As militarism and nationalism are circling our planet once again, pastor, teacher and singer-songwriter David Edwards reminds us of the timeless Christian calling to be peacemakers. During the Vietnam War, his own calling as a conscientious objector (CO) led him to alternative service in a children's hospital. In this memoir, he invites us to share his spiritual journey and rediscover the hope of peace in our world. At its best, he writes, religion calls us to build peaceful communities with all who share our planet.
In What Belongs To God, David Edwards explains core values found in Jewish and Christian scriptures that call us toward a nonviolent life and a love that embraces the stranger, including one's enemy. The book continues his legacy as a teacher by including ready-to-use resources for discussion groups in a Discussion and Action Guide called "Choosing Peace." That section of the book is an entire plan for either a three-day spiritual retreat focused on peacemaking or for a series of weekly discussions. Also in this book are links to download some of Edwards' inspiring music, as well as free discussion-starter pages that readers can share with friends as they talk about these ideas.
The book's central message is: "Everyone has a right to live, and every life belongs to God," writes the Rev. Dr. Alvin O'Neal Jackson, executive director of the Poor People's Campaign in the book's Foreword.
Or, as David puts it, "All of life, including our own life, belongs to God, from whom it flows as a gift." In glimpsing this truth, David writes, we begin to see the world in a far more hopeful light.
As the chapters unfold, David shares his story as a conscientious objector, explaining how his decision developed and how his experience of civilian alternative service changed the course of his life and ministry. Many of the folk songs David wrote and shared with congregations sprang directly from the spiritual gifts he discovered in the real lives of the diverse men, women and children he encountered. Even though David died in 2019, this book invites individuals and congregations to continue sharing in his wisdom, and even his rousing voice lifted in song.¿
Sprache
Produkt-Hinweis
Fadenheftung
Gewebe-Einband
Maße
Höhe: 235 mm
Breite: 157 mm
Dicke: 11 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-64180-098-3 (9781641800983)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
David Livingston Edwards died of cancer in 2019, but his loving spirit continues to circle the world as his songwriting and teaching about peace and justice continue to be shared by men and women every day. David inherited his love of music from his parents, who hailed from Appalachian Southwest Virginia, where music flows throughout worship, fun and all of life. Though this book is only his second published work, he was a prolific writer of sermons, essays, poetry and music. David attended Lynchburg College (now the University of Lynchburg) in Lynchburg, Virginia, and Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. His alternative service as a conscientious objector to the draft was performed as an orderly on the cardiac ward of Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. During his career as a minister, he served congregations in Kentucky, Indiana and Virginia. He is survived by his wife, the educator Kaye Edwards, who contributed to David's book and maintains the websites that share many of his community resources, including his original music, with the world.
