Why do I vigil?

We held a vigil Monday night to pray for the four Christian Peacemakers being held hostage in Iraq. Who are the Christian Peacemakers? Christian Peacemaker Teams sends peace activists to warzones as a voice for peace. They are not missionaries, and they are not aid workers. They are listeners. In Iraq, the Peacemakers are there to listen to Iraqis, to bring back stories that the news doesn't tell. They relate human to human to the people most affected by the war. And they are a visible presence for peace in a land devastated by war.

Like our troops, Christian Peacemakers feel so strongly about their beliefs that they are willing to put their lives on the line in work that will bring the world closer to their vision.
These are the Christians that were kidnapped and are being held under threat of execution by the Swords of Righteousness Brigade--a previously unknown group. As a Quaker and as a Pacifist, this is the news story that has brought the war closest to home for me. I know people who have done this witness for peace, and I know people who know the hostages. As I began to pray for the hostages, I realized that the hostages are no more or less deserving of prayer than their captors, than the soldiers, than the Iraqis they are there to witness, or than you or me. All of our lives are precious.

We all have our AHA! moments--somehting that brings this war closer to home. No matter what your politics are, this war affects you. You know people in Iraq. You know people whose lives are at risk, and even those who have lost their lives. Monday night was an opportunity for those of us who were having another AHA! moment: the costs of war are great and tragic. How can we go on with business as usual when loved ones and strangers are risking everything for us? Take a moment, and pray or reflect on the gravity of the war. Whatever your politics, remember the costs. And pray that we can stop paying such a high price soon.