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THE FRIDAY PEACE VIGIL
The war in Iraq has ended, but it's occupation continues. As do
occupations in Afghanistan and Palestine. Violence, injustice and general
dishonesty characterize the world as we begin the 21st century. It
is not hard to see that we are headed
toward a totalitarian world of perpetual war, poverty, and oppression.
We, in the United State, bear much responsibility for the level of violence and
suffering in the world. Our lifestyle, our consumption of resources, our
aggressive foreign policy, and the lack of honesty among our political leaders have created a violent world where ‘might makes
right.’ The motivating interests of our society are materialism, wealth, and
security. Our pursuit of those interests result in suffering, poverty and
political oppression in other parts of the world.
It is important that we stop our everyday life to see and consider the suffering of others.
It is all too easy to become consumed with our own individual life, our own
desires, our own projects. The key human emotion is compassion and we can
only be compassionate if we truly are aware of the suffering in the world.
And we must find some way to use
our lives to bring values of compassion peace and justice into the world and thereby help
to create that better world.
The values that dominate our society are values such as materialism,
consumerism, nationalism, self-interest and the quest for the good life. Yet
each of us also carries within ourselves, values of compassion, humility,
justice and non-violence. Those values are being driven out of the public
sphere, and are becoming private values or private thoughts. As long as they
remain private, they cannot challenge the overall direction of society.
Bringing values of peace and justice into the public sphere is one step toward
building a world of peace and justice. Values of non-violence, peace, and
compassion, belong not only in our minds, but also in the street, in public
debate, and as the basis of our actions. One way to make those values public is
to participate in a vigil.
A vigil is a public statement in support of peace, justice, compassion and
non-violence. It is an interruption of daily life for something other than our
own self-interest. It brings alternative values into the public sphere, and is a
witness against apathy.
Our vigil is focused on opposition to our militaristic foreign policy, the War
on Terrorism, the erosion of civil rights, the continuing occupations of Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Palestine.
Values of peace, justice, compassion and non-violence can only be brought forth
into public life where there are people willing to publicly identify with them.
The vigil is one way to do so and we invite you to join us.