Give me a break

I recently had the opportunity (in a doctor's office) to quickly peruse the June 2005 issue of the Oregon Peaceworker. I was enjoying some of the pieces, especially since the issue contains a number of articles addressing a theme I feel is important - how we in the peace movement think about ourselves. I have long thought that defining ourselves in the positive holds far greater potential for the kind of change we seek as opposed to defining ourselves in the negative.

What I mean is that we should stand FOR something instead of only standing AGAINST something. This is not a new idea, nor am I the first or best person to mention it, and I was happy to see the Peaceworker's contribution to the discussion. However, when I read of the articles I found myself with a bitter taste in my mouth. A good friend and mentor of mine wrote an article named Shall We Be a Peace Movement or an Antiwar Movement? and when I read it, I found myself puzzled and angry.

The line that I found so disturbing is this: "There is a reason that many make fun of holding hands and singing “Kumbaya.”" "Why was this so distressing?" you may ask. It's distressing because holding hands and singing together IS a way to address the violence in the world. It IS a valid way to build more peaceful and loving societies and should not be scoffed at - even unintentionally - and certainly not by such a respected and credible member of the peace and nonviolence movement.

What's even more puzzling is that I KNOW that Tom knows this - I know this because I've seen him offer prayer, hold hands and sing, and heard him speak about the importance of these things. He lives this idea - that everything we can do to add a little peace to the world is valuable. That's why I was so upset when I read what he wrote - that he would openly scorn something I know he believes is important to make a point just rings false for me.

I understand what he's trying to say, I understand that he is stressing the importance of nonviolent direct action and emphasizing how important it is that we not only talk about our beliefs but that we also DO something about them. I understand all of those things. I just don't agree that one form of taking action is more important or more valuable than the other. For some, maybe standing in a circle, holding hands, and singing IS a revolutionary act.

My point is that we shouldn't scoff at any attempts to add to the peace in our world, no matter how trivial or unimportant we may personally think they are.