Peace Litany

When I was a student at Providence College, Remembrance Day became -- for one year -- a highly contentious issue in the student body.

A great deal of the population of southern Manitoba is Mennonite (or some variant within the Anabaptist tradition), and not surprisingly, a significant number of the students at Prov, despite its non-denominational focus, were from that background.

One year, there was a very vocal group that announced publicly, loudly, and repeatedly that if a moment of silence was observed during chapel on November 11, they would walk out in protest because that would be glorifying and condoning war -- for those unfamiliar with Anabaptists, pacifism is a huge part of the Mennonite expression of the faith.

I was really intrigued to see how this would play out, since David McAlpine, my great-grandfather, had died while serving as an anti-aircraft gunner in France during the First World war, from which the November 11th Remembrance Day tradition stems.

The disgruntled students all eagerly sat in the first several rows in the chapel, I guess to make their exit as public and "in your face" as possible. I sat in the front row of the balcony, where I could have the best view of whatever might transpire.

That particular morning, one of the more popular professors was our chapel speaker, and he showed up in (GASP!) his formal United States Marines uniform, complete with his Purple Heart medal.

At eleven o'clock, you could feel the tension mounting, as the protesting students edged to the front of their seats, just waiting for the professor to announce the moment of silence. I can only imagine what must have gone through their minds when the professor stood at attention, removed his Marine cap and placed it under his arm, and solemnly said:

"We will now observe a minute of silence, in honour of those who died to protect your right to be conscientious objectors."

There was a long moment of silence. Nobody moved. Nobody stormed out in protest. And I was among many who appreciated the wisdom of the professor, who demonstrated that a gentle answer does indeed turn away wrath (Psalm 15:1).

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This morning at our offices, we met to read together the "Peace Litany", which included the following prayers:

We grieve, O Lord, along with the relatives of those who gave of their lives in conflict, and are grateful for their sacrifice on our behalf.

We grieve, O Lord, at the violence in our community and in the world: between the powerful and the defenseless, rich and poor, men and women, adults and children.

We grieve, O Lord, for the indigenous peoples of our country and of all lands who suffer because of the dominance of another race and culture, who suffer intolerance and prejudice, violence and fear.

We grieve, O Lord, for the broken relationships between men and women, neighbour and neighbour, between faiths and religions, governments and the people.

You are the light of the world, O Lord. Give us courage to be Your light, to be Your hope, to work for peace and justice.

Amen.