[3-26-03]

Duty calls upon us to prohibit violence
Directed at our helpless brothers and sisters
To limit the monstrous domination of war
To repair the ruin, whenever, wherever we can:
The direct horrors inflicted on the people
The damage to homes, lands, heritage, institutions
The disruption of their eating, traveling, breathing, living
May we be filled with the compassion to seek peace.

We grieve for the harm to our own country
The degradation suffered here in common
The contagion of fear and distrust
The restriction of our freedoms
The quashing of our dialogue and dissent
We grieve the terrible wounding of those sent off to fight
Children captured by the demons of war
Who will suffer illness of body and spirit
Whose families too absorb the blows of violence
We grieve the rupture of families where a member is killed
Parents, spouses, infants overcome with grief
Losing a source of sustenance and survival
May we be filled with the endurance to seek peace.

War will not fulfill those government promises.
For it is based on lies, and lies have been told.
Here we stand on truth, and stand together.
United as one humanity, here we are.
We grasp the horror of war in all its fullness.
And embrace it with our joined compassion.
May we be filled with the vision of peace.

Recognizing our weakness
We call on the Spirit of Mercy to guide us now.
Nothing is stronger. The Spirit will prevail.
Amen.




3/21/03 signed on by:

Fellowship of Reconciliation
Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America
Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Church of God Peace Fellowship
Disciples of Christ Peace Fellowship
Episcopal Peace Fellowship
Jewish Peace Fellowship
Lutheran Peace Fellowship
Methodist Peace Fellowship
Muslim Peace Fellowship
Pax Christi USA
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
Unitarian-Universalist Peace Fellowship
The Witness magazine (Episcopal Church Publishing Co.)