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A poem written at the beginning of the war with Iraq:
I NO LONGER PRAY FOR PEACE
On the edge of war, one foot already in,
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.
I pray that stone hearts will turn
to tenderheartedness,
and evil intentions will turn
to mercifulness,
and all the soldiers already deployed
will be snatched out of harm's way,
and the whole world will be
astounded onto its knees.
I pray that all the "God talk"
will take bones,
and stand up and shed
its cloak of faithlessness,
and walk again in its powerful truth.
I pray that the whole world might
sit down together and share
its bread and its wine.
Some say there is no hope,
but then I've always applauded the holy fools
who never seem to give up on
the scandalousness of our faith:
that we are loved by God.
that we can truly love one another.
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.
(With permission)
Copyright © 2003 by Ann Weems, author of Kneeling in Jerusalem, Putting the Amazing Back in Grace and Psalms of Lament. Weems serves on the National Committee of the Prebyteria Peace Fellowship
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Oscar Hammerstein wrote in a lyric for "South Pacific":
"You've got to be taught to hate and fear.
You've got to be taught from year to year.
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear.
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a different shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!"
Words of hope from Archbishop Desmond Tutu:
"Goodness is stronger than evil;
Love is stronger than hate;
Light is stronger than darkness;
Victory is ours through him who loves us."
Martin W. Lehman, a retired Mennonite pastor living in Sarasota, Florida, spoke at a local peace rally on October 25, 2002. James M. Lapp, Mennonite Conference Pastor (Franconia), gave a morning message more recently at Salford Mennonite Church in Harleysville, Pennsylvania. Speaking wisely and thoughtfully with our neighbors about our peace beliefs is so necessary now — as is reviewing with fellow Mennos the teachings of Jesus which we seek to follow.
Martin W. Lehman's message of peace
James M. Lapp's sermon
Jim Bishop's An Eternal Question
Robert Kreider's meditation given at New Eden Fellowship, Schwenksville, PA
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Jay L. Roth, Mennonite Association for Retired Persons
23 Homestead Drive, Lancaster, PA 17602
717-201-8391 ~ E-mail
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