Witnessing for Peace in Iraq

Growing up in the church I did something we all called "witnessing." It was usually something done on Sabbath afternoons and involved going door to do with invitations to a religious presentation at the church or invitations to enroll in Bible Studies. On occasions it even meant standing in a busy part of town and talking to strangers about Jesus and handing them a book or pamphlet. This past weekend our church did some "witnessing" of a different kind -  a kind I had never done before.

When I first learned about the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq I immediately knew I needed to participate in some way. It was a bit too complicated to fly to Washington, D.C., though not impossible. I finally decided that a more significant impact could be made closer to home by putting on our own "Peace Witness." This is exactly what we did.

With a modified version of the liturgy that was used at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. we began the service in prayer and meditation. Later in the service we heard from our interfaith friend, Cantor Steven Puzarne, as he shared about how his Jewish faith informs his peace activism and the specific work he is doing in "waging peace" in Israel and Palestine. Perhaps I'll share more about his work in a future post. One of the real treats of the evening was Steven sharing a Jewish peace song.

Following our time of prayer, reflection and conversation, we put on our Adventist Peace Fellowship shirts, gathering our candles and Adventist Women for Peace signs (gracious provided by, well...Adventist Women for Peace, based at La Sierra University). You can see more pictures of the march and the worship service by clicking here.

This weekend marks 4 years since the US-led invasion of Iraq. It's hard to imagine it's been that long. In that amount of time we have lost over 3,200 American (military) lives. The official death toll of Iraqi's including civilians is over 60,000 and some say as hight as 500,000. This was har cost the US taxpayers nearly $410 billion.

It's time to end this unjust and immoral war. Please visit www.adventistpeace.org and other Christian peace websites and get involved. It is especially important for those of us who are Adventists to reclaim our heritage as a peace church and stand with those who suffer daily under the violence dished out by those in power.

Comments

[Tompaul]

In January 2003 I attended the anti-war rally in Washington, D.C. It saddened me at the time that there was so little "mainstream" leadership involved. But the war was too great an evil to worry about when the rest of "acceptable" society would catch up. I could only think, Buckle your handbaskets, America . . .

[Nathan Brown]

This is very cool. Congratulations to Ryan, the Hollywood church and others for stepping up on this issue.

If only more of our churches . . .

[Huiling Lee]

Your efforts to promote peace and address social justice issues are truly appreciated, Ryan. Sorry you were unable to fly to DC but my husband, Siroj Sorajjakool, and I were there. We were able to participate in the march for peace in Iraq - so we like to think we helped represent you and other Adventists who would have liked to have been there too.

[Marcel]

Ryan,

I had a great time at the peace march, thank you so much for stepping out in faith and answering this call. This mustard seed is only the beginning.....

[Moshe Liebowitz]

The clergy should stick to theology and leave politics alone. It's great to say you're for peace, but the peace crowd NEVER articulates a cogent U.S. foreign policy philosophy. Currently, the leftists in the U.S. are condemning the war, but when it really comes down to it, the mainstream Democrat party really doesn't articulate anything different from a foreign policy perspective. U.S. foreign policy since the 1960s has largely been similar from president to president, regardless of whether it has been Democrat or Republican. The policy has been, ostensibly, to extend U.S. hegemony over the world under the guise of "spreading democracy" (and to support Israel). So if you really want peace, start advocating some foreign policy perspectives that are actually different. For example, how about advocate an anti-Zionist, isolationist foreign policy. After all, is not support for Israel a major component to the interventionist approach the U.S. has taken in the Middle East? But yet, few in the peace crowd are willing to advocate a hardline anti-Zionist position and actually offer any alternatives. They just jump on the popular band wagon for peace because its the latest bleeding-heart cause. They jump on board with the peace groups without concern that many of these groups have ties to far left Marxist and Communist organizations. It was definitely true in the Vietnam era, when Marxist radicals were behind both the Civil Rights and anti-war movements. And Communist influence by these groups was not really aimed at "peace" or "civil rights", but merely to weaken the establishment in the great ideological struggle. So, the peace crowd becomes the "useful idiots". I also think to take a position against Israel would require the large Evangelical block in the U.S. to come to grips with its Dispensationalist eschatology (the viewpoint that is entrenched in the Dallas Theological Seminary) which views the literal State of Israel as being super significant. President Bush is an Evangelical and probably believes in this stuff and it invariably affects foreign policy.

[Shoshana]

I am shocked at Moshe's comments above. The Iraq war was an unjust and immoral war. It doesn't matter the policy objectives. War is bad except for World War II, since we were fighting right wingers! Colonialism is bad since it oppresses people and this is exactly what our involvement in Iraq is all about. Just give peace a chance! Let's just pull out of Iraq right now and let the chips fall where they do. No war for oil!!! Also, the clergy are always involved in social issues. Look at all the good Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have done over the years. Who was standing up for the minorities in New York when they were the victims of the white power structure? I didn't see Pat Robertson out there. No, it was only Reverend Al who dared to march for justice and peace. So sometimes it is only those on the left who dare stand up for social justice. It shouldn't matter if the peace movement has Communist ties or not. Our intentions are good and we are showing that we care about social justice. Why should it matter what our foreign policy is? We are for peace and good will towards all in a beautiful mosiac of multicultures living together in harmoney in a environmentally responsible way.