faith is grounded in the person of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. During the Advent and Christmas seasons, we waited and proclaimed that Jesus Christ is coming, has come, and will come again, and we welcomed the one who calls us to follow him and join in God’s mission of wholeness, of peace and justice for the world God loves.
It is in this biblical and theological context and in the context of the policies of the General Assembly of the PC(USA) that we speak out against the violent military actions of the United States against Venezuela, especially the attack on Jan. 3, and join in solidarity with our partner, the Iglesia Presbiteriana de Venezuela (Presbyterian Church of Venezuela), and the people of Venezuela.
We affirm
- peace, justice, and fullness of life as God’s desire for all of God’s beloved Creation
- peacemaking as essential to our faith in God’s reconciling work in Jesus Christ, whose love and justice challenge evil and hatred, and whose call gives our church a mission to present alternatives to violence (2016)
- nonmilitary, collaborative international approaches as effective means of resolving conflict (2022).
The violent military actions of the U.S. against Venezuela run counter to these affirmations based on our religious convictions. Additionally, these actions violate international law and the rights of the Venezuelan people.
We do not overlook the serious political and human rights challenges facing Venezuela, nor do we endorse the current government. Yet history teaches that violence and external military intervention, especially when undertaken without clear restraint and accountability, deepen suffering rather than bring justice or peace.
Our church carries the memory of the Iraq War as a painful moral lesson. In reflecting on that war, the 216th General Assembly (2004), in “Iraq: Our Responsibility and the Future,” examined the invasion in light of just-war principles and conscience and warned against the grave human cost of wars launched on contested claims. Shaped by that reflection, we approach any justification for military escalation with humility and caution. We are wary of fear-driven narratives and preemptive logic that rush toward violence and bypass international law. Remembering the lives lost and communities shattered, we call instead for careful verification, diplomacy, and a renewed commitment to peace and the protection of civilian life.
As people of faith, we are also concerned when the use of military force bypasses constitutional checks and congressional responsibility, weakening democratic accountability and public trust.
We believe the church bears witness to Christ when it nourishes the moral life of the nation for the sake of peace in our world and participates in seeking peace in all areas of life and society (1980). As such, we renounce violence as a means to further selfish, national interests, to procure wealth, or to dominate others (2022), and invite all those of goodwill to speak out against these U.S. actions and to speak up for the rights of Venezuelans to peace, justice, life and self-determination.
Fellow Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) disciples of Christ Jesus are called upon to be in solidarity with the Presbyterian Church in Venezuela and the people of Venezuela, to pray with them and for them in these difficult times, to recommit to participating in God’s mission of wholeness in the world, to practice boldly the things that make for peace, and to nourish the moral life of our nation for the sake of God’s peace.
One of the affirmations adopted by the 222nd General Assembly (2016) to guide the peacemaking witness of the PC(USA) is this: “We confess that we have sinned by participating in acts of violence, both structural and physical, or by our failure to respond to acts and threats of violence with ministries of justice, healing, and reconciliation.”
We speak and act, not from a place of self-righteousness, but from a place of seeking to follow Christ more faithfully, recognizing that God’s mission is also for Christ’s church and our own formation into the cruciform shape of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.
May we walk with our Venezuelan siblings and friends, as well as all those who are living in the shadow of violence and death, as they seek peace and wholeness. May our ministries of justice, healing, and reconciliation be a sign of God’s just and loving reign for the world and for us.
But we believe that these times, so full of peril and tragedy for the human family, present a special call for obedience to our Lord, the Prince of Peace. The Spirit is calling us to life out of death.
The church must discern the signs of the times in the light of what the Spirit is revealing. We see signs of resurrection as the Spirit moves the churches to call for peace. We are at a turning point. We are faced with the decision either to serve the Rule of God or to side with the powers of death through our complacency and silence.
Learn more about peacemaking here. Read a declaration by the National Hispanic-Latino Presbyterian Caucus here. Read a statement by the Alliance of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches of Latin America (AIPRAL) here.
The Rev. Jihyun Oh is Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Executive Director of the Unified Agency.
