I regret that I didn’t spend much time listening to Coretta Scott King as I did listening to and reading her husband’s work. Nonetheless, as I watch the tribute to her life that is being broadcast on C-Span this evening I am reminded that the Gospel is about non-violence and redemptive suffering that transforms the victim and the perpetrator. I know from my own personal experience that fighting, hitting back, retribution and yes, war of any stripe is doomed to utter failure. There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.
This week President Bush has proposed to Congress a budget that includes approximately $437 billion dollars devoted to making war, to killing our brothers and sisters worldwide in an effort to bring peace. We might as well take all that money and burn it in the fire because it will not produce the results intended for it.
I believe that the president, a self described Christian, firmly believes that he is doing good. I pray that President has a spiritual awakening and trims the money wasted on war and instead spend it on projects and causes that will truly bring peace. Bono in a recent speech at the National Prayer Breakfast asked that we spend 1% of our federal budget on ending poverty and AIDS. Spending $437 million dollars radically reducing poverty would do more to bring an end to war and terror on this planet than any of the proposed weapons systems in this year’s federal budget. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Poverty is the worst form of violence.” As a true disciple of non-violence and a real witness for peace, the Mahatma knew that ending poverty is paramount to ending violence.
Pope Paul VI said, “If you want peace work for justice.” The biblical understanding of the word justice is fidelity to the demands of a relationship. We have a relationship to our brothers and sisters on this planet and unless and until we begin to address the needs of that relationship we will have war and strife and no amount of bombs, planes and guns will fulfill the demands of our relationship to our brothers and sisters.
I pray for an awakening for our leaders. I hope you will pray also. We must stop feeding our fears and start feeding our brothers. Only when our brothers and sisters are no longer hungry will we have peace.
In Jesus’ only description of the Last Judgement to be found in the Gospel, we have the standard by which we will be judged. “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. ‘Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
I just wrote to my members of Congress asking them to reject the
president’s budget and craft a federal government spending plan that
recognizes that more military spending will not bring the U.S. more security at
home or abroad. I hope you’ll join me.
Click on this URL to take action now
http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/2/?a=8461016&i=1234
Peace.