The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2018 - 15

sTorIes oF Peacemakers
members there were also affirming their conviction that "in
Jesus, God identifies with and loves those who are marginalized,
including persons convicted of committing murder."2
People from other organizations carried anti-death-penalty
signs outside the Governor's mansion that afternoon. Soon
some state legislators had decided that Judge Griffen's actions
as a private citizen, expressing his personal faith, were reason
for him to be impeached.
I received an invitation to join a group of Judge Griffen's
allies to come to little rock and stand in support of him, because he was being targeted for his stand for religious liberty.
I knew I needed to be there as a friend.
I also felt called to attend the rally because, as a family
Therapist for decades, I disagree heartily with Gov. hutchinson's
contention that killing people accused of murder somehow will
help the families of victims to heal. I believe that true emotional
and spiritual healing happen only when we do the deep grief
and anger work required. causing an accused person to be
murdered seems to me to serve only as retribution and revenge.
In addition, I agree with Mahatma Gandhi and dr. Martin
luther king, Jr., who are quoted as saying, "An eye for an eye
leaves the whole world blind."
Now that my present work entails offering affordable access
to top-rated attorneys for all kinds of legal issues-including
services to help stop racial and other types of profiling-I am
even more aware than ever of the urgency of standing with
people who are being oppressed, standing with them against
legal and other types of violence.
As a person who attempts to follow Jesus, I wanted to
support Wendell, who has contributed so much to BpfnA
~ Bautistas por la Paz, and who continues to help those who
have ears to hear, to make the connections between violence
and empire.
As a white person, raised with unearned privilege in the uS, I believe that
my job, when a racialized or other marginalized person asks for help in addressing
injustice nonviolently, is to "show up and
shut up." In doing so, I am supporting the
leadership of the person of color as much
as possible-supporting from behind.
So I went to little rock and stood on
the steps of the Arkansas State capitol in
little rock on June 9. What a privilege it
was for me to be able to represent BpfnA
~ Bautistas por la Paz in support of Rev.
Hon. Wendell Griffen, who is such a friend
of our organization! People of faith from
across the uS, including a missionary on

leave from Bali, stood with our brother Wendell, to defend his
right to express his religious beliefs as an elected official.
Rally speakers pointed out that there appears to be a different set of rules for Judge Griffen than for other (white) judges
who express their personal religious beliefs. They noted that
Judge Griffen is the only Black judge in this group. We educated
listeners about the vital role religious liberty must have in our
society, right in the city of little rock high School, where the
fight for equal education was ignited nationally more than 60
years ago.
I loved telling people there about BpfnA ~ Bautistas
por la Paz (the only organization at the rally that overtly includes people whose first language is Spanish), inviting them
to peace camp, and making new friends from progressive
Baptist groups, and with other faith leaders and ethics leaders
and anti-racism leaders. I am stronger because of these new
bonds, and so grateful to the people of BpfnA ~ Bautistas
por la Paz, who continue to teach, inspire and empower me.
-Gwenyth Lewis, a certified Conflict Transformation trainer, is a longtime member and supporter of BPFnA ~ Bautistas por la Paz. Among
her many peacemaking efforts is her work with LegalShield to help people
in the US and Canada deal with legal issues. After 27 years in Philadelphia, she has returned to her native Albuquerque, nM.
endnotes
1. See "Wendell Griffen's Book Holds Assurance & a Summons" by Walter Brueggemann, Baptist Peacemaker, vol 37 no
2, Spring 2017, page 20.
2. See "Let Us Reason Together" by Judge Wendell Griffen,
Baptist Peacemaker, vol 37 no 3, page 20. See also "An Arkansas
Judge participated in a Good friday vigil. It May cost him
His Seat" by Deena Guzder in Sojourners, May 24, 2017.

Right: Gwenyth Lewis, far right, stands
with Judge Wendell Griffen, far left, and
other religious leaders in Little Rock.
Photo courtesy of Wendell Griffen.

Baptist Peacemaker

JAN-MAR 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2018