Korean reunification needs churches' partnership, Grieves tells TOPIK peace conference
Episcopal News Service, Seoul. November 19, 2007 [111907-06]
Neva Rae Fox, Program officer for public affairs
Working in partnership for reunification of Korea "would be a significant witness of Christ's reconciling love for all humanity" the Rev. Canon Brian Grieves, director of Peace and Justice Ministries, told the international Anglican conference, Towards Peace in Korea (TOPIK), during a November 19 panel discussion in Seoul.
In his opening remarks, Grieves underscored the "chance for our churches -- especially in Korea, Japan, China and the United States -- to work in partnership for such a goal."
Episcopalians and Anglicans from throughout the Anglican Communion have gathered for TOPIK, a six-day conference organized in response to a 2005 Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) resolution calling for peace, reconciliation and reunification of Korea.
Speaking on a panel titled "Efforts of Japanese, Taiwan, Hong Kong and American Churches for Peace and Reconciliation," Grieves noted pointedly, "Japan, China, Taiwan and the United States as nations all dance with each other politically, economically, socially and militarily. Sometimes this is a very dangerous dance."
He addressed what the church should do in the reconciliation process. "The church's roles in seeking reconciliation globally -- which is our mission embedded in Scripture -- and specifically in seeking reunification on the Korean peninsula, means advocating our values in part to the corridors of power," he said. "The Church is at root a counter-cultural body, because we place our faith and our actions not in militarism and wealth, but in the values of Christ, who, by refusing the path of power and rejecting violence, become the example for all humanity to embrace."
He urged, "We must be models of the values we wish to see our nations embrace."
Grieves outlined the reconciliation work with Japan and the history of unification efforts with Korea. Noting that U.S. President George Bush referred to North Korea as part of the "axis of evil" in 2001, which "greatly heightened tensions," Grieves said: "In the midst of all this, the Episcopal Church USA accepted the invitation in 2002 from the Anglican Church of Korea for members of its national peace commission to visit Seoul and the DMZ. As a consequence of this visit, the Episcopal Church adopted a policy calling on the U.S. government to reject the demonization of North Korea and to forswear use of a pre-emptive strike in exchange for North Korea's abandonment of its nuclear weapons program."
The full text of Grieves' remarks are available here
Joining Grieves on the panel presenting views of reunification and peace efforts were: Bishop Shoji Tani of Okinawa (Japan); Bishop David Jung Hein Lai of Taiwan; the Rev. Peter Douglas Koon of Hong Kong; and Dr. Edwin J. Ruiz, vice-president of academic affairs and academic dean, professor of theology and culture at New York Theological Seminary.
Tani spoke about Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Anglican Church of Japan) and Japan's apology for war; Lai talked about the religious and ethnic makeup of Taiwan; Koon presented aspects of peace and reconciliation programs in Hong Kong since its recent unification; and Ruiz reflected on topics presented earlier in TOPIK centering on identity.
Along with Grieves, traveling with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori are Peter Ng, partnership officer for Asia and the Pacific and the Rev. Dr. Charles Robertson, Canon to the Presiding Bishop.