Passing the Peace

BUMPED AND UPDATED BELOW

This Friday evening, March 16th, Christians will overflow the National Cathedral in a powerful witness for peace. Already registrations have exceeded the 3,200 seat capacity of the Cathedral and plans are underway to broadcast the service into another area church. Following the worship service, we'll pour into the streets for a candlelight procession to the Whitehouse. And at the late night peace rally in Lafayette Park there will be a time for divine obedience and possible arrest.

Especially during this season of Lent, the Christian community must repent of its silence and complicity in the run-up to war perpetrated by the Whitehouse. And I join with the event organizers in saying that until the Christian community is willing to take risks for peace, to put its words into action, to publicly witness that the war in Iraq is wrong, more people will die, more violence will shatter more lives, and we will all be less secure. We must commit to the fullness of the Gospel vision of justice, peace, inclusive community and wholeness. Let us choose life that we and our children and the people of Iraq may live!


The next day, Saturday the 17th, will join tens of thousands of Americans and march on the Pentagon. This demonstration marks the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the shock and awe invasion of Iraq, March 19,2003. When we march on the Pentagon, it will mean that the war and occupation of Iraq have raged on for four years. That’s longer than any war in U.S. history with the exception of the Vietnam War and the U.S. Civil War. Unless we act now the war in Iraq will last for years. Bushco are prepared to send hundreds of thousands of troops to Iraq for years to come. These young men and women are being sent to kill and be killed so that the U.S. government can avoid the appearance of having “lost ” in Iraq.

It is unconscionable to allow this carnage to go on. Now is the time to end this illegal and immoral war.

Use this thread to coordinate a blogger meet-up in dc. Feel free to also express your antiwar outrage.

UPDATE: The 3,200 seats of the National Cathedral were preregistered nearly two weeks ago. As of today, planners have made room for an additional 1,000 worshippers to stand outside the Cathedral and listen by loud speaker. Another 1,000 will be seated in the sanctuary of the New York Ave Presbyterian Church, where the service will be broadcast on a large screen TV.

Clearly, God intends for our witness to burst the seams of Washington! Following the worship service, we will be surrounding the Whitehouse in a candlight vigil for peace. It's going to be an awesome and beautiful sight, though I'm not sure if 41 had this in mind when he envisioned a 1,000 points of light (make that 5,000 points of light!) I invite all the locals to come down and participate. If you want to attend the worship service, pre-registration is still encouraged. Planners anticipate the procession to take begin at 9:00 p.m. It's 4 mi. to the Whitehouse, so I'm guessing we won't arrive there until 10 or 10:30.

BLOGGER BREAKFAST: It is my understanding that bloggers will meet up with Americablog's Joe Saturday morning at about 9:00 at the corner of 21st & Constitution Ave NW. Aroiund 8:00 a.m. those who want to meet at the Lincoln Memorial and check out the Memorial and the Wall can do that before Joe arrives. I recall some reichwingers have it in their minds that we're coming to town to deface the Wall. Don't ask me how they got this idea. We should just be aware that there may be some confrontations. It is my hope that we will practice peace and respond to any confrontations in peaceful and nonviolent ways.

Please note in the comments if you will be joining us for any of these events so that we won't leave without you.

And may God grant you travelling mercies, bless our witness, and soften the hearts of our leaders that they may catch a vision of true peace and justice for all. Amen.


TAGS: peace, antiwar, pentagon