Together with God
we can Determine
Our Destiny

By Rev. Carlos Malavé

I believe that, even setting faith aside, we humans are intelligent enough to know that using war to resolve our differences is wrong. A civilization that increasingly depends on weapons as a means to subdue perceived enemies is headed in the wrong direction.

We need leaders who demonstrate a commitment to addressing human challenges with an unwavering sense of morality, and with respect for life and for the dignity of the human person. History has shown us, again and again, that violence begets violence, and that the peace achieved through force is fragile and fleeting.

If we continue to elect political leaders who see the world as their own possession, and who perceive others as enemies to be conquered and destroyed, then that is precisely where we will end up: destroyed.

Some Christian leaders uphold a theology that accepts a framework of destruction as desirable, even necessary. They believe that in order to bring about the kingdom of God, the world must continue on its course of self-destruction. This way of thinking is alien to the teachings of Jesus and to the principles of the kingdom of God. Jesus did not call us to hasten ruin; he called us to be peacemakers, to love our enemies, and to seek the flourishing of all people.

Followers and disciples of Jesus are people of hope, committed to the principles of abundant life. The Spirit that dwells in us is not the spirit of gloom and doom that pervades this world. We have experienced the joy and the hope of Christ, and we live to spread them — to infect the world with them.

Juntos/as con Dios Estamos en Control
de Nuestro Destino

Rev. Carlos Malavé

Creo que, aun dejando la fe a un lado, los seres humanos somos lo suficientemente inteligentes como para saber que usar la guerra para resolver nuestras diferencias es un error. Una civilización que depende cada vez más de las armas como medio para someter a sus supuestos enemigos va en la dirección equivocada.

Necesitamos líderes que demuestren un compromiso de enfrentar los desafíos humanos con un sentido inquebrantable de moralidad, y con respeto por la vida y por la dignidad de la persona humana. La historia nos ha demostrado, una y otra vez, que la violencia engendra violencia, y que la paz lograda por la fuerza es frágil y pasajera.

Si seguimos eligiendo líderes políticos que ven el mundo como su propia posesión, y que perciben a los demás como enemigos a los que hay que conquistar y destruir, entonces ahí es precisamente donde terminaremos: destruidos.

Algunos líderes cristianos sostienen una teología que acepta un marco de destrucción como algo deseable, e incluso necesario. Creen que, para que venga el reino de Dios, el mundo debe continuar su curso de autodestrucción. Esta manera de pensar es ajena a las enseñanzas de Jesús y a los principios del reino de Dios. Jesús no nos llamó a acelerar la ruina; nos llamó a ser pacificadores, a amar a nuestros enemigos y a buscar el florecimiento de todas las personas.

Los seguidores y discípulos de Jesús somos personas de esperanza, comprometidas con los principios de la vida abundante. El Espíritu que habita en nosotros no es el espíritu de pesimismo y fatalidad que impregna este mundo. Hemos experimentado el gozo y la esperanza de Cristo, y vivimos para difundirlos — para contagiar al mundo con ellos.

Rev. Carlos Malavé is the founder and president of the Latino Christian National Network, an organization that aims to provide a space for respectful dialogue among Latino Christian leaders of different traditions and theological perspectives. Previously, Malavé served as the executive director of Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT) for 11 years. CCT is the broadest organization working for the unity of the church in the U.S.

Malavé is a member of the steering committee of the Circle of Protection, a coalition of church bodies and related ministries representing the diversity of Christianity in this country. Malavé previously served as assistant stated clerk at the Office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and as pastor in Puerto Rico and Southern California. He holds a M.A. in family life education from Loma Linda University and an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is married to Aixa Malavé and has three children.