Shining the Light on the War Machine
Dear friends:
The Christian Scriptures testify again and again to the Light that shines in the darkness. Here's a story of shining the Light on institutions of war in Washington, DC.
Where does light need to be shone on injustice in your community? How can you help make that happen?
Blessings of fierce and gentle love,
Matt Guynn
On Earth Peace
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Church of the Brethren Newsline
February 15, 2006
Campaign calls peacemakers to `Shine the Light' in Washington.
By Todd Flory
In the basement of the Washington Peace Center, around a dozen
Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) members and supporters gathered to
worship, eat, fellowship, and review the logistics of that
afternoon's events. It was Wednesday, and the group was scheduled
to protest outside of the weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin's
world headquarters in southern Maryland.
To help demonstrate its opposition to the war in Iraq, CPT held a
`Shine the Light' campaign in Washington, D.C., Jan. 19-29, in
which a protest was held outside of a different war-compliance
institution each day. Each session ended with a prayer vigil
outside of the White House. Many supporters of the cause, including
the Brethren Witness/Washington Office of the Church of the
Brethren General Board, participated with CPT at various times
throughout the week-and-a-half campaign.
"The Shine the Light campaign is both shining light on institutions
of war and on the captives, those held captive by all aspects of
war," said Church of the Brethren and CPT member Cliff Kindy. "It's
a shine for release. As we work with issues of justice and peace,
maybe what's underneath is an issue of power; who's in charge."
Outside of Lockheed Martin, a mix of honks, waves, cheers, and
sneers from passengers driving along the road greeted the Shine the
Light campaign as its members walked solemnly in front of the
corporation in a single-file line holding candles and signs. Two
people walking along the sidewalk even stopped for a few minutes to
join the group in the protest. "Our presence at these institutions
is an invitation to those in there to come out of it, and be
changed by the light," Kindy explained.
Some of the other institutions that the campaign visited included
the State Department, military recruiting offices, Internal Revenue
Service, Central Intelligence Agency, and Pentagon. According to
Kindy, the group was received with the least amount of
receptiveness while visiting the Pentagon. When some members of the
public stopped to talk with the CPT members, and when they all
gathered together to pray, security quintupled from five guards to
25.
Kindy believes that the public's knowledge of and compassion toward
other people and parts of the world, coupled with sociably
responsible actions, could further help to bring peace to the
world. "We stop paying money to the IRS, and the war stops," he
said. "The recruiters stop getting recruits, and the war stops.
Lockheed Martin stops making weapons, and the war stops. If any one
of them stops, the war stops. Even pulling out one of the pillars
stops the war."
--Todd Flory is a Brethren Volunteer Service worker and a
legislative associate at the Church of the Brethren General Board's
Brethren Witness/Washington Office.
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You are receiving this message as a part of the "Peace Witness Action List," a program of On Earth Peace. This list is to alert you of creative nonviolent action throughout the United States and beyond, with the intention of inspiring Spirit-filled creative action in your community.
On Earth Peace is an agency rooted in the Church of the Brethren, helping people faithfully discern "the things that make for peace" (Luke 19).
If you know stories of nonviolent action that are happening that others might want to know about, please e-mail them to mattguynn@earthlink.net.
If you would like to receive these alerts or end your subscription, kindly send an e-mail message to mattguynn@earthlink.net.
On the web: www.brethren.org/oepa; Tel (410) 635-8704; On Earth Peace, PO Box 188, New Windsor, MD 21776-0188.
Shine the Light follow up
Friends, brothers, sisters,
Here's a reply to last nights' PWAL post from Illana Naylor of the Manassas (VA) Church of the Brethren.
Also included is Illana's court testimony related to an arrest for civil disobedience in September 2005 as part of the mass demonstrations that weekend in Washington, DC.
May we each be enlivened
by the Light shining so brightly
within our many colleagues and comrades,
Matt
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Dear God's peacemakers all,
I can witness to the fact that this was a very moving experience. I joined the "Shine the Light" group on Friday when we vigiled outside of the Veterans' Administration. We walked silently, single file with one man being led by a rope around his throat and his head covered by a black pillow case.
Later we had a prayer vigil outside of the White House, followed by dinner and worship at the Langley Friends meeting house where we held in remembrance Tom Foxx and the three other CPTers still held in captivity.
Would that what we do would end this dastardly war.
For God so loved this world, no war in my name,
Illana
ps. Attached, please find my testimonial before Judge Robinson in US District Court Jan. 19, 2006 after being arrested in September as a witness for God's peace.
Testimony given before Judge Robinson in US District Court, Washington, D.C., January 19, 2006.
I. As a person of faith, I believe that God knows us, loves us and calls us to love our enemies and to do good to those who persecute us. I do not believe in the God of vengeance and of unholy wars. In Ephesians 2, Paul writes that while we were yet enemies, sinners, terrorists of God, God loved us and broke down the dividing walls of hostility. In every religion we are called to treat others they way we want to be treated. Killing and destruction are an anathema to God. In James 4 we are reminded that wars come from greed, from wanting what is not ours. In Matthew 25 we learn what makes for a great nation. The nations that are blessed are the nations that feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, visit, not torture, those in prison and take care of the sick. It is the one great lie that God ordains us to kill leaving behind death and destruction.
II. As a citizen, I believe in democracy and truth and yet this war in Iraq compromises both. Iraq and Sadaam Hussein had nothing to do with 9-11 and yet this emotional hook was used. Al Queda and Osama bin Laden claimed responsibility. A man, born in Saudi Arabia, armed by the USA to resist Russia in Afghanistan for the sake of an oil pipeline, is responsible. There is no connection. And who would believe that after a 12 year economic embargo that resulted in the deaths of 100,000 citizens for lack of food and medicine, Iraq would have the money for weapons of mass destruction? And if truthfully, our concern is WMDs why have we not attacked China or North Korea or Pakistan or India or France or England or Israel or Russia whom we know have WMDs. I say this war is illegal, I say no more blood for oil, I believe we all say enough is enough.
III. As a wife and mother, I would like to focus on the family and those left behind. I have been given the sacred trust of life and of nurturing a family, not just my family but families globally. I have a concern about our survival and this war is an economic disaster leading us all into bankruptcy. A short five years ago our nation had a budget surplus and currently we are trillions of dollars in debt. Not only do we spend tax dollars on this immoral war but we are spending tax dollars to rebuild the very nation we are destroying with US companies that had no competitive bid and no opportunity for the Iraqi people to rebuild their own nation. According to Congressional Appropriations, we spend more than one thousand dollars a second on this war. With close to $2.5 trillion dollars spent, we could have used these funds to provide 1.5 million children health insurance for a year, or 4 million teachers for a year, or funded world-wide anti hunger efforts for 9 years, or AIDS funding for 23 years, or immunizations worldwide for 78 years. This war breaks our budget and breaks my heart.
IV. As a nurse, I believe this war is wrong because it is my sacred trust to above all else do no harm. This war makes a mockery of all I hold dear. In January of 2003, Jonathan Schell noted that the greatest voice for democracy was heard when millions marched to prevent this war in demonstrations all over the world. By June of 2003, we were all sickened to learn that the hospitals, schools, museums, and libraries had been bombed but that the oil fields stayed intact. There are those who must believe we have oil running in our veins that we regard blood, life and culture so cheaply.
I went to the White House on September 26th to witness for peace. As a person of faith, as a citizen, as a wife and mother, as a nurse I give voice to the truth that this war is immoral, illegal, unjustified and unhealthy for children and for all livings things. It is well past time to say no to death and yes to life.
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You are receiving this message as a part of the "Peace Witness Action List," a program of On Earth Peace. This list is to alert you of creative nonviolent action throughout the United States and beyond, with the intention of inspiring Spirit-filled creative action in your community.
On Earth Peace is an agency rooted in the Church of the Brethren, helping people faithfully discern "the things that make for peace" (Luke 19).
If you know stories of nonviolent action that are happening that others might want to know about, please e-mail them to mattguynn@earthlink.net.
If you would like to receive these alerts or end your subscription, kindly send an e-mail message to mattguynn@earthlink.net.
On the web: www.brethren.org/oepa; Tel (410) 635-8704; On Earth Peace, PO Box 188, New Windsor, MD 21776-0188.
