INSIDE: • Photos from Phoenix 2013 • Graphic images in media • Delegates focus on immigration • Do we love the world that God loves? • Was Phoenix worth it? By Shirley Hershey Showalter By Logan Mehl-Laituri By John Howard Yoder Edited by John C. Nugent, Andy Alexis-Baker, and Branson Parler 2 TheMennonite | August 2013 | www.themennonite.org August 2013 | Volume 16, Number 8 C O N T E N T S 12 Citizens beyond walls of separation —Gordon Houser 16 Delegates focus on immigration —Everett J. Thomas 20 Youth respond to calls for healing and hope —Anna Groff 24 Junior youth play ‘Anabaptist game’ —Gordon Houser 25 Children learn about prayer and Bible stories —Gordon Houser 26 Youth do servant projects despite the heat 27 Film festival explores immigration, antiracism —Gordon Houser 28 Photos from Phoenix 2013 30 Plays, music, dancing 34 Convention participants cross into Mexico —Anna Groff 35 Ohio group meets with Sheriff Arpaio —Everett J. Thomas 38 Parents describe sexual abuse of their daughter —Anna Groff 38 Bethel student performs to packed house —Melanie Zuercher 40 Sister Care crosses borders in Mexico —Linda Shelly 28 44 Why military veterans become pacifists —Julie Putnam Hart D E P A R T M E N T S 4 Letters 34 News 6 News Briefs 44 News Analysis 8 Grace and Truth 47 For the Record 9 Global Anabaptism 51 Classifieds 10 Miscellany 52 New Voices 12 Features 53 Mediaculture 32 Leadership 55 Mennonite Church USA 6 40 33 Opinion 56 Editorial ON THE COVER: Photo by Jonathan Charles at the U.S.-Mexico border wall August 2013 | TheMennonite 3 L E T T E R S August 2013 | Volume 16, Number 8 Father when they speak of God. The Mennonite is the publication of Mennonite This publication welcomes your letters, There are a few denominations that Church USA, which established three purposes either about our content or about issues for the magazine: to provide a forum for the affirm “biblical unitarianism,” such as facing the Mennonite Church USA. voices within the denomination, to promote the the Church of God of the Abrahamic ministries of Mennonite Church USA and to Please keep your letter brief—one or two Faith. Biblical unitarians usually be- offer an editorial voice distinct from but paragraphs—and about one subject only. lieve that the Father is the one true collaborative with other leadership voices. The We reserve the right to edit for length Mennonite (ISSN 1522-7766) is published on God, Jesus is his son and the Messiah, and clarity. Publication is also subject to the first Tuesday of each month by the board for and the Holy Spirit is not a person but a The Mennonite, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at space limitations. Email to spiritual force that emanates from God. Elkhart, IN 46517 and at additional mailing [email protected] or mail to This is what I believe, since I find it to offices. Subscription rates for one year: $46 to Letters, The Mennonite, 3145 Benham U.S. addresses and $54 USD to Canadian be more scriptural than trinitarianism. Ave., Suite 4, Elkhart, IN 46517. Please addresses. Group rates available. The views It amazes me that many Christians, expressed in this publication do not necessarily include your name and address. We will including some who seem to think the represent the official positions of Mennonite not print letters sent anonymously, Old Testament is a book of mythology, Church USA, The Mennonite, or the board for though we may withhold names at our The Mennonite, Inc. Scripture references are insist that the only position on the God- discretion.—Editors from the New Revised Standard Version unless head open to Christians is the belief otherwise noted. that God is literally three distinct per- POSTMASTER send address corrections to: Must fight for unity sons and that Jesus is literally God in- 3145 Benham Ave., Suite 4 Regarding Elizabeth Soto Albrecht’s carnate. If we ever rewrite the current Elkhart, IN 46517 challenge in “A New Journey” (July): confession of faith, I’d like to see the STAFF “No more shunning, no more violence. Father, Son and Holy Spirit explained in Editor: Everett J. Thomas It’s a call for discernment in difficult is- a way that makes sense to both trinitar- [email protected] sues. We must lead it. We must learn ians and nontrinitarians.—Jerry C. Associate editor: Gordon Houser [email protected] how to fight for unity.” This is for the Stanaway, Villa Park, Ill. Associate editor: Anna Groff whole denomination, not just our con- [email protected] gregation. We support this challenge The ‘other’ holds the key Advertising, subscriptions: Rebecca Helmuth and work at it every day. We are pray- In Richard Rohr’s daily meditation, he [email protected] Bookkeeper: Celina Romero ing for Elizabeth in her leadership role writes about the sin of exclusion: Editorial assistant: Nora Miller and are trusting God to use her in a “Those at the edge of any system and Design: Dee Birkey mighty way to bring Mennonite Church those excluded from any system ironi- WEBSITE www.themennonite.org USA to closer participation with God’s cally and invariably hold the secret for kingdom agenda.—Sharon Williams, the conversion and wholeness of that OFFICES Norristown, Pa. very group.” He suggests that when 3145 Benham Avenue we receive “those who don’t play our Suite 4 Elkhart, IN 46517 God the Father is missing game our way, we discover not only the phone: 800-790-2498 I read with interest Ken Gingerich’s ar- hidden, feared and hated parts of our fax: 316-283-0454 ticle “Walking With the Trinity” (July). souls but the fullness of Jesus himself.” 718 N. Main St. He says the doctrine of the Trinity did Jesus repeatedly showed us how to Newton, KS 67114-1703 not make sense to second-century minister to the marginalized people he phone: 866-866-2872 Jews or eighth-century Muslims. He encountered. What does this mean for fax: 316-283-0454 might also have mentioned that it did Mennonite Church USA? I am suggest- P.O. Box 1896 not make sense to some 16th-century ing that by replacing fear and rejection 504 W. Choctaw Drive Anabaptists, such as the followers of with God’s love and acceptance, we will Whiteriver, AZ 85941 phone: 928-338-6016 Adam Pastor and the Polish Brethren. renew our faith. God’s healing and hope fax: 316-283-0454 Even though our current confession will flow through us to our sisters and of faith affirms trinitarianism, it is in- brothers who are immigrants, all sexual teresting that the confession has an ar- orientations and any we view as ticle for God followed by an article for “other.”—Joyce Hostetler, Goshen, Ind. Jesus and one for the Holy Spirit. If all Mennonite Church three persons of the Trinity are equally Thanks for article USA God, you would think there would be a Thanks for Ronald Holland’s timely ar- separate article for the Father as well. ticle, “Blessed are the Peacemakers” The confession reflects the fact that (July) with all of the very relevant sta- most Christians are referring to the tistics.—Wilma Shank, Goshen, Ind. 4 TheMennonite | August 2013 | www.themennonite.org L E T T E R S John Howard Yoder weight than Christlike behavior. Some- and (3) address the issue. Editor’s note: In his June Mediaculture times an acknowledgement is all that is In the case of John Howard Yoder, column, associate editor Gordon Houser needed, and less is more.—Carol this response should, at the very least, reviewed a recent book of John Howard Wenger, New Holland, Pa. continue for the duration of the victims’ Yoder’s writings and a book about his lives and in perpetuity at Anabaptist theology. Barbra Graber, in the July Let- Gordon Houser’s defensive response to Mennonite Biblical Seminary in ters section, criticized Houser for the re- Barbra Graber’s letter is symptomatic Elkhart, Ind.—Ruth Anne Abraham, views, and we published Houser’s of Mennonite institutional disregard for Austin, Texas response immediately after Graber’s letter. John Howard Yoder’s victims. Houser The following three letters are arranged deflects attention from John Howard More about Claire DeBerg in the order they were received. Yoder’s abusive behavior and prefers to In response to Curt Weaver’s letter emphasize his “insights as a scholar.” (July) asking to hear about Timbrel edi- Regarding John Howard Yoder: I have Houser does not address Graber’s call tor Claire DeBerg’s vision for the mag- found helpful an account by Stanley for justice for Yoder’s victims. azine and dreams for making a Hauerwas in his memoir Hannah’s Barbra Graber criticizes Mennonite difference for young women growing Child. On pages 242-247 he reviews institutions, one of which is The up in a rapidly changing world, we the discipline process briefly and re- Mennonite, for neglecting Yoder’s vic- bring more of her story: ports that after four years of committee tims. She points out that “women who DeBerg’s desire to live out her An- work, “On the last Sunday in Decem- endured his assaults … have yet to re- abaptist faith through serving women ber 1997, John and Annie were warmly ceive any kind of official apology or rec- of the Mennonite church is uppermost reunited in worship at Prairie Street ompense from the church … while the in her career goals. She says, “All Mennonite Church. John died on De- church conducted its well-organized facets of Mennonite Women USA’s mis- cember 30, 1997.” coverup.” She has the courage to de- sion inspire me, especially in this time It may be that more needs to be mand an appropriate response to of technological advancements.” De- said, but I find a kind of closure in this “Yoder’s chronic sexually abusive and Berg’s background includes a master’s account.—Daniel Hertzler, Scottdale, Pa.