Monday, March 19, 2007

Reflection on the War Protest







This past weekend, my buddy David and I drove up to Washington, D.C. to attend the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq – “United Under the Cross Against the War.” This was my first experience at protest. The event started with a worship service at the National Cathedral where 3000 Christians came together for worship. Admittedly, I’d never seen so many Christians united in the name of Jesus for anything. It was truly amazing! I think that there were about 5 mainline denominations represented.

Following the service, all 3000 people (or so it seemed) marched down Massachusetts Avenue toward the White House. As we marched down Embassy Row, it seemed as though the whole world was watching us as we proclaimed that America is not the way the truth and the life, but that Jesus Christ is. Watching the crowd meander down Massachusetts Ave. behind me was really a beautiful site, as people raised their faux candles and sang church camp songs and hymns the entire 3.6 miles. I think that my favorite part of the march was meeting Matt and Angela, a couple from Texas who are about to move to Reba House. Oh, and seeing the Psalters right behind me was great, too! But, I didn’t get to say much to them, as they were kind of setting the marching pace with their drums and tambourines. Oh, and Bill Mefford met us at the White House. That’s always a bonus!

When we got to the White House, things seemed to simmer down a bit. Over 100 people got arrested, but there didn’t seem to be any more cohesion to the group of 3000. Much of the arresting seemed staged, but I suppose that the police are used to such things by now.

On the way out of Arlington, on our way home, David asked me what I thought. In a tired, cynical voice, I said, “I just have to ask the ‘so what’ question. I’m not sure I understand what all of this effected.” It was a good experience all-in-all, but the main thing that I realized is something that Greg Leffel says on multiple occasions, “the kingdom is here but not in its fullness.” That’s how I felt this weekend. The kingdom is here, and maybe this was evidence of that fact, but sometimes it seems like the evidence that the kingdom of God is not here in its fullness is greater and heavier on my heart. Evidence like 1000s of people continuing to die because of the war in Iraq, and 1000s of people continuing to die in Darfur because there’s no oil there, or the statistics that we all know about food consumption in the United States, and the thing that seems to me to be the saddest is that so many of these things get boiled down to politics and that’s simply not the case. Yet, I must say that whether or not I can answer the “so what” question, I have to continue to stand for what is right, in the name of Jesus, because it seems that this is the Gospel thing to do.

4 comments:

geoff and sherry said...

great post, dan.
thanks for the report and reflection...and thanks for making the effort to do this, even if it seems like a small action. peace to you, bro.
geoff

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this encouraging word about your experience in DC. I often feel like you and wonder purpose these kinds of public assemblies serve. But then I think about Elijah on Mt. Carmel, or Jeremiah trying to speak to the Israelites, John the baptist in the desert, or Jesus in the garden of gethsemane; it is then that I recognize (though I can't understand it) what it truly means to stand alone in witness to the love of God and the grace of his covenant with us. I don't think that we as Christians in America understand much about prophetic witness; it seems like tend to confuse truth with large numbers or grandiose signs and kingdom values with political and cultural agendas. Above all, I think that the most important thing is that we love the people whom we perceive as doing this very thing. The truth is, whether we are in Iraq or here in America, we are killing each other with the anger, venom, and name calling that so easily ensnares us. Our collective inability as Christians to love each other, particularly to love our enemies, is truly the apex of terror and terroristic behavior, for without this sacred ability there is truly no hope that the violence will ever end, no hope that things can ever, or will ever, be different. Keep marching brother.....

Andy in Germany said...

For Christians here in Europe it helps to know that there are believers in the States standing against the war. Keep going...

Kyle said...

Often, I think we have to do the right things just because they're the right things.

It was good to meet you this weekend, man, blessings.