Andrea Steinkamp: "Pursuing Peace" (Homily for May 31, 2026)

Then God said, ‘Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness…So God created humans in God’s own image, in the divine image, God created them… – Genesis 1:26-27Friends,It is always a bit of a mystery and a miracle to me the ways the suggested texts of Revised Common Lectionary manage to speak to the specific moments or contexts in which they land on any given Sunday.This Sunday, the lectionary points us to the beginning, to the creation narrative found in Genesis 1, where we are assured of our infinite and inviolable worth and value as humans, not because of what we do or produce or because of our holiness or perfection, but simply because of whose we are – God’s beloved children.At a time when we can’t seem to escape the reality of constant assaults on human dignity in our current political, economic, and technological environments, how might we root into this assurance in ways that transform ourselves and the world?On Sunday, we will recognize Peace with Justice Sunday in our United Methodist tradition. It is a Sunday that reminds us that the pursuit of peace requires faithful action.As I sit writing this, people being held at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility in New Jersey are in their 6th day of a hunger strike, demanding improved conditions, humane treatment and freedom. In a letter signed by more than 300 detainees, they have detailed egregious violations of their human and civil rights, not only legally and administratively, but through the physical violence of unsanitary living conditions, spoiled and infested food, and lack of sufficient medical care.It is a moment that calls for faithful action.Come Sunday, we’ll reflect together about what faithful action might look like in our own lives, and in the life of our community. In the meantime, scroll down to the section “Delaney Hall Support” for a list of ways you can begin pursuing peace now.Peace and Love,AndreaP.S. This Sunday we will also recognize the graduating high school seniors of our community and enjoy some celebratory cake during coffee hour. Come be a part of the blessing we will offer them as they close this leg of their journey and look to the next!