Sinkford Joins UUs in Interfaith Witness for Peace
March 11, 2008
Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) President William G. Sinkford and several hundred Unitarian Universalists came together in Washington on Friday, March 7, to participate in an Interfaith Witness for Peace. The Witness was organized by the Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partnership (OBIPP), a new interfaith peace initiative aimed at stopping the war in Iraq, preventing war with Iran, supporting veterans, and ending U.S. support for torture.At noon, participants gathered in eleven places for worship services in different traditions, including a Quaker meeting, a Catholic Mass, a Muslim prayer service, and several ecumenical services. More than 300 Unitarian Universalists (UUs) and friends—from the Washington area and beyond—came together at All Souls Church, Unitarian. In addition to Rev. Robert Hardies and Rev. Louise Green from All Souls, the service featured Rev. Paul Sawyer, minister emeritus of Throop Unitarian Church; Bruce Knotts of the UU United Nations Office; and Dr. Charlie Clements of the UU Service Committee. At the gathering, Rev. Bill Sinkford preached to the assembled activists about the real cost of war:
"Perhaps the greatest cost is to the soul of this nation ... Innocence for us is no longer an option; we need to acknowledge that our nation is operating as an empire, and we're part of it..." Sinkford said that our response must be one of love: "I believe that we can move toward love if we hold up a vision of right relationship, and it applies as much to international relations as it does in this sanctuary. The interdependent web of existence does not stop at the U.S. border."
Following the various worship services, participants made their way to a park near the U.S. Capitol and Senate Office Buildings for the main rally. In a cold rain, hundreds of activists listened to a series of speakers from across the religious spectrum, headlined by the Rev. James Forbes, minister emeritus of Riverside Church (New York City) and one of the nation's most prominent preachers. Rev. Sinkford again spoke of the moral and spiritual costs of war, a message which resonated strongly with the interfaith crowd.
Among the Unitarian Universalists participating in the day's events was a large group from the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, PA. After hearing about the Interfaith Witness, an activist talked to members of the congregation, rallying enough people to charter a bus. The Harrisburg UUs also reached out to a neighboring congregation, so their trip to Washington included a stop at the Unitarian Universalists of the Cumberland Valley to pick up more riders. Asked about why he came, Rev. Howard Dana, minister of the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, said, "This [interfaith] table is one that we're too often absent from, and it's absolutely the place we need to be."
Following the rally, a group continued to witness for peace at the Hart Senate Office Building. In symbolic protest of Congress' failure to bring about significant change in U.S. involvement in the Iraq war, 41 faith activists, including UU Ministers Rev. Meg Whittaker-Greene and Rev. Paul Sawyer, were arrested for nonviolent civil disobedience after refusing to move away from the atrium in the building.
At the same time a group of religious leaders, including UUA Washington Office for Advocacy Director Rob Keithan, were inside the halls of Congress meeting with staff members of the Office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. A similar group had met with staff of the Office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier in the day. Both staff groups shared our frustration with the lack of progress, said Keithan, who is a founding member of the Olive Branch steering committee. "But they simply don't have the votes to make major changes. That's where we come in—we need to step up our demands for a multilateral, diplomatic solution. We need to create enough pressure so that m embers [of Congress] who still support a military solution change their minds and their votes."
Alex Winnett, the Mary Bonner Memorial Program Associate for Peacemaking at the UUA, played a lead role in organizing the day's events, including the civil disobedience. Funded by a generous donor at All Souls Church in Washington, DC, Winnett's position exists to support congregational engagement in the Peacemaking Study/Action Issue, which will come before General Assembly 2009 as a proposed Statement of Conscience. See extensive resources on what your congregation can do.
The Interfaith Witness is one of the events associated with the UUA's March to Peace Campaign, a month-long series of UU, interfaith, and secular activities to end the war in Iraq, prevent additional conflicts, and promote peace. The UUA hopes to have 250 congregations participating in these activities. To get involved, visit the March to Peace website and let us know what your congregation is doing!
For more information contact la_international @ uua.org.
Last updated on Tuesday, March 11, 2008.
