Questions of Faith

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Why a Christian Witness?

Our purpose is to share a vision of how all of God’s people – of all faiths – can live in peace.

As Christians, we are keenly aware of the way that Jesus consistently surprised his friends and his enemies by responding in love to those who attacked him. Further, the gospel makes clear that there is a direct connection between the work of doing justice and being peacemakers. Therefore:

We remind ourselves of the life and teachings of Jesus as the Prince of Peace, the lover of enemies, and the reconciler of the world.

We ask God to work a change of heart in our elected leaders who have carried out this war in all of our names, and we ask for God’s forgiveness for the suffering of so many in Iraq and the United States during the course of the war.

We accept responsibility to witness to our faith, especially Jesus’ hard teachings that secure communities are built on the foundation of living in right relationship with one another.

We look forward to the day when all people know that the word “Christian” means a movement that yearns and aches for the Kingdom of God to come here on Earth with people of all faiths.

Yes we can…end the war and occupation in Iraq responsibly and completely

Like the women at the empty tomb, we hear the angel's words, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" In faith we seek to end our senseless habit of looking to war and destruction as the path to security, and to trust instead in the power of life and hope to lead us finally to peace. We applaud President Obama's commitment to abide by the deadline of the bilateral withdrawal agreement (SOFA), to withdraw combat troops within 19 months, and to remove all troops by the end of 2011. We gather to give Christian witness in support of this direction toward a just and lasting peace in Iraq. At the same time we believe that leaving 50,000 troops in Iraq at the end of 2010 will not make for peace. We also recognize there are many pressures to continue military occupation and domination, propagating an ideology of fear and enmity, and so our witness to a theology of hope and life and our insistence on a responsible and complete withdrawal is all the more imperative at this time.

Yes we can…support an Iraqi-led international effort to rebuild Iraq and care for five million Iraqis displaced due to the war

Like the prophet Isaiah, we believe that God is about to create new heavens and new earth, where no more shall the sound of weeping be heard, nor an infant that lives but a few days, where they shall build houses and inhabit them, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. We believe this promise holds true for the people of Iraq, and as people of faith, we are called to work for its fulfillment. We recognize that such a scenario requires a deep shift in policy, investment and rhetoric. The people of Iraq are the hope and future of Iraq. In the United States we have a moral obligation to acknowledge the tragedy we have wrought with this war, and to follow Iraqi leadership in crafting an international effort on behalf of refugees and those internally displaced because of the war, as well as to provide funding and support for Iraqi-led humanitarian efforts to rebuild the country. Even after we achieve a true end to the war, as people of compassion and responsibility, we must not forget the continuing suffering of the people of Iraq, with particular concern for the most vulnerable.

Yes we can…support our troops by bringing them home safely and providing for physical, mental and spiritual healing

Like the prophet Jeremiah we lament, "For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt. Is there no balm in Gilead? Why has the health of my people not been restored?" We commit to a ministry of healing and justice for those who have served in our armed forces and for their families. We will pray for our troops and their loved ones, welcome them home into our communities and our churches with love and respect, and honor their lives as we protest having put them in harms' way. We call upon our government to provide generous support and protection for active duty soldiers, for veterans, and for their families. As individuals and as a nation, we have a moral obligation to offer resources and loving care to help them all heal from their physical, mental and spiritual wounds and to rebuild their lives.

Yes we can…end all use of torture of any person held anywhere

Jesus said that whatever is done to the least of our brothers and sisters is done to him, and so today, hidden in dark cells and secret prisons, he is tortured still. We celebrate President Obama's Executive Order Banning Torture and we insist that the legal and human rights of all detainees, no matter where they are held, be honored. We call on the Special Task Force on Interrogation and Transfer Policies to ensure that all interrogation techniques be made public and comply with the "golden rule" (acceptable if used on a captured U.S. citizen). We call on Congress to establish a commission and hold accountable those responsible for prisoner abuse, and pass legislation to make the torture ban permanent law.

Yes we can…promote regional stability through diplomacy with Iran and Afghanistan

We are called by the Apostle Paul to die to our old selves of sin, aggression and domination and rise to be a new creation in Christ, as his ambassadors of reconciliation. Charged with a ministry of reconciliation, we affirm the gospel claim that no relationship, however strained, is beyond redemption. It is time to end our illogical pursuit of peace through war, and to lead in efforts of international diplomacy and development aid. The importance of avoiding a war with Iran cannot be overstated. Negotiating with insurgents in Afghanistan could avoid creating more militants and another protracted occupation. We gather to call our nation to metanoia (conversion), an authentic change of direction, in which the security of our country and the welfare of the citizens of Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan can be harmonized.

Yes we can…work for peace and justice in Iraq and security and well-being at home

Like Simon Peter, we hear the risen Lord ask, "Do you love me?" When we answer, "Yes," he commands us, "Feed my sheep." We join together in working for God's reign to end hunger, poverty, racism, and injustice across the land. Therefore we commit to make the connections between war abroad and poverty at home and between local and global violence, and to work to end racism and all oppressions. We call our government to fully and justly fund human needs at home. We will put our faith into action on April 30th at the steps of the Capitol, as we gather and bless thousands of loaves of bread for the hungry of our nation. We will pray and act to become a nation that funds human needs and programs of social uplift over armaments and military action, and through our conversion, we will experience the promise of resurrection and new life.

This is a kairos moment;
we are called to be witnesses of the living Christ!

CPWI gathers for worship immediately following Sojourners’ Mobilization to End Poverty: www.sojo.net.

Worship and Witness for a Better Way

On April 29 and 30, join us in Washington as we worship and witness together, restate our convictions and measure our nation’s progress in the difficult tasks ahead.

Wednesday, April 29
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Opening convocation
National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle, NW
Keynote speakers:

Noah Baker Merrill - Quaker activist, co-founder of Direct Aid Iraq
Diana Butler Bass - author, senior fellow at Cathedral College

2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Nonviolence training, advocacy workshops, action orientation
National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle, NW

Nonviolence training introduces participants to the why, what, and how of nonviolent civil disobedience witness. Advocacy workshops prepare participants to be effective witness in Congressional visits. Legal and logistical orientation for Thursday's direct action for all participants will begin at 4:30.

7:00 p.m.
Worship Service
National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle, NW
Featured speakers include:

Tony Campolo - author, pastor, social activist, sociologist, and passionate follower of Jesus
Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. - minister, community activist, president of the Hip Hop Caucus, and U.S. Air Force Reserve Veteran
Sr. Dianna Ortiz - U.S.-born survivor of torture in Guatemala, founder of the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International
Elizabeth McAlister - peace activist and co-founder of Jonah House
Fr. Daniel Berrigan - Catholic priest, poet, peace activist

Worship continues in candlelight procession to the White House where we will engage in a public act of repentance and restoration including acts of civil disobedience by those called by conscience.

Kathy Kelly, a Catholic who lived in Iraq during the 2003 invasion.
Rev. Raphael Warnock, of Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church

Thursday, April 30

Continue the witness with Congressional visits, and by joining Witness Against Torture’s 100th Day action (www.100dayscampaign.org).