You are called to create pathways in the world for peace in Christ to be relationally and culturally incarnate. The hope of Zion is realized when the vision of Christ is embodied in communities of generosity, justice, and peacefulness. Above all else, strive to be faithful to Christ’s vision of the peaceable Kingdom of God on earth. Courageously challenge cultural, political, and religious trends that are contrary to the reconciling and restoring purposes of God. Pursue peace. (Doctrine and Covenants 163:3a, b)

What does it mean for us to pursue peace?  How are we to challenge cultural, political, and religious trends that are contrary to the reconciling and restoring purposes of God?  How are we to embody the vision of Christ in communities of generosity, justice, and peacefulness?

We previously considered the idea of shalom.  Now we are considering the idea of shalom as expressed in community—what we in this faith community have called the cause of Zion.  The idea of community has been a foundational concept from the beginning of our faith community, but our understandings of what we mean by community and how to achieve it are continuing to evolve.  Our ideas of Zion once focused almost exclusively on a physical gathering of people into a Christ-centered community in Independence, Missouri.  Now we are challenged to consider what Zion means to a world-wide faith community in a very different world than when we first embraced the idea of the cause of Zion.

Los Angeles presents both tremendous challenges as well as opportunities for community building.  In a very literal way, the whole world is here.  People have come here from all over the earth and now live together in this international metropolitan area.  Not only do they live here, but they bring their languages, customs, religions, political understandings, etc.  All of us come together in this area, sometimes harmoniously and sometimes not.

In the midst of this tremendous diversity, we have the admonition to the church to “heed the urgent call to become a global family united in the name of the Christ, committed in love to one another, seeking the kingdom for which you yearn and to which you have always been summoned. That kingdom shall be a peaceable one and it shall be known as Zion.” (Doctrine and Covenants 161:6b)  We have also been told that “God is calling for a prophetic community to emerge, drawn from the nations of the world, that is characterized by uncommon devotion to the compassion and peace of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Through divine grace and wisdom, this faith community has been given abundant gifts, resources, and opportunities to equip it to become such a people.” (Doctrine and Covenants 163:11a)

While these two admonitions were to the entire church, they seem particularly significant to our faith communities in the Los Angeles area.  We are in the midst of a global community with the peoples of the world at our doorsteps.  Yet as we look out those doors, we are daunted by the challenges of reaching out across cultures and other differences to build sacred community in the name of Jesus Christ.  Let us again hear these words of challenge and encouragement:

      “Do not be discouraged. You have not been promised an easy path, but you have been assured that the Spirit that calls you will also accompany you. That Spirit is even now touching alive the souls of those who feel the passion of discipleship burning deeply within. Many others will respond if you are persistent in your witness and diligent in your mission to the world.
       “Listen carefully to the many testimonies of those around the world who have been led into the fellowship of the Community of Christ. The richness of cultures, the poetry of language, and the breadth of human experience permit the gospel to be seen with new eyes and grasped with freshness of spirit. That gift has been given to you. Do not fail to understand its power. It is for divine purpose that you have been given the struggles as well as the joys of diversity. So must it always be in the peaceable kingdom.”  (Doctrine and Covenants 162:3a-4b)