Showing posts with label Is Peace Possible?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Is Peace Possible?. Show all posts

Sunday, June 17, 2007

....Is Peace Possible?


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The following is an excerpt from a sermon I delivered at the Jan Hus Church on Sunday,April 15,2007 on the subject of war,entitled "Same Tray,Different Waiter: Is Peace Possible?" The guiding scripture text was Matthew 24:6-8 concerning Jesus' reference to "War and rumors of war..." I address the subject from the standpoint that it seems as though our world has always been full of war,violence and fighting. It appears to have remained a constant from Jesus' time until today. What can we do to bring about peace? Is peace really possible?

The contemporary musical selections chosen for the service because of their thought-provoking lyrics and related peace themes were
John Lennon's Imagine and John Mayer's Belief,which was performed(covered) by me as the pre-sermon music with accompaniment provided by the Church's musicians.The balance of the music consisted of traditional songs and hymns including "When Will People Cease Their Fighting?","This Little Light of Mine" and "Let There Be Peace On Earth".

Dr. Martin Luther King's speech "Beyond Vietnam-A Time to Break Silence"delivered at the Riverside Church in April 1967 opposing the Vietnam War is also referenced in my sermon.


Here is an excerpt:

War is pervasive. It is almost a force all its own. Can I get a witness? Can you recall a period in your lives when there were no wars or rumors of war? When there were no television or radio broadcasts giving the recent updates on the bombings or the death toll?

It seems no matter how often or how tremendous anti-war and pacifist efforts are, a war manages to pop up eventually on the global scene. Let’s face it, war is a stark cold reality of life that we all face daily. Those engaged in direct combat and its fall out experience it to a greater extent than others.

Every one of us has probably lost a close friend or relative to one World War or a Vietnam War, a Desert Storm, an Iraqi War, the war in Afghanistan, various and sundry other ethnic wars that go on around the world marginally reported. The conflict in the Middle East, the genocide in the Sudan, the Congo--you name it. Do any of these hit close to home? Have you lost a relative? Do you know of someone in your neighborhood, your community that has suffered human loss?

The human cost of war in Iraq continues to mount. Not only are soldiers loosing their lives, but civilian losses continue to climb as well. The American body count in Iraq now stands at 3,299 with 24,476 wounded and/or disabled. A report was just released by the ACLU on April 12,2007 which lists civilian death claims filed by Iraqis and Afghan civilians with the US government for the non-combat loss of the lives of relatives...The Iraqi civilian body count is 67,364 (Anti-war.com).

Do the Math.The cost in terms of dollars and cents soars into the billions. According to the National Priorities Project, which is an online database, our government to date has spent $456 billion dollars on the war in Iraq(as of 4/15/07). The following is how the cost of war breaks down for each taxpayer:

• $4,100 for every American household;
• $1,500 for every American;
• $11 million per hour and;
• $275 million per day.

Even in light of this exorbitant budget, the President is scheduled to submit an additional request before congress of $100 billion more. The same money could have been used to provide: (these are rounded figures)

-55 million children a year of Head start
-249 million children health care for one year
-7 million public school teachers for one year
-To build 4 million additional housing units
- 20,230,681 students four-year scholarships at public universities

...Even with all that to consider, the case for peace can and still must be made. It is our responsibility and calling as Christians, even though evidence may substantiate the opposite...

A full transcript of the sermon can be downloaded here (Link coming soon).


Peace,

Cynthia

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*An mp3 recording of the sermon and music was made,but is not entirely audible.Once the necessary technical adjustments have been made,it will be made available.In the meantime,enjoy the reading.

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