Thousands of people descended upon the squares in Barcelona, Madrid and other Spanish cities to protest and request a dialog, after the Catalonian referendum for independence. The Seventh-Day Adventist church in Spain added its voice to many others condemning violence and it sided with those advocating respect, peace, and love.
“Considering the growing climate of conflict in Catalonia and recent developments,” the declaration begins, “the Spanish Adventist Union expresses concern and issues a call to brotherhood to both believers and unbelievers, regardless of their ideology, that they embrace the Christian message of the Gospel, which is of respect, peace, and love, ideas presented by Him who is our example and our hope: Jesus Christ.”
The Spanish Union dissociates itself from any political position or slogan and refuses any partisan use of its public statements.
“It is inevitable,” it affirms, “and impossible to observe social reality and not understand how necessary reconciliation is. We condemn every kind of violence, in any form and place, and we pray that there will be social, emotional and spiritual healing. We cannot and do not want to identify with any movement or expression that feeds hate between brothers and sisters, citizens and persons. We know that the solution to all conflicts can only come from God, whose imminent return we await; He will eliminate all divisions, conflicts, and pain constantly experienced on this earth.
Even though we are pilgrims on this earth and citizens of a better World (Heb 11:13-16),” concludes the declaration, “we recognize our Christian responsibility to be agents of peace wherever we are (Matt 5:9), agents of light in whatever forum and place of justice, providing help and hope to our neighbours, whomever they might be and no matter what they think (John 13:35).
Let us direct our prayers to Christ Jesus (John 17:6-26), keeping our eyes on Him, and we ask all the members of our Church to avoid useless discussions (2 Tim 2:23) and to remember to be united in Christ (Eph 2:11-22), newly consecrating themselves to the Lord every day. May God help us speak His language of reconciliation, forgiveness and love.
