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IRAQ WAR - Christian Groups To Stage Protest
- "Among
march participants who have volunteered to be arrested is Taylor Branch,
a Presbyterian elder and a Baltimore historian of the civil rights era.
"This is not new for me," said Branch, who protested during
the Vietnam War. "I've gone to other marches. It just seems to me
we've been kind of complacent" about the war in Iraq." -
from the Washington Post, March 16, 2007
This
week-end marches were held across the globe protesting the Iraq War as
in goes into its 5th year. And in the U.S. there were
counter-demonstrations against the peace marches. From reading the
articles from the news services it is apparent that there was a great
diversity in the people who participated in the marches. And in
many of these marches the protests were not only against the war but
also against the president of the United States, George Bush. Some
of the protests were peaceful, with prayer and silence ... while many
others were filled with anger and in many places in the world, violence
broke out. Some of the peace march speakers were just as political
as politicians.
As a world we have not learned much
from our wars ... and sadly, peace marchers, by and large, have not
learned much about peace. Anger and blame directed against the
governments, national leaders, and politicians ... will not bring us
closer to peace ... it only creates more of what we do not want ... war.
Gandhi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., after him, gave us the right
approach to gaining peace and justice ... and that is by marching with
peace in our hearts and a desire for peace for everyone. And, I
believe, that if we are ever to experience a world at peace, the
majority of its inhabitants must desire peace for all people ... not
just for themselves.
Taylor Branch, the Presbyterian elder and
Baltimore historian, is correct, we have been far too complacent about
the war in Iraq. We are still believing that our leaders and
politicians will "bring peace amidst turmoil" ... and this is
not the way it works at all. Peace begins in the hearts and minds
of the people ... and in so doing, leaders and politicians will be
elected that seek peace ... not power. This is no Pollyanna theory
... this is the way in which collective consciousness manifests in our
world. A good example of this is the Peace Corps: The
Peace Corps traces its roots and mission to 1960, when then Senator John
F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve
their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing
countries. From that inspiration grew an agency of the federal
government devoted to world peace and friendship. (above statements from
Peace Corps website) Can you imagine what a change the world would
be in today had we invested as much money in the Peace Corps as the
world has invested in just one year of this 4-year war in Iraq?
And what could happen if other countries participated in this program
worldwide as a coalition of the willing ... supporting peace across the
globe? The possibilities are infinite!
As individuals we carry the banner of peace in our hearts ... by
"being" at peace with all people and all things. Peace
protests filled with angry people may end a war ... or two ... but more
will follow. Peace marches filled with prayer and silence ... can
turn the minds of the masses toward peace. It is not as dramatic
... but it will work. Can you imagine a counter-protest to a peace
march filled with prayer and silence? Few would be foolish enough
to counter this. If something gets us angry ... its got us ... and
that is the truth in Mind. When our mind and hearts are filled
with peace, and determined to remain in peace ... then we become
powerful.
All
the mystics; Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Gandhi and others have taught us
the way to peace. We must be bold enough to "be still and
know that I am God" ... and this is what we are called to do if our
desire is for a peaceful world. There is no "war to win the
peace" ... this is an oxymoron ... peace-filled people,
collectively ... will win the peace!
AND SO IT IS!
Keep
the faith!
Rev. Hank
Bates
Visit: www.IraqMemorial.org
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