to download PDF - Mennonite Central Committee Canada

Cultivating Peace:Courage, Conscience andResistance to WarMCC Ontario Peace Sunday Packet 2006

Produced byMennonite Central Committee Ontariowith the support of MCC CanadaProject CoordinatorTim SchmuckerWriter/CompilerMichele RizoliCover design and layoutRoberta Fast, MCC CanadaCopyeditorVirginia A. HostetlerEditorial CouncilEsther Epp-TiessenSusan HarrisonJon NofsigerCarol PennerHedy M. SawadskyAcknowledgementSome of the information in this packethas been gleaned and adapted from variousMCC publications. Unless otherwiseindicated, Bible quotations are from theNRSV version.Thanks toAll those named within the Peace PacketAll those who provided leads to storiesRuth EnnsLucas RizoliConrad StoeszPrintingArkay Design and PrintKitchener, OntarioContentsWorshipping on Peace Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Checklist for Peace Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Cultivating Peace:Courage, Conscience and Resistance to War . . . . . . . . . .3Devotional Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Rooted in Resistance:Stories and Reflections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Worshipping the God of Peace:Resources for Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Digging deeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Learning in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Bulletin Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Cover illustrationThe watermark is from an originaldocument listing people who selectedalternative service during WW II becauseof their conscientious objector position.(Document source: Mennonite Heritage Centre,Winnipeg, Canada © 2004)

Cultivating Peace:Courage, Conscienceand Resistanceto WarWhat comes to mind when you hear the words“conscientious objector?”In the Peace Church tradition, some of us mightimmediately think of men in the past, especiallyduring the two World Wars, who refused to fightbecause of their convictions as followers of Jesus. Butothers may never have heard this phrase at all in theirchurch experience.CornieGiesbrecht ofYarrow, BC, at16 years old,writes a letterhome. MHC JakeKrueger PhotoCollection.As Canada celebrates Remembrance Day, this year the Peace SundayPacket takes the opportunity to remember war stories as well; not necessarily those ofsoldiers who killed and died “so that war would never happen again,” but those of individualswho as a matter of conscience, made a different choice: to refuse to take livesunder any circumstance. The motto, “Lest we forget” is just as true about conscientiousobjectors (COs) who have shaped our peace heritage. If we do not stop to remember, wemay lose what there is to learn from their story.To be conscientious is to act according to one’s principles and to be diligent. To object is toraise opposition or to offer criticism. Rather than limit conscientious objectors to the past,this packet claims this title for all peacemakers who even today wish to heed Jesus’ call tolove enemies and pursue peace. Being conscientious means, among other things, deepeningour commitment to a life transformed by the Spirit, teaching our children the way ofpeace, paying attention to the language we use, scrutinizing our financial choices, usingour political voice as well as celebrating the courage of conscientious objectors in the past.As this packet is written, Canada’s military is moving from away from peacekeepingtowards direct military interventions, especially in Afghanistan. Should peace churches bespeaking out against this? Some Canadian communities are facing more aggressiveadvances by military recruiters trying to convince young people to join forces. How canyoung people’s faith be strengthened to help them make a conscientious choice? Our culturefloods us with images that hold violence to be the only recourse during conflict. Howcan our faith be nurtured to stand up against the rhetoric of violence? There are Canadianlaws that favour the machinery of war. How can we influence change in favour of peace?He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples;they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall theylearn war any more (Isaiah 2:4).We are told that in God’s vision, nation will not lift sword against nation, and thatweapons will be turned into planting implements. Presumably it takes hard work to beatswords into ploughshares and pruning hooks. Once the tools are transformed they mustturn to the job of cultivating, cutting dead branches, and planting seeds that will continueto bring in harvests of peace. Peace is like a tree that needs strong roots and good tendingin order to bring about fruit. The resources that follow are meant to inspire your congregationto see themselves as active and conscientious resisters to all violent and war-relatedpressures, as cultivators of peace. On Peace Sunday we worship the God of Peace and wespeak out against war.3 Introduction to Theme

Tendingthe treeThe olive branch has long been a symbol of peace. The workinvolved in planting and nurturing an olive tree can be a beautiful image for the conscientiouscultivation of peace. In the Middle East, planting olive trees can literally take onthe form of grassroots peacemaking. In recent years, the Israeli government has authorizedthe uprooting and destruction of thousands of olive trees on land disputed by the Palestiniansand Israelis. People of goodwill from all faiths have participated in the replanting of olivetrees as a sign calling for justice and peace in the region.Like God’s vision of peace, once established, olive trees are extremely hardy, and the fruit isuseful in many realms of life. Olive oil is relished for cooking and as a base for fragrant oils.In Bible times it was used as fuel for clay lamps; to anoint kings, as an antidote for poison,and an agent for cleaning wounds. As fuel, olive wood makes the hottest of fires, but in thecarver’s hand, olive wood can be made into objects of great beauty.Jesus is our clearest revelation of how peace is lived out. While telling his disciples aboutloving enemies, he also exhorted them: “You are the light of the world. . . No one afterlighting a lamp puts it under a bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it giveslight to all in the house” (Matt. 5:14, 15). As the olive tree shows, the work ofcultivating peace has many by-products, including illuminating andbringing healing to the world.Prayer and resistance, the twinpillars of Christian peacemaking, are twointerlocking ways of giving expression to our lifein the dwelling place of God. They come fromthe same source and lead to the same goal.”—Henri NouwenNon-violence is impossible without God.A way of life that resists evil, speaks the truth,risks suffering and death, and enters into theprocess of global transformation reliesentirely on God. It begins with prayer and isrooted and centred on God. Practitioners of non-violencelove God and allow God to disarm their hearts so thatGod can transform the world.—John Dear, Disarming the Heart4

FridayA different way of lifePut your sword back into its place; for all whotake the sword will perish by the sword.—Matthew 26:52We cannot have peace if we are only concernedwith peace. War is not an accident. It isthe logical outcome of a certainway of life. If wewant to attackwar, we have toattack that wayof life. —A.J.MusteWe live in aworld that atbest seesviolence as anecessary evil.Some of that violenceresults from aneed to have andprotect privileges andmaterial things. Upholding differentpriorities and values is an activeway to promote peace.SaturdayCreative solutionsYou have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for aneye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you,Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikesyou on the right cheek, turn the other also.—Matthew 5:38, 39Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presenceof creative alternatives for responding toconflict—alternatives to passive or aggressiveresponses, alternatives to violence.—Dorothy ThompsonSometimes conflict results from a lack of imaginationof how to solve things differently.Surely the Creator of theuniverse can provideenough creativityfor differentresponses toconflict, responsein which anenemy can beturned into afriend.SundayIncreasedvisibilityYou are the light of theworld. A city built on a hillcannot be hid. No one after lighting alamp puts it under the bushel basket,but on the lampstand, and it giveslight to all in the house. —Matthew5:14,15Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,committed citizens can change the world. Indeed,it is the only thing that ever has. —MargaretMeadPeacemaking is an action, not an ideology. If warresisters are not diligent in their objections and intheir work for peace, Jesus’ message of peace willnot prevail.OntarioThis devotional guide is part of Peace Sunday Packet 2006 produced by Mennonite Central Committee Ontario. If youhave comments or feedback, email peacepacket@mennonitecc.ca or call 1-800-313-6226 ext. 3006

Rooted in ResistanceStories and ReflectionsOne of the most meaningful ways to inspire congregationsto resist war is to tell stories of thosewho have faced the tough choices of peacemaking.Following are some stories that can be used in theworship service, as inspiration, or as discussionpoints.CO’s sitting at theentrance of a tentin Clear Lake,Riding MountainNational Park.MHC Ed Brooks PhotoCollectionConscientious objection did not begin with the war resisters in the1940s. The thread of resistance to evil systems began already inOld Testament times, in stories like the midwives in Egypt(Exodus 1:15-22) or Daniel and his friends (Daniel 3 and 6).Jesus went on to model firm but loving confrontation of thestatus quo. The early church wrestled to understand what followingJesus meant in their Roman context. The Church andstate became allied during the Emperor Constantine, and the “justwar” framework was elaborated. The Anabaptists were imprisoned and gave up their livesin opposition to laws that ran contrary to their non-violent convictions. People in Canadaharboured runaway slaves because of their beliefs against slavery. And so on.The peace churches have historically called their position one of non-resistance, a referenceto the choice against violence. While building on this historical understanding, this packetemphasizes that for followers of Christ choosing against war and in favour of peacerequires active resistance to the forces of violence in our world. 1God has been inspiring and empowering peacemakers in all of history, leading up to thispoint. It is now our turn to continue the work of resisting war and cultivating peace.The Church tills the soil for conscientious objectionDuring World War I, there was no official option to be a conscientious objector in Canada,and this created many conflicts for the young men at the time. Some even suffered anddied because they refused to fight. Because of this experience, church leaders took on thetask of actively intervening with the government seeking alternatives in keeping with theirpeace theology. In November 1940, they met with Canadian government officials. As analternative to military conscription, they proposed a service administered by the churchthat would be active in relief work, public works, forestry, and health and welfare services.The government representatives suggested instead a non-combatant service under militarycontrol and both sides became frustrated.At one point a heated exchange took place between Deputy Minister Lafleche and Rev.Jacob H. Janzen, one of the Mennonite leaders from Ontario.Lafleche asked: “What will you do if we shoot you?” Janzen, who had survived severaldesperate situations in the Soviet Union became agitated and replied: “Listen, General, youcan’t scare us like that. I’ve looked down too many rifle barrels in my time. This thing hasbeen in our blood for 400 years and you can’t take it away from us like you’d crack apiece of kindling over your knee. I’ve been before a firing squad twice. We believe in this.”Eventually, the delegation’s persistence paid off, and the alternative service option wasapproved. —adapted from www.alternativeservice.ca71For further reflection see Tom R. Yoder-Neufeld, Resistance and Nonresistance: The Two Legs of a BiblicalPeace Stance cited in the “Turning over the soil” section.

On becoming a COHow does one learn about peace and resistance to war? Inoral accounts of Canadian World War II conscientious objectorssome of the men illustrate how they came to their peaceposition. One gets a sense that the CO stance arose out of atheology of non-resistance which was not always clearlyarticulated, but often simply assumed.Harold Schmidt experienced the church as a sustaining forcein his hard growing-up years on the farm and felt that thevalues were strongly emphasized. His alternative serviceexperience included having to answer letters of protest frompeople who were upset at the COs; this opposition helpedhim to crystallize some of his own beliefs. Peter Neufeldrecalls a specific sermon that shaped his thinking, using theexample of Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego. Others felt ithadn’t been necessary for them to think through their ownconvictions because the church had negotiated collectively forCO status. Becoming a CO was simply accepted as the thingto do; they had chosen alternative service because of theconviction of others.Clayton Burkholder felt a strong family influence towardsnon-violence, but recognizes there was also a lot of pressurefrom the church. Once the option of conscientious objectionhad been negotiated for the Mennonite “boys,” to choose anyother option was to say no to church membership. As OldOrder Amish, David Jantzi says he would have been excommunicatedif he hadn’t taken the CO option.Many of these stories have been captured on tape and arepreserved at the Mennonite Archives of Ontario. For moreinformation, contact Sam Steiner steiner@uwaterloo.ca.Getting on the right trainI grew up in the Mennonite church, but I don’t rememberhearing much about being a pacifist, or having a peace position.It was only when I went to college that I learned moreabout historic peace churches and conscientious objection.Will we remember?The epicentre of the earthquake that causedthe 2004 tsunami was 40 miles from the islandof Simeule, Indonesia. This was the first coastlineto feel the affects of the massive 33-footwaves that smacked ashore. Reporters founddevastation just like in other places, but therewas something different. The island lost only 7of it 75,000 inhabitants. Why so few? Whenthe islanders were interviewed and asked aboutthis they told the reporters that in 1907 therehad been another earthquake. The groundshook and the water moved out but came backwith a vengeance and killed many people. Thisexperience was told and retold from one generationto another. For almost 100 years thepeople kept this story alive, telling the nextgeneration that when the earth shakes and thewater moves out they should head to higherground. On December 26, 2004 the people ofSimeule moved to higher ground. When theearth shook and the water moved out, theyknew what to do—because they remembered.So my question today is: when the earthshakes and the water moves out for you, whatstories do you hold on to? What about foryour children or grandchildren? What storiesand wisdom will be remembered? The story ofCanada’s conscientious objectors is one thatcan provide examples and can encourage us tofind ways of staying true to our beliefs.—Conrad Stoesz,Mennonite Heritage Centre, WinnipegI came home from college one summer wondering about the picture in our family album ofmy father in a Canadian military uniform. My uncle told me the story of how my dad hadinitially decided to be a conscientious objector by doing alternative service in a lumbercamp. On his way to the camp, the train he was on stopped at a little town. A traincoming back from the north also happened to stop there. He heard stories from the menon the other train about how hard life was in the lumber camps. He jumped off one train,got on the other and promptly enlisted in the army.I have my own children now. I try to teach them what I believe: carrying the peace of Jesuscannot be combined with carrying a weapon. I wish our churches spoke more openlyabout the history of our struggle with violence. I want my children, when the time comes,to be absolutely clear about which train they will take. —Carol Penner, Vineland, Ont.Stories and reflections8

They shall beat theirAlternative serviceWhen confronted with war, young Mennonite men had to make a choice,sometimes leading to intense experiences and personal transformation.Rev. H.R. Baerg spent a year in alternative service work camps andcandidly evaluates his experience:“Alternative Service constituted for us a program of submission…Wewere conscripted to spend the same amount of time under similarregulations as the boys in other branches of the Service. We now had anopportunity to confirm our faith by rendering a sacrifice, not of our livesbut of our time...“…Our country could not understand our singular stand and mistrustedour motives, thinking that a lack of loyalty and courage was at the base.It was our duty to resolve the misunderstanding by living up to ourmessage of love… A number of working projects were unrealistic and notexactly of ‘national importance;’ some of the foremen were unlearned,unprincipled, and unsocial ‘bushwhackers;’ some of the fellow drafteeswere partisan, obstinate, and obtuse. Under these circumstances it wasimperative that we who were attempting to give an affirmation of ourfaith be buoyant, courageous, resourceful, and confident.”—www.alternativeservice.caThe Alternative Service website has more stories, discussion questionsand information.The draft board: the story of Jacob A. LoewenAs soon as war had been declared and the draft became imminent inCanada, my Mennonite Brethren church dusted off its doctrine of nonresistanceand began to catechize its young men in its teaching. I acceptedthe church’s position on war when my call-up came. I had been instructedto avoid arguments and theoretical discussions with the examining draftboard members. I was only to affirm, again and again if necessary, “Myconscience does not allow me to take up arms to kill other people.”Mennonite ArchivesI used the quote only once before the examining draft board. The chairmanfollowed my initial statement with the question, “Then what willyou do when Hitler rapes your mother or your sister?” Before I couldanswer, he fired off a rapid stream of similar questions, but he neverstopped long enough for me to answer any of them. Then, as abruptly asit had begun, his stream of questions dried up. He stamped my papersand said, “Next please!” That’s how I became a CO. The utter frivolousnessof how I had achieved my CO status stirred up a host of questionsin my mind. I felt I needed to do some serious studying to find outwhether my professed peace positions really was a personal conviction ormerely an idiosyncratic practice which I was following because of traditionand social pressure. —My Personal Pilgrimage toward Peace,Alternative Service for Peace9 Stories and reflections

swords into ploughshares. Is.2:4Strengthened in faith: the story of Sam MartinOf all the COs who spent time in prison, Sam Martin probably served thelongest—from 19 April 1944 to 23 October 1945—over eighteen months.Martin’s first call to report for military training came in late 1942. As apacifist Mennonite, he appeared before the Mobilization Board inEdmonton in February 1942 to claim conscientious objector status. ManyMennonites before and after Martin had done the same thing; what wasunusual, however, was that the board denied his claim.After this first sentence, Martin was forcibly inducted into the army.Guards stripped off his clothes and forced on a uniform. Now he was officiallyin the army and under military law. Martin took off the uniform thefirst chance he got, a serious offence since it disobeyed a direct order. As aresult he was sent to the military prison known as Currie Barracks for 28days. Still, Martin remained true to his faith. The sentence: another 28 days in prison. ByJuly 1944, the military was losing patience. They had restricted his mail, put him in solitaryconfinement, and put him on bread and water,but he refused to wear the uniform.Illustration fromthe book SamMartin Went toPrison.At times, Martin questioned his pacifist beliefs, but with the support of his church andfamily he remained strong. When he read certain passages in the Bible, he concluded thathe had no choice but to be a CO. During his incarceration the local community circulateda petition to have him released. It was signed by several hundred people and was responsiblein part for his transfer from a military to a civilian prison.He reflects, “If anything I suppose I would have to say that my convictions are evenstronger now than they were then. It’s not that there aren’t problems with the peaceposition, certainly different people have different ideas about it. It’s just that coming fromwhere I came from, coming from my interpretation of Scripture, coming from my backgroundbeing raised in a peace church, it was impossible for me to take arms and destroyhuman life. Or even to support a system that did.”—adapted from www.alternativeservice.caA longer version of this story is available in book form, listed in the Resources section.Serving as non-combatant: the story of Dan HildebrandDuring World War II Dan Hildebrand, chose to serve with the military and enlist as a noncombatant.Nowadays he proudly wears his uniform and marches in Remembrance Dayparades.“I was on a farm postponement,” says Hildebrand as he relates the events leading up tohis enlistment at the age of 21. In September 1943, he had gone to the Law Courts buildingin Winnipeg to apply for further farm exemption and was asked: “With assurance youwould not have to bear arms, would you join up?” He had not considered this before, andwithout hesitation agreed to join the army. He served in the medical corps as a healthinspector, testing water, inspecting sleeping quarters, food preparation, latrines, etc.He remembers being influenced by the Christian witness of other limited-enlistment buddies.Their lifestyle motivated him to make changes in his own life and to accept Christ’sforgiveness of sins and the life He offers those who follow Him. —Gladys Terichow, MCCCanadaStories and reflections10

Women and non-resistanceDuring WWII Mennonite women acted out their non-resistantlove in a variety of ways. Most obvious was their work inmaterial relief—canning, knitting, sewing and performing allmanner of organizational tasks to aid suffering people in wartornEurope. In the 1940s Mennonite women’s organizationsundertook massive aid projects which transported $71,000worth of clothing from Canada to England. Women inOntario organized their local sewing circles into the “NonresistantRelief Sewing Organization”—an indication that theythemselves viewed their material labour in the context of faith.Mennonite women were COs in less recognized ways than their menfolk. They worked toclothe and feed war sufferers. They lent moral support to Mennonite men in campsthrough letters, packages or their presence near the camps. They became breadwinners fortheir families. Mennonite women had to cope with the implications of being part of apeace church. As conscientious objectors, they put their non-resistant love into action andalleviated suffering in the world. —Maureen Epp, United We Stand, Divided We Fall,Alternative Service for PeaceA draft resister during the Vietnam War:the story of Sam SteinerThirty-eight years ago I was a new political refugee in Canada. I had been indicted by agrand jury in the U.S. District Court in Cleveland, Ohio, for failing to comply with anorder to report for and submit to induction into the armed forces of the United States.How does a mild-mannered twenty-one-year-old future librarian with an impeccableMennonite pedigree get himself into a mess like this?Christian faith as expressed by Mennonites—with its implications for all of life—was centralto my family of origin. The small church of that I attended in the 1950s cared muchabout love and mutual aid within the community. It cared about the eternal destiny ofthose within its midst and unsaved souls on various mission fields. But it seemed to careless about justice in the society around it. We prayed for peace. We wished for justice to gowith that peace, but we didn’t “fight” for justice.Reflecting on my experience, it appears to me that for several reasons Mennonites andother Canadian peace people have become too relaxed about their views of peace, justiceand war. We continue to forget the lessons Vietnam taught us about how governmentscreate “truth” that suit their own purposes. Have either Gulf Wars been any more aboutjustice than Vietnam was? Mennonites have not spoken with unity on these wars except tokeep their own hands clean. I watch and worry about this Mennonite response. (ReadSam’s full story in the Appendix section)Currently there are other American war resisters seeking refuge in Canada. To find outmore, go to www.resisters.ca/resisters_stories.html11 Stories and reflections

Committed even unto death:the story of Tom FoxTom Fox was serving with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq. Hewas taken hostage and subsequently killed by his captors in early 2006.A lot has been said and written about Tom Fox—how exceptionalhe was, how he is the example of peacemaking for our time. Tom,as I have known him, would be the first to deny it. He was notexceptional; he was an ordinary man—setting out vegetables ongrocery racks, playing the clarinet for a livelihood, walking onthe rooftop in Iraq for exercise, proudly telling about hischildren’s accomplishments.What is exceptional is that he listened to God. When Jesus said, “Youhave heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you,Do not resist an evildoer,” Tom listened. When Jesus said, “Love your enemies and prayfor those who persecute you,” Tom took him seriously. This is nothing more than is askedof any of us when we gather for worship. It is no more exceptional than is true for any ofus who claim Jesus as our Saviour and Guide.God has a lot to say to this world. The question is: Are we listening? Tom was.—Pearl Hoover, Sojourners MagazineTom Fox in amoment ofreflection nearan olive treein Palestine.CPT photoGetting in the Way: Christian Peacemaker TeamsCPT was conceived in the mid 1980s, when the peace churches were seeking new ways toexpress their faith. It arose from the following challenge by Ron Sider:“Over the past 450 years of martyrdom, immigration and missionary proclamation, theGod of shalom has been preparing us Anabaptists for a late twentieth-century rendezvouswith history. Never has the world needed our message more. If we still believe it, now isthe time to live what we have spoken…“Unless we . . . are ready to start to die by the thousands in dramatic vigorous newexploits for peace and justice, we should sadly confess that we never really meant what wesaid, and we dare never whisper another word about pacifism to our sisters and brothersin those desperate lands filled with injustice. Unless we are ready to die developing newnon-violent attempts to reduce conflict, we should confess that we never really meant thatthe cross was an alternative to the sword.”Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) offers an organized, non-violent alternative to war andother forms of lethal inter-group conflict. It provides organizational support to personscommitted to faith-based non-violent alternatives in situations where lethal conflict is animmediate reality or is supported by public policy. CPT seeks to enlist the response of thewhole church in conscientious objection to war, and in the development of non-violentinstitutions, skills and training for intervention in conflict situations. —www.cpt.orgOvercome evil with good. Rm 12:21Stories and reflections12

Fighter Pilot learns peace:the story of Javier PinzónJavier was a colonel for the Colombian Air Forcefor over 30 years. He had a very successful militarycareer and even became pilot for the presidentialaircraft. Javier had been a Christian for manyyears, but in his church, believing in Jesus did notconflict with actions that hurt others. He had alsobeen disappointed with this church time and timeagain because of hurtful divisions and conflicts.Javier in theColombianAir Force.Looking for a different church experience, Javierarrived at the door of a Mennonite Brethren congregation.He began to understand the practical implications of following Jesus.What challenged him the most was the idea of following Jesus in his way of peace, nonresistance,and love for the enemy.It was during this time that he and his family were victims of a bomb attack at the handsof one of Colombia’s illegal armies. They had gone out to spend the evening in a recreationclub in Bogotá. An insurgent group had placed a bomb that blew up and destroyedthe building just minutes after they arrived. The family was engulfed in flames and smoke,but, miraculously, God rescued them!Facing such an experience could have hardened Javier’s heart; he might have decided torespond with resentment and military action against illegal armed groups in Colombia.Instead Javier became even more convinced as a pacifist. He eventually renounced his militarycareer, and now he serves as a Mennonite Brethren pastor.The Mennonite church in Colombia has been engaged in efforts to uphold the right toobject to military service by reason of conscience. This has included lobbying the governmentand facing legal battles to protect seminary students from being conscripted. Severalyears ago when the Colombian government closed down a Mennonite seminary, it wasonly thanks to hundreds of letters from North American churches to the Colombiangovernment that the seminary was reopened.Activism bears fruit: the story of Richard SteeleRichard Steele is a South African former anti-apartheid activist who draws a close tiebetween his CO experience and the successful struggle to end apartheid. He was part ofthe Baptist church, but during the 70s he learned about peace and non-violence fromMennonites when he came to study in North America. Some people think that Richardserved as a personal channel through which the Anabaptist position on militarism wasconveyed to South Africa.Richard, who went to prison for resisting conscription in the South African military,believes that his “End Conscription Campaign” became a seed to empower white antiapartheidactivists. It helped them realize that the system they had been taking for grantedcould be challenged. This was a time when the military apparatus was identified by criticsas a chief pillar of apartheid, the government’s scheme of social engineering along raciallines.As history unfolded, apartheid came to an end and South Africa became a witness to theworld that truth and reconciliation are a viable political alternative to violence.13 Stories and reflections

Public witness for peaceToday there is a growing sense among the historicpeace churches that we are called to share our testimonymore boldly. Public witness is an intentionalway of offering a Christian peace perspective to thewider society. Some examples include: advocatingbefore elected officials, writing letters to politiciansor the local newspaper, participating in a publicprayer vigil or a peace walk, or wearing a peacebutton. Although not always easy or without risk,public witness can open dialogue and draw attentionto issues of peace and justice that may havebeen forgotten or misrepresented in the mainstream.Canadian churches have shown great creativity in organizing many such events. For example,our love of music was used as a witness in the “Sing for Peace” demonstrations inOttawa and provincial capitals across the country at the start of the war on Afghanistanand Iraq. Other congregations have posted signs and banners outside their churches, helddemonstrations at military air shows and joined email campaigns and petitions.Singingfor peace onParliament Hillin Ottawa.Right now, Ontario churches in the Windsor Essex school division are facing an unusualopportunity to resist war at a very basic level—their children’s education. There (and elsewherein Canada) the Army Reserve Training Program is introducing a paid co-opopportunity for high school students in which they receive military training over onesemester. While there is no obligation to continue employment, those who do complete thecourse are considered members of the Reserve. Other institutions that offer co-ops can givean honorarium, but it is against regulations that high school students be paid for co-opwork. Churches are concerned that this paid military option will unduly entice lowerincomestudents toward a military career.The response of the churches has been to come together and advocate against this initiativeby meeting with the school board. Part of their statement reads, “Our faith perspective ofpromoting peace . . . challenges us to confront the value of training youth in physicalaggression, violence, and the use of weapons. Since peace is not just the absence of war butof working for justice in our community, we are re-committing ourselves to the task ofteaching peace and justice to our youth for the well-being of the community.” In turn, theycall on the board to exercise their policy of promoting “a safe, stimulating, caring and welcomingenvironment, free of intimidation, aggression, violence and weapons.”What opportunities for resistance are open to your church community?For more ideas on how to organize a public witness, see the MCC Public Witness forPeace Toolkit. mcc.org/canada/peace/resources/toolkit.pdfBlessed are the peacemakers. Mt 5:9Stories and reflections14

Rememberingconscientiousobjectors ofthe pastThe National Department ofDefence has not kept arecord of conscientiousobjectors from World WarII. Therefore the MennoniteHeritage Centre is trying todocument all the names ofthose who served. TheCentre is also hoping tocreate a memorial stone recognizingthe values and thework of the Canadian COs.The COs will not be aroundmuch longer. When they arenot here to tell their storyhow will we remember andlearn from their example?A monument is somethingthat will last and act as apermanent reminder. Manyof the COs feel their contributionhas not beenrecognized adequately by thechurch. They were underpaidfor their work and to thisday get no pension, disabilitymoney or other benefits. Amonument to help us rememberis important, especiallywhen the values they upheldare so counter-cultural.—Conrad Stoesz, MennoniteHeritage Centre, WinnipegPeace at work: the story of Barry BishopIn 1994 Barry Bishop thought he had his dream job working with the multinationalcomputer company, Hewlett-Packard (HP) in Waterloo, Ontario. Heenjoyed the responsibility, the problem-solving, the opportunity to travel widely,and the salary.One day he found out that HP had landed a major contract with a firm thatbuilt nuclear weapons for the U.S. military. As a Christian who had committedhimself to Jesus’ way of peace, Barry was thrown into turmoil. Seeking God’sguidance on what to do, he began a period of Bible study, prayer and discussionwith his small group at church. Increasingly, he felt that God was calling him touse his talents for peace, and that supporting sales to a weapons manufacturerwas inconsistent with that call. He knew he needed to leave HP.A few months later Barry was hired as business manager at RockwayMennonite Collegiate in Kitchener, Ontario. It was an answer to prayer.Though the lower pay meant a change in family lifestyle, the new job enabledhim to do what he loved—supervise people, work with computers, and evendrive school bus! Barry says that for him the decision to leave HP was the rightone. He acknowledges and accepts that not everyone will make the decisionthat he did. What is important for him is that his career connects with his senseof God’s call. —adapted from the Canadian supplement to Thermostat: HowCan We Turn Toward Peace in a Time of Fear? (See Resource Section.)Investing mindfullyYou shall not kill. Ex 20:13I work and pray for peace; I advocate and speak out against aggressive militaryaction; I attempt to live non-violently. Yet, I may be securing my retirementcomfort with earnings from war and child labour. I am talking about mymodest RRSP investments, and the companies held by those mutual funds.Some of the companies make profits by supplying military equipment, weapons,and technology. Worse yet, I have known this for many years and am still procrastinatingabout it.When profit is the only bottom line, investment dollars go anywhere money canbe made, including war-making. In writing this, I am committing to considerethical investing more seriously. Ethical funds invest based on ethical, moral,social and environmental concerns. This can involve avoiding companies thatmake money from the production of alcohol, tobacco or military weapons,along with attention to the environment and protection of basic human rights.Do you know where your money is invested? Will you join me in making a conscientiousdecision not to own any investments in military or weapons-relatedcontracting? —Tim Schmucker, MCC OntarioTo explore further, see Meritas, a family of ethical mutual funds founded byMennonite Savings and Credit Union (Ontario), Mennonite FoundationCanada, and Mennonite Mutual Aid. www.meritas.ca/.15 Stories and reflections

Objecting to paying for warCanadian war resisters may not currently face the militarydraft, but most are faced with taxes. Some have chosen to withholdthe portion of their income tax allotted to military spending—about 9 percent of total federal spending. This is a very relevantway that we as Canadians can be involved in this issue.“As a follower of Jesus, I try to live by His commandment to ‘LoveOur Enemies.’ ... I find it highly inconsistent to pray for peace andpay for war. I would gladly pay for actions and activities that leadto peace and encourage the government to provide an alternativefor conscientious objectors to war.” —Benno Barg“...I strongly protest use of any portion of it [my taxes] for militarypurposes. Such use, in effect, conscripts my funds. During the 1939- 1945 war I was granted status as a conscientious objector andallowed to go to China to engage in relief work. In years past Iwithheld the military portion of tax and deposited it withConscience Canada in the confidence that the government wouldrespect my right not to participate in military operations in thisway. Since no provision has yet been made and the withheld portionwas collected with interest, I am simply withholding ten dollars(a token amount) to make you aware that I still object to supportof the military on grounds of conscience.”—Edwin V. AbbottFor more information, including direction on how to write to yourMember of Parliament see www.consciencecanada.caIn July 2006, a new resolution was passed at the MennoniteChurch Canada’s Assembly in Edmonton. The resolution statedthat as Canada’s military was moving from away from peacekeepingtowards direct military interventions, as military spending wasincreasing significantly and as this is paid for by Canadian taxpayers,the General Board should communicate with the federalgovernment to advocate for a way to redirect the military portionof taxes to peaceful purposes.Poppies andpeace buttonsI did not put on my MCC“To Remember is to Workfor Peace” button lastNovember as I usually do instead ofthe Remembrance Day poppy. Why? Ifeared others would misunderstand myreplacing the poppy as a rejection ofthe sacrifice of the soldiers. It could bea barrier rather than an invitation tocommunication. Of course I still rejectviolence and war as means of resolvingconflict or of stopping a raging dictator.I fervently disagree that war was “theonly way,” or “necessary for our freedom,”and also with Christian just-warconstructs. At the same time I don’twant to minimize the sacrifice of thesoldiers nor the pain of their permanentabsence. I don’t want to reject the genuineintentions of society to honourthose who ostensibly gave their lives forothers.I realize that not all who wear thepoppy are warmongers. Wearing it hasdifferent meanings, some of which Ihave little problem with. For example,for over 80 years, The Royal CanadianLegion has been selling the paperflowers to help needy ex-servicemenand their families. Providing for folksin need, it seems to me, is a worthyproject.I have come to see that most of usshare the same goals—a peace-filledlife, society, and world. Dialoguingabout how to move toward that, ismore useful than sloganizing or tryingto shout louder than the other side.This year I may wear both the buttonand the poppy.—Tim Schmucker, MCC OntarioStories and reflections16

Worshipping theGod of PeaceBelow are several elements you canput together in a service that suitsyour congregation’s style of worship.Planting the themeCO’s plantingtrees on VancouverIsland, BC, aftersnags have beencut down. MHCPhoto Collection.Ploughshare. Create a visual display at the front ofthe church, including a branch or live plant (to represent an olive branch), an oil lamp anda hoe or other gardening tool. An alternative would be to have an initial display with asword/gun, a pot with dry soil, an unlit candle and some barbed wire, then as the congregationwatches, or as the theme is introduced, each item could be replaced with thoseabove.Trees have always been used to represent genealogies. Since our spiritual heritage(our roots) as peace churches includes those who have faced the choice of beingconscientious objectors, and since God’s vision of rootedness and righteousness isalso so aptly represented by a tree (see Jeremiah 17, Psalm 1), this could be aninspiring metaphor for a worship service. One option might be to begin the servicewith a poster of a tree with no leaves, then to gradually add leaves as the serviceprogresses and each story is told.Lamp. Another focus might be to stress the image that comes from our call to be lights inthe world (Matthew 5:14). In fact, some churches already light oil lamps to remember topray for peace in a broken world. If there are enough lamps, several could be lit at differentpoints in the service, or as each story is told.Slide show. Sometimes a visual message stays with people for a longer timethan many words. If your church has the capability of using a slide show, MCCCanada Peace Ministries offers a free download of the Powerpoint presentation“Peace is a choice.” (mcc.org/canada/peace/resources/other). The slide show couldbe used as a call to worship, in closing the service, or as a children’s story.Telling Stories. This packet contains some war resistance stories and ideas, but ifyou could glean some from within the congregation that would take on special meaning.You might use Peace Sunday as an opportunity to search out and invite the congregationto share their experiences and to use the gifts of the storytellers among you. The appendixhas some suggested interview questions.Several stories can be used to complement the sermon, or can be told or read at differentpoints in the service.The sample story of the “Hutterites in Alcatraz” in the Appendix is one example of howstories, songs and scripture might be joined in a presentation.17 Resources for worship

Our task is not only to keep our sons anddaughters from going to war; it is to preventall young people from going. — Frank H. EppIntroduction to the themeTo introduce the theme on Peace Sunday you could write your own opening, based oninsights gained through the accounts in this packet. Read the long introduction at thebeginning, or use the following summary.In Isaiah 2:4 are told that in the world God envisions, nation will not lift swordagainst nation, and that weapons will be turned into planting implements. It takeshard work to reshape swords into ploughshares and pruning hooks. Once the tools aretransformed they must turn to the job of cultivating peace, and that task is ours.Today on Peace Sunday we remember stories of conscientious objectors from the pastwho have offered resistance in the face of evil, and have given us roots from which tocontinue to bear fruit. We pick up from them, and ask how we might be conscientiousin our time. How might we find the courage to follow Jesus and cultivate peace in awar-torn world?Scripture readingsThere is a sense in which we view all of Scripture through the lens of our peace theology.The passages below would work well as a call to worship or to be read aloud.Exodus 20:13 (You shall not kill)Isaiah 2:1-5 (Swords into ploughshares)Isaiah 9:1-7 (Boots of soldiers burned as fuel)Psalm 33:10-22 (A warrior is not delivered by strength)Psalm 85:7-13 (He will speak peace to his people)Psalm 90:1-2 (A shelter in all generations)Matthew 5:9 (Blessed are the peacemakers)Matthew 5:38-44 (Turn the other cheek)Luke 1:68-79 (Jesus comes to teach peace)Luke 6:25-37 (Love enemies and do good)Romans 12:9-21 (Do not be overcome by evil)James 3:17-18 (Sowing a harvest of peace)Call to worshipJust as an uncultivated field will not bring forth a desired harvest,a culture of violence unchallenged will not bring forth peace.Just as any harvest comes from nature’s power and farmers’ toil,peace and justice rely on the power of the Holy Spiritand the efforts of Christ’s followers.People of faith have gone before us resisting war, facing risk,going to prison and even perishing.Their stories remind us that we are not beginning the taskbut continuing to plough the field in hope of a harvest of peace.Let us turn in worship to the God who strengthens usto cultivate peace in a war-torn world.Resources for worship18

Prayers and readingsPrayer of ConfessionCompassionate Creator, Loving Parent, forgive us for all the devastation we arewreaking on your beautiful and bountiful creation through our wars, our acts of terrorismand abuse, and our self-centred behaviour as individuals, communities andnations.Forgive us our cynicism and our blindness as we tend to sit on the sidelines and doand say nothing as these acts of violence occur around us.Forgive us our tendency to point the finger of blame at people of other faiths, nationalitiesand racial groups when things go wrong.Give us the courage in these gloomy situations to be peacemakers in your name, readyto follow the way of the cross rather than the tempting path of finger-pointing, warand violence.Open our eyes that we may see that the way of the cross through non-violent deedsand words is only way to overcome evil without creating new forms of evil in its place.We pray this in the name of Jesus, the One whom we desire to follow on the path ofpeace. Amen.—Larry Kehler, Winnipeg, Man.Congregational prayerYou could use a prayer format that creates a listing of the names of people from the storiesused in the service, from the congregation, or from current events. These names could beput into sentence prayers to which the congregation responds with, “Lord, hear ourprayer” or “Lord, bring us peace.” For example:Just as the leaders of our churches worked to create alternatives to fighting,help us also to be creative peacemakers.Lord, hear our prayerWe thank you for the early Anabaptists, who set the example of being willingto suffer to follow you.Lord, hear our prayerJust as Sam Martin stood firm in resisting wearing a uniform and everythingit represented, please empower us to stand firm in our witness for peace.Lord, hear our prayerWe thank you for the young men who served as conscientious objectors,so that today we can learn form their witness.Lord, hear our prayerWe thank you for the many people who have withheld taxes and facedfinancial risk to resist paying for war.Lord, hear our prayerGive wisdom to those in power to make even the small choices that resist violence.Lord, hear our prayer...Continue to fill in, according to your church’s particular circumstance and focus.19 Resources for worship

Litany of ResistanceJim Loney, who was taken hostage as a result of his ChristianPeacemaker Teams placement in Iraq, has written an excellent litanywhich can be used on Peace Sunday. It can be found atwww.cpt.org/publications/litanyofresistance.php.Readers’ TheatreO bind us in that heavenly chain—See appendix.Written by MatthewBailey-Dick, this ties together scripture readings and stories of conscientiousobjectors from the past and from the present.Vow of non-violenceCreate an opportunity during worship to recite the commitment tonon-violence that is found at www.paxchristiusa.org/news_events_more.asp?id=55. It can also be used as a bulletin insert.BenedictionGod of perfect peace, violence and cruelty can have no part withyou. May those who are at peace with one another hold fast tothe goodwill that unites them. May those who are enemies forgettheir hatred and be healed.Give us all the gift of your peace; make us into people of nonviolence.Make us instruments of your peace, channels of yournon-violent love.Transform our hearts and transform our world, so that together,we may enter into your reign of non-violence and see you face-toface.Amen.—John DearMusicMuch of the music in our hymnals and song books has a peace theologyas its underpinning, so there are many excellent choices. Beloware a few suggestions. (HWB– Hymnal: A Worship Book, WT–Worship Together, HPW– Hymns for Praise and Worship)We are people of God’s peace (HWB #407, WT #677)Christ is the world’s true light (HWB #334)You are the salt for the earth (HWB #226, WT #672)The kingdom of God (HWB #224)For the healing of the nations (HWB# 367, WT #683, HPW#320)If the war goes on(Sing the Journey #66)If you do not have access to themusic, the lyrics could be usedas a poem.If the war goes onand the children die of hunger,and the old men weep, for the youngmen are no more,and the women learn how to dancewithout a partner,who will keep the score?If the war goes onand the truth is taken hostage,and new terrors leadto the need to euphemize,when the calls for peaceare declared unpatriotic,who’ll expose the lies?If the war goes onand the daily bread is terror,and the voiceless poortake the road as refugees;when a nation’s pride destinesmillions to be homeless,who will heed their pleas?If the war goes on and the richincrease their fortunes,and the arms sales soaras new weapons are displayed;when a fertile field turnsto no-man’s-land tomorrow,who’ll approve such trade?If the war goes onwill we close the doors to heaven,if the war goes on,will we breach the gates of hell;if the war goes on,will we ever be forgiven,if the war goes on....John L. Bell & Graham Maule, 1997,revised 2002Resources for worship20

21 Resources for worship

Mennonite Church ManitobaTo listen to Sword into a ploughshareand Go in Peace go to www.campswithmeaning.org/summer/music/music.php22

Children’s storyOption 1If the focus of the service is on stories, there may not be a need for a separate children’sstory. The worship leader can invite children to pay special attention to the stories, andthen during the children’s time, ask them to reflect. For example:Had you ever heard any of these stories before?From the stories we heard, what do think it means to be a peacemaker?How do you think it would feel if you were asked to go to war? Or to prison?(depending on which story you choose to tell)What do you think is the hardest part about Jesus asking us to love our enemies?Option 2The children’s time would be a good opportunity to have children/youth report to the congregationon the stories they have collected, or to have a senior member of thecongregation give a first-person account. (See Story treasure hunt in Learning in Actionsection.)Option 3Over the Sundays leading up to Peace Sunday, the book Sam Martin Went to Prison (oranother of your choice) could be read aloud in instalments to the children, concluding onPeace Sunday. At the conclusion of the story the children could be invited to reflect. Makesure to read ahead and consider whether the content is appropriate for the age group youwill be addressing.Sermon and discussion seedsThis section has some suggestions, but other partsof the peace packet might provide further inspirationor challenge to the person preaching. Thesepoints might also be used as discussion starters forSunday school.See the Appendix for a sample sermon based onMatthew 5:9, 38-48 Blessed Are the Peacemakersby Edwin Epp.Our favoritecamp preacherRev. JacobFriesen with theboys. MHC JakeKrueger PhotoCollection.MidwivesThe midwives Shiphrah and Puah were amongstthe first conscientious objectors recorded in theBible. Exodus 1:15-22 tells the story of how these twomidwives received an order by the king of Egypt to kill all the Hebrew boys that wereborn. He was afraid of the slaves’ potential military power if they were to rise up againstoppression. But the midwives feared God, and they defied the king’s order.The authorities hadn’t counted on the faith of ordinary, God-fearing women. Brute powerdid not deter Puah and Shiphrah from allegiance to a higher power. In their discernmentthey surely weighed the cost, realizing that by their disobedience they might be riskingtheir own lives. Or perhaps, as they listened to the inner voice, their consciences led themto obey a higher law. At any rate, these midwives and their followers tenderly caught allchildren as they entered the world and let them live. Their defiance preserved the life ofMoses, who would later peacefully but firmly lead the slaves out of oppression. —Adaptedfrom CPT worship resource23 Resources for worship

Love your enemies. Mt 5:44More Old Testament resistersThe young COs from WWII remember being inspired by the story of Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. If one sees our culture’s unquestioning allegianceto military solutions as a form of idolatry, the story can become even more poignant asthese men refuse to bow to the gods of their day. Daniel’s story is also part of thethread of non-violence that runs through the Old Testament. (See the Believers ChurchCommentary on the book of Daniel.)Turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:39-41)Offering the other cheek to the insulter, taking off even one’s undergarments, and offeringa second mile to the occupying soldier are decidedly not examples of passivity. They areaudacious and provocative acts, so much so that they might well invite further suffering. Itis hard not to see them as a form of resistance. The theologian Walter Wink is right tohave alerted us to the subversive and initiatory dimensions of those examples. (See Chapter5, “Jesus’ Third Way,” pp. 98-111, The Powers that Be, by Walter Wink.) —Tom YoderNeufeldJesus models resistanceMark 3:1-6 tells how Jesus was a model of active non-violence. Imagine the scene.Jesus is preaching in a crowded synagogue on the Sabbath. Suddenly he notices a manwith a withered hand. He stops and calls out to the man, “Stand up! Come out here inthe middle.”The poor man stands up and comes near to Jesus, where he can be seen by everyone.Looking around the room Jesus asks, “Is it against the law on the Sabbath to do goodor to do evil? To save life or to kill?” No one answers, so Jesus tells the man to stretchout his hand and he is healed.The religious authorities are shocked. Jesus has scandalized everyone by breakingSabbath decorum, asking tough questions about doing good and evil. Jesus has ruinedeverything; he has disrupted the authorities’ comfortable life amidst a world of systemicinjustice.In this story, as usual, Jesus deliberately breaks the law and custom which permits systemicinjustice and suffering to continue. Jesus is public and provocative. He is ascandal and a threat to everyone in authority, to everyone but the poor and oppressed,who find liberation in his way of life. Jesus knows his action will get him into trouble.Still he insists on non-violence and reconciliation. —Adapted from John Dear,Disarming the HeartLiving with conscienceTherefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience toward God and all people (Acts24:16).Paul speaks of exercising himself to always have a conscience void of offence toward Godand toward [people]. This shows us that to enjoy such a desirable relation in divine andhuman associations, an effort on our part is necessary. We must exercise or discipline ourselves.This becomes the sacred trust committed to us as intelligent creatures with a freewill of choice.The most dangerous foe the conscience has to face is popular public opinion, especiallywhen that opinion is governed by an hysteria created during war. It is in such times thatResources for worship24

people generally abandon their sacred right to think and to make correct decisions.They blindly follow the mob which endeavours to make violence a virtue, falsehoodan expediency, and crime a necessity. —E.J. Swalm, Nonresistance Under Test (1949)Is the call to peace personal or corporate?Many who contemplate how Jesus’ teaching affects believers who are faced with theprospect of warfare would say that the ethic taught by Jesus in Luke 6: 27-31 is anethic that applies only to personal relationships. It says nothing about choosing tofight in a war being fought by your country. Others would say that Jesus makes noqualifications here. His followers should simply love their enemies and that means alltheir enemies in any situations and surely that applies to war.In Ephesians 2: 14-18 Paul writes that Jesus is our peace and has made the two one.Paul is not thinking about two human beings, he is talking about the grand divisionbetween Jews and Gentiles. Jesus’ work of peace was designed to bring together twopeople groups that had existed with some sense of hostility between them. Paul appliesJesus’ ethic of love toward enemies and peace to a corporate situation. —MarvThiessen, First Mennonite Church, CalgaryGuide our feet into the way of peace Lk 1:7925 Resources for worship

Digging deeperThese reflections on resistance gobeyond the stories and pose uniqueperspectives or challenges. They canbe used for pastoral reflection, assermon ideas, or Sunday school discussionstarters.Resistance and non-resistanceNon-resistance has been until recently the term ofchoice among churches of the Anabaptist tradition forwhom retaliation and going to war goes against theexpress teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5:39: “Youshall not resist evil.” . . . At the present time, mostAnabaptists committed to active peacemaking find itdifficult to think in terms other than resistance. . . .One reason for this change is positive, namely thefruitful pairing of peace with justice. Greater awarenessof the nature and roots of injustice, violence,poverty and racism as not only personal but systemichas brought about an urgent desire to address concretebrokenness and injury, and the conditions ofinjustice and violence which bring them about. . . TheChristian Peacemaker Team’s slogan is wonderfullysuggestive: “Getting in the Way.” It combines followingthe way of Jesus with getting in the way of evil, discipleship with obstruction andresistance. —Tom Yoder Neufeld, Resistance and Nonresistance: The Two Legs of aBiblical Peace Stance, The Conrad Grebel ReviewSpeaking out against warTraditionally, Mennonite commitment to peacemaking has meant a refusal to go to warand to take up the sword, but it has not involved a critique of war itself. The earlyAnabaptists understood the world in terms of two kingdoms: the kingdom of the worldand the kingdom of those who commit their lives to Christ.CO’s working ona dam at ClearLake, RidingMountainNational Park,Alberta. MHC,Ed Brooks PhotoCollectionThey realized that armed force, war and “taking up the sword” were part of the reality ofthe kingdom of the world. They argued that because their loyalty was to the kingdom ofChrist, they could not participate in this. They believed that their calling was to live outthe non-violent way of Christ in their communities and, in doing so being a witness to others.This is largely the kind of thinking that guided Canadian Mennonites and Brethren inChrist churches until World War II. During World Wars I and II, Mennonites’ concern was:would Canada provide means whereby their commitments not to go to war and to be“conscientious objectors” would be honoured? They did not really challenge Canada’sdecision to go to war.This has changed in the last 30 to 40 years. As a result of Mennonites ’increasing involvementin the larger society, some Mennonites have begun to speak out more against warand preparations for war itself. —Esther Epp-Tiessen, MCC CanadaDigging Deeper26

War will exist untilthat distant day whenthe CO enjoys thesame reputation andprestige that thewarrior does today.— John F. KennedyRedefining courageThere is an imbalance in the language used to talk about war and peace. Men whobecame soldiers are held to be “heroes for freedom” while conscientious objectorswere dubbed “conchies,” a derisive term reflecting that their choice not to fightwas not valued. Soldiers are revered with commemorations and monuments. Forconchies, it has even been difficult to compile a list of names of those who servedin this capacity.E.J. Swalm was one of the church leaders who advocated for CO status and supported theyoung men who did alternative service. Having experienced prison himself, he had nodoubt as to their courage. He dedicates his 1949 book entitled Nonresistance Under Testto:that noble and courageous group of young men and women who, during WWII,served in the Civilian Public Service and Alternate Service programs in the UnitedStates and Canada and at great sacrifice worked in mental hospitals, researchinstitutions, served as guinea pigs, smoke jumpers, etc., all for the privilege ofbearing a testimony, not only to a personal knowledge of Christ, but for the greatBiblical doctrine of peace.World War II was a very popular war, and it was very difficult to oppose it and beridiculed by society. While the current wars may be easier to oppose on a political basis, itstill requires courage to articulate opposition that is based on a deep commitment to JesusChrist’s way of peace. It takes courage to choose a different way of being in the world.Teaching peace in the churchWhat happened to people in WWII who chose not to be CO’s? Many did end up choosingmilitary service. This caused huge divisions and anguish in churches and families. In manyways the church had failed these men by not explaining non-resistance convincingly tothem, and then excommunicating them, or not following up and pastoring them even asthey were soldiers. Of course it’s important to remember people who chose not to killothers. It’s a long and courageous tradition in our history. But it’s also important toremember that our conflict in the church resulted in the departure of thousands of youngmen.A Mennonite pastor recently saw a young man from his congregation join the army andhead to Iraq. What does one do with people like this? Excommunicate them? Hope theystay away and don’t bother us? Hope they join another church that isn’t pacifist? In thiscase the minister decided to pray for the person who enlisted; there was a public prayer tosend him off, “That he would do no harm and come to no harm.”What does it mean to be a peace church in how we teach our children? If they decide to goagainst our peace teaching, what then? Can we still love them? —Carol Penner, Vineland,Ont.The myth of redemptive violenceTheologian Walter Wink has called attention to what the myth of redemptive violence, thedominant religion in our society today. It enshrines the belief that violence makes thingsturn out right, that war brings peace, that might makes right.“The belief that violence ‘saves’ is so successful because it doesn’t seem to be mythic in theleast. Violence simply appears to be the nature of things. It’s what works. It seems27 Digging Deeper

inevitable, the last and often first resort in conflicts. If agod is what you turn to when all else fails, violence certainlyfunctions as a god. What people overlook, then,is the religious character of violence. It demands fromits devotees an absolute obedience-unto-death.”A full article can be found at www.biblesociety.org.uk/exploratory/articles/wink99.docThe consumer cultureThe disease of consumerism has eaten deeply into oursouls. The more we have the more we crave and themore we crave the more we have to make room for.These things are so precious to us that they have to beprotected and guaranteed to remain ours. This is onlyone step away from reasoning that is justified to havean army to protect what we have acquired. We begin tofeel threatened by those who have less. The desire forsecurity takes over. Then it is easy to let go of theGospel of peace for the sake of security.—Siegfried Bartel, The Challenge of Living withConviction, Alternative Service for PeaceThe language of warAs a peacemaker, I’ve begun to notice how the languageof war is interwoven into everyday conversation.We declare endless wars—on drugs, poverty, corruption,crime, rust.We shoot down ideas, attack a problem. We search formore ammunition for the argument or talk of magicbullets.We combat illness and launch endless campaigns andcrusades for the issues what we believe in.Making PeaceA voice from the dark called out,“The poets must give usimagination of peace, to oust the intense, familiarimagination of disaster. Peace, not onlythe absence of war.”But peace, like a poem,Is not there ahead of itself,can’t be imagined before it is made,can’t be known exceptin the words of its making,grammar of justice,syntax of mutual aid.A feeling towards it,dimly sensing a rhythm, is all we haveuntil we begin to utter its metaphors,learning them as we speak.A line of peace might appearif we restructured the sentence our lives are making,revoked its reaffirmation of profit and power,questioned our needs, allowedlong pauses…A cadence of peace might balance its weighton that different fulcrum; peace, a presence,an energy field more intense than war,might pulse then,stanza by stanza into the world,each act of livingone of its words, each worda vibration of light – facetsof the forming crystal.Denise Levertov, Women on WarWhen our teenagers fail at something, they say thatit bombed. We are urged to arm ourselves againstignorance, insurance fraud, termites…We aim our sights higher. We fight for justice. We speak of being in the trenches or doingbattle with our kids. We charge into a situation, ideally armed with the facts. When thatgoes badly, we take the flak for it.What does it mean to live among the metaphors of war?Does language move us toward becoming a sponge, soaking up the violence of society? Ifit does, then our words will surely contribute to lack of shalom.We know that Jesus was surrounded by heavily armed occupation forces. Yet his languagedidn’t take on the warlike imagery of his times.Digging Deeper28

Praying for enemiesSoldiers are not themain problem regardingwar and violence.So who is? Policymakers, law makers,those who prepareweapons, those whopay for war? WhenJesus entreats us to prayfor our enemies, whoare we really supposedto be praying for?Sometimes I simplypray that thosein power will hearthe voice of Godand obey it.—Hedy M. SawadskyInstead we read of a farmer tenderly sowing and tending his crop; a builder; atemple; a kingdom that children shall see; a mustard see; and yeast. His parablesfeature virgins and their lamps; a king preparing for a wedding banquet; alandowner and his vineyard; a king settling accounts, fishing nets let down intothe sea; and a treasure hidden in a field. Christians must develop a new languagethat rejects militant and militaristic metaphors and returns to that which is lifegiving,reconciling and congruous with Jesus’ life and ministry. —Jon Rudy, MCCIntercomPeace extends to those in the militaryOur compassion and non-violent approach extends to the way we talk aboutthose who have made a military choice.“We ought to have genuine sympathy for the soldier who was asked by his governmentto leave a quiet life and suddenly engage in wholesale murder of hisfellowmen whom he never knew and toward whom he had no cause forvengeance.” —E.J. Swalm, Nonresistance to the Test“The ‘peace’ that comes through military action is a weak creature that developsthrough submission and fear, not the deep peace of Christ rooted in righteousnessand justice. Conversely, the ‘sword of righteousness’ wielded by the Christianpeacemaker is a metaphor for the Word of God that cuts through the gauze of worldlycustom; a sword to prick the conscience; a choice that must be made to take up the crossof Christ. …It would be easy to pit the peacemaker against the soldier—but it would be wrong to doso. There are soldiers who serve “the least of these” in Iraq…. And there are peacemakerswho thrive more on their own anger, self-righteousness, and personal purity, than onauthentic deeply rooted sacrificial love. —Rose Marie Berger, Free at Last, SojournersMagazineTough questionsWhen talking about resistance to war, sooner or later “what if?” objections begin to arise.The most commonly posed scenarios involve stopping Hitler or needing to intervene whensomeone is harming a loved one.“The Hitler argument often emphasizes that military force was needed to ‘preserve ourfreedom.’ Without the allied military effort to resist Hitler, the entire western world mayhave come under Hitler’s sway. We hear that argument often nowadays too with respect toCanadian involvement in Afghanistan. We need to question that assumption. Historydemonstrates that democracy and freedom have also been preserved by those who werewilling to stand up for what was right regardless of the cost to themselves. Scholars areincreasingly noting that ideas about the separation of church and state, freedom of religionand conscience (which are an essential part of democracy today) came from the 16th centuryradical reformation (the Anabaptists), who were willing to die for their convictionsrather than kill.” —Esther Epp-Tiessen, MCC CanadaFor more insights into how to enter into dialogue with such objections, see the book WhatWould You Do? by John H. Yoder. The Alternative Service website (www.alternativeservice.ca)also has discussion questions along these lines.29 Digging Deeper

Learning in ActionCO RegistryA number of years ago, MCC established a ConscientiousObjector Registry as a means whereby Christian individualscould record personal statements, identifying their commitment to peace andto a position of conscientious objection to participation in war. The mainreason for making a recorded statement is help to clarify one’s beliefs andconvictions. Another important reason is that, in the event of military conscription,a written record of a position on conscientious objection could assistin establishing a CO claim. You may wish to create an opportunity for thepeople in your church to consider this registry. Information about the CORegistry, with accompanying study materials, is found atmcc.org/canada/co/registry.Registry signing ceremonyDuring the fall of 2003 Charleswood Mennonite Church in Winnipegembarked on a study of war and conscientious objection. They used theMCC Conscientious Objector Registry kit and the Mennonite Confessionof Faith as resources. Both adult and youth Sunday school classes werepart of the process. At first the classes met on their own, but later theycame together for two Sundays. During these sessions adults and senioryouth worked on writing out their statements of conscientious objection.In the current National DefenceAct there is no recognition ofconscientious objection. And, asCanada currently does not haveconscription, there is no legislationwith respect toconscientious objection.However, Canada’s Charter ofRights and Freedom’s recognizesthe right of freedom of conscience,“Everyone has thefollowing fundamental freedoms:(a) freedom of conscienceand religion” (Sec.2). GivenCanada’s historic record, it ispresumed that individuals couldmake a claim for conscientiousobjector status on the basis ofthe charter and historicprecedents.During the worship service on Peace Sunday, November 9, 2003, three individualsread their statements to the congregation. These three, together with 11 others,presented their statement for blessing and for witnessing by the congregationalchairperson. After the service the statements were placed on file in the church office.Sunday school studyDevote one quarter of the Sunday school year for all youth and adult classes to study thechurch’s teaching about war and peace. Use the Bible, as well as other resources as thestudy texts (see Resources section for complete references). Youth might find it particularlyhelpful to use the format of answering the tough questions that come up when one namesoneself a pacifist.• Thermostat: How Can We Turn Toward Peace in a Time of Fear? A DVD andresources booklet for Grade 7 and up.• Decide for Peace: A Guide for Personal Bible Study and Reflection on ConscientiousObjection, Hall Eddy. Considers such timeless questions as the causes of war, whetherwar can be just, and whether Christians should always obey their governments. Foryouth and young adults.• Second Mile: A Peace Journey for Congregations. Invites congregations and smallgroups to enter a journey of worship, study, action and reflection that will help thembecome active signs of Christ’s peace in a broken world. 20 sessions.www.gosecondmile.org/whatis.htm• What Would You Do? John Howard Yoder. Tackles the questions most often posed tothose who identify themselves as pacifists.30

Story treasure huntPut out the challenge to find stories of resistance to war and peacemaking from withinyour own congregation. Youth or older children could be divided into teams (withsupervision) and encouraged to find either the most stories, or a story that no-one hasheard. These stories could be brought to the Peace Sunday service or compiled in writtenform. Note that the Mennonite Heritage Centre is interested in compiling names ofconscientious objectors.Artistic responseRead some of the stories in this packet to the children and have them respond with visualart or poetry, then use their responses as part of Peace Sunday worship service.Have a conscientious objector dayPlan a testimonial service where individuals from the congregation will be invited toshare their experiences. Special recognition could be given to youth who make theirpeace commitment public on this occasion.Peace workshopDevote worship and Sunday school hours to a peacemaking theme, eat a potluck mealtogether, and hold an afternoon intergenerational session. Use your congregation’s gifts ofmusic and leadership to organize a unique event to provide a forum for learning aboutpeace.Peace counsellorsDesignate one or two peace counsellors in the congregation. Assign them responsibilityfor personally contacting every young person to discuss conscientious objector registration(see above).Plan a public witness for peaceThis could be a prayer vigil, a public rally, a meeting with a Member of Parliament, or aletter-writing session. For suggestions: see MCC Canada’s “Public Witness for Peace: Atoolkit for Christians” at mcc.org/canada/peace/resources/smallkit.pdf ormcc.org/canada/peace/resources/toolkit.pdf.Wear a T-Shirt or create your ownBrethen Press sells a T-shirt that reads, “When Jesus said, ‘Love your enemies,’ I thinkhe probably meant don’t kill them.” Order from www.brethrenpress.com.Mennonite Church USA has T-shirts that state “Peace Takes Guts” and feature severalhistoric peacemakers. The shirts come with a brochure telling the story of eachpeacemaker. Order from peace.mennolink.org/resources/toorder/index.html.(Please be aware that these orders would be cross-border and subject to duties.)31

Peacemakerswho sow inpeace raise aharvest ofrighteousness.—James 3: 18Cultivating Peace:Courage, Conscience andResistance to WarPeace Sunday 2006

ResourcesThere is a wealth of resources available on the topic of peacemaking and resistance to war.Check out your church library, regional resource centre, or MCC’s resource catalogue atwww.thenovgroup.com/MCC/catalog.Selected Printed MaterialsAlternative Service for Peace in Canada during World War II 1941-1946. Edited by A. J.Klassen. Mennonite Central Committee, B.C., Seniors for Peace, 1998. Contains stories ofCOs and a summarized timeline and essays.Bread for the Enemy: A Peace and Justice Lectionary. Compiled and edited by DorothyJean Weaver. Mennonite Church Peace & Justice Committee, 2001. Takes the readerthrough the Bible exploring this multifaceted peace.Choosing Against War: A Christian View. John D. Roth. Good Books, 2002. How mightChristians look on the world differently if they believed that God’s love was indeedstronger than their fears?Decide for Peace: A Guide for Personal Bible Study and Reflection on ConscientiousObjection. Eddy Hall. Newton, KS and Winnipeg, MB: Faith & Life Press, 1996. This is astudy resource particularly suited for youth.How to Teach Children Peace. Anne Meyer Byler. Herald Press, 2003. Practical suggestionsto help families pattern their lives after Jesus’ words and actions while dealing withmodern stresses.Mennonite Peacemaking: From Quietism to Activism. Leo Driedger and Donald B.Kraybill. Scottdale and Waterloo: Herald Press, 1994. Traces the transformation ofMennonite peacemaking—from passive non-resistance to active participation in thepolitical order—in the twentieth century.The Path of Most Resistance. Melissa Miller and Phil M. Sherk. Herald Press, 1982.Contains stories of conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War.At Peace and Unafraid: Public Order, Security, and the Wisdom of the Cross. Edited byDuane K. Friesen and Gerald W. Schlabach. Scottdale and Waterloo: Herald Press, 2005.Essays commissioned by MCC as part of a two-year study process seeking to discern anAnabaptist-Mennonite response to terrorism, violent conflict, disorder and insecurity.PEACE; JUST LIVE IT! Christine Neufeld. Faith and Life Press 1995. A ten-session Biblestudy curriculum for high school youth.A Peace Reader. Edited by E. Morris Sider and Luke Keefer Jr. Nappanee: EvangelPublishing House, 2002. A practical resource for everyone who seeks to serve Jesus Christand, it draws from the writings of leading Christian pacifists over the past century.Peacework: Prayer, Resistance, Community. Henri Nouwen. Orbis Books, 2005.33

The Powers That Be: Theology for a New Millennium. Walter Wink. New York:Doubleday, 1998. Helps reformulate our ancient religious concepts—such as God andSatan, angels and demons, principalities and powers—in light of what we now know.Pursuing Peace Booklet. Explains MCC’s commitment to peace; intended to stimulatethinking about peace and how it is reflected in our lives. Available from MCC in Frenchand in English.The Love of Enemy and Nonretaliation in the New Testament. Edited by WilliardSwartley. Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992.Resistance and Nonresistance: The Two Legs of a Biblical Peace Stance. Tom YoderNeufeld, The Conrad Grebel Review Dec 2003.Sam Martin Went to Prison: The Story of Conscientious Objection and Canadian MilitaryService. William Janzen and Frances Greaser. Winnipeg and Hillsboro: Kindred Press,1990. A short book about the history of conscientious objection in Canada and one CO’sexperience during World War I.Second Mile: A Peace Journey for Congregations. Invites congregations and small groupsto enter a journey that will help them become active signs of Christ’s peace in a brokenworld. A study guide with 20 sessions. www.gosecondmile.org/whatis.htm.What Would You Do? A Serious Answer to a Standard Question. John Howard Yoder.Expanded edition. Herald Press, 1992. Tackles the questions most often posed to thosewho identify themselves as pacifists.Where Was God on Sept. 11? Donald B. Kraybill and Linda Gehman Peachey,Herald Press, 2002.Women Against the Good War. Rachel Waltner Goossen. University of NorthCarolina Press, 1997. This is about the U.S. and it offers women’s perspectives on war.The World at War—The Church at Peace. Jon Bonk. Winnipeg: Kindred Press, 1988.This book is designed to go back to first principles—the biblical record—to establish atheology and rationale for the role of the Christian peacemaker in the world.Videos/DVDs that can be ordered from MCCThe Pacifist Who Went to War. In 1939, as Canada joined World War II, a crisis pulledapart the Mennonite communities of southern MB. Young Mennonite men were forced todecide—in the face of 400 years of pacifist tradition—should they now go to war?Brothers Ted and John Friesen reflect on their choices; Ted became a conscientious objector,while John went into military service. Features interviews with Mennonite authorRudy Wiebe, conscientious objectors, war veterans and a new generation of CanadianMennonites.Different Path, The Mennonite Conscientious Objectors in World War II. Stories ofMennonite and Brethren in Christ people in both World War I and World War II whodeclared that though they would do anything to serve humanity, they would not take ahuman life. Historian and political scientist Bill Janzen places their stories within the 500-year peacemaking history of Anabaptism.34

Your Money or Your Life: A Dialogue on Conscientious Objection. Features four contemporaryCanadian conscientious objectors: Edith Adamson, Dr. Jerilynn Prior, Jason Miller,and Muriel Sibley.Blood Makes the Grass Grow. Provides insight into a little publicized aspect of the GulfWar—its opposition. Interviews four men and two women who attempted to become conscientiousobjectors during the Gulf War.Change of Command. Presents the stories of military veterans whose inner voice clashedwith their military duties. For all, a deepening commitment to Christ’s way of peacechanged the course of their lives. Courage and God’s grace brought healing and vision forthe future. (Also available in Spanish)Thermostat: How Can We Turn Toward Peace in a Time of Fear? A DVD for youth onwar, peace and Christian conscience. Thermostat includes a wide variety of resources: Biblestudies, role plays, stories, images, poetry, video clips, rap and drama. A 100-page studyguide organizes the three hours of video clips and activities into 33 different study units.The units—which can be used separately—include the themes of peacemaking, imagination,allegiance, security, terrorism, camouflage and nonviolence. Thermostat encouragesintergenerational conversation and learning. Grade 7 to adult. A new Canadian supplementis now available.WebsitesPeace Ministries: mcc.org/canada/peaceCO Registry: mennonitecc.ca/canada/coPeace is a choice downloadable slideshow: mcc.org/canada/peace/resources/otherAlternative Service www.alternativeservice.ca has stories and study resources about theCanadian COs who did alternative service.Christian Peacemaker Teams www.cpt.org has the background of this organization andup-to-date information on delegations and responses to current events.War Resisters in Canada: www.resisters.ca/resisters_stories.htmlWar Resisters International: www.wri-irg.org/Both sites have information on current war resisters.Conscience Canada: www.consciencecanada.caThe website provides many resources for war tax resistance. It also contains instructionson contacting an MP and on joining the Peace Tax Trust Fund (which allows people todivert the military portion of their taxes, to be held in trust until there is a law respectingconscientious objection to military taxation).35

AppendixSample sermonBlessed Are thePeacemakersEdwin Epp, Sargent Ave.Mennonite Church,Winnipeg, Man.Peace Sunday, 2005Text: Matthew 5:9, 38-48We have heard some personal stories of some whohave served the Lord and served the country asconscientious objectors to war. Conscientiousobjection is saying No to war. We do well to hearthese stories and let them nurture our ownresponse to violence and war in our own day. Whatwould you do? Those of you who are 18 or 20 or25 and you were confronted with the call to servein war, what would you do?There are other persons in our congregation whowere conscientious objectors during the war. PeterKroeker was one of these. Peter was reluctant tocome up here and tell his story—perhaps at 91 I’llfind it harder to be up here as well. But he eagerlyshared his story with me, and he knows I will sharea bit of it today. His experiences took him to anumber of places and types of work, includingfarm work, work at a logging camp, at a pulp mill,and a coal mine. However, the greatest part of theCO experience I sense from Peter as he tells hisstory, was the freedom of living with a clear conscience.He did what he saw as right in the eyes ofGod and what the church approved. His work wasfor positive things rather than for harm.This kind of alternative service has its foundationin the teachings of Jesus. “Blessed are the peacemakers,”Jesus said. “They will be called childrenof God.”There is a story that comes from 18th CenturySwitzerland. Switzerland at that time was not avery friendly place for many peaceful Christians.Mennonites were still persecuted because theyrefused to serve in the army or go to war.One night an old Mennonite minister’s determinationto love his enemies was put to the test. Agroup of young men from his village quietlyapproached the house where Peter and his wife layasleep. Swarming onto the building, they begantearing off the thatch which formed the roof.“Now,” they thought, “we will see if Peter is sucha loving person as he says.”But the noise of the falling thatch woke the oldman. Slipping from the door, he silently watchedthe dark figures at work destroying his roof. Herealized what they were doing and why. Whatshould he say to them?Peter alerted his wife to what had happened andasked her to prepare food for a meal. Then callingto the men on the roof, he said, “You have workedlong and hard. Surely you are hungry. Now comein to us and eat.”Startled, the men came down and entered thehouse. But Peter’s words of peace had overwhelmedthem with shame; they could not eat thefood spread out on the table. Instead, they rushedoutdoors, quickly repaired the roof, and then quietlyslipped away down the street. (Quoted frompamphlet, “What did Jesus teach us?”, p. 5-6).Blessed are the peacemakers.The call to peacemaking is the call to trust God, tolet God pass judgment, to let God deal with theunfaithful. Scripture reminds us that “Vengeance ismine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19).The conscientious objectors during the war took anunpopular stand but it was because they and thechurch that supported them trusted God andbelieved the teachings of Jesus were meant to belived out in life.The way of peacemaking and non-violence asks alot from us. It is not the easy way out, at least notin most cases. A read through of the website onalternative service shows us that the CO positionwas not an easy way in a world that was bent onwar. Churches were burned, painted and searched.Some persons experienced considerable intimidationwhen they were before a judge. It was notnecessarily an easy option. It required a lot ofcourage and backbone. David Schroeder makes thepoint in one of the pages on the website: “It mayactually take less courage to enlist in the army thanto refuse to do so, especially when the pressure ison for people to enlist. It takes even more courageto resist the draft when the government of the landis actively recruiting and drafting people whowould not enlist out of their own accord, andthreatens imprisonment for persons who resist thedraft. It takes courage to resist such fear of imprisonmentand death.”36

Non-violence is not a way of avoiding the issues inrelationships or in the world. Non-violence calls usto look for creative alternatives to violence. It callsus to look at the deeper issues that underlie theconflict. Which is easier—to retaliate whenwronged or to respond with something positiveand good?Jesus offers us some ways:Do not resist the evildoer. We call it non-resistance.Trust God to work something good out of yourrefusal to do evil.Turn the other cheek.To the one who takes your coat give yourcloak as well.If someone forces you to go one mile, go another.Give to those who beg from you and don’t refusethose who want to borrow from you.He also says:Love your enemies. Pray for those whopersecute you...These are rather unusual teachings in the contextof violence or conflict. What they call from us is achoice. It is a choice to be governed by somethinggreater than our reflexes. Retaliation is natural.Hatred of those who hate us is also natural. ButGod works differently. True, we cannot changeothers or control how they will speak of us orwhat they will do to us. But their greed does nothave to be matched by our greed; their violencedoes not have to be matched by our violence.Christ invites us to new responses that reflect theway of Christ and that also keep our conscienceclear.I do not read this text to say that we should just letourselves be victims. I read it to say that there areactions we can take that will address the situationwithout being violent, without doing the samething that is being done to us. How is it Christianto respond to an unchristian act in the sameunchristian way? We can choose to respond to aconflicted situation in a non-threatening way.Following conscience. Making choices that are lifegivingrather than life-taking are in line with theteaching of Jesus. Blessed are the peacemakers.One more thing. There are two references to childrenin today’s readings from Scripture. “Blessedare the peacemakers, for they will be called childrenof God.” Later on, “Love your enemies andpray for those who persecute you, so that you maybe children of your Father in heaven....” Are you achild of God? Does your life show a resemblanceto God, like a child resembles his or her parents?The resemblance will show in peacemaking, inloving enemies, and in prayer for the persecutor.May God give grace to each of us to respond towords and acts of violence in ways that build peaceand point to God through Jesus, the greatest peacemakerof all. Blessed are the peacemakers.37

Readers’ theatreO Bind Us in ThatHeavenly ChainMatthew Bailey-DickErb Street Mennonite ChurchWaterloo, Ont.Voice 1– The pastVoice 2– The presentVoice 3– Scripture (Jeremiah 17; Hebrews 11, 12)Voice 4– Conscientious objectors (contributions fromAlbert Erb, Roy Snyder, Becky Paetkau, HowardGimbel, Eileen Kennel, Monte Corwin)Voice 1: Dateline: July, 1940. Canada is mobilizedfor the war in Europe and all able-bodied men arerequired to register with the government. Location:Waterloo Mennonite Church, which would later beknown as Erb Street Mennonite Church. A meetingis called to organize the Ontario Conference ofHistoric Peace Churches, which then goes about thework of presenting a unified peace stance to the governmentand formulating a proposal for analternative service program for conscientious objectors.Voice 2: Wow, 1940. I wasn’t even born then. So thestory goes back that far?Voice 1: Do roots go deep into the earth?Voice 2: Pardon me?Voice 1: Do roots go deep into the earth? Does thepast help the present come into existence? What doesit mean to go back to the roots of our faith?Voice 2: Well, those folks who met in 1940 to supportCOs—conscientious objectors—they sure musthave had faith!Voice 3: Now faith is the assurance of things hopedfor, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, byfaith our ancestors received approval. By faith weunderstand that the worlds were prepared by theword of God, so that what is seen was made fromthings that are not visible.Voice 1: And how did their faith lead them to bewitnesses for peace? What did they do as Christiansin the face of violence and warfare? While manywere led by conscience to enlist in the army, manysimply said, “No, I will not fight.” Among theseCOs, some were sent to logging camps, some weresent to build roads, some were sent to work onfarms.Voice 2: Where did they get that kind of courage?How could they stand up against the government,against the army, against Canadian society in general?Well, by now, radicals like them are history.Everything’s different now, so why are we talkingabout this?Voice 4: For myself, as a Christian, I feel personallya great deal of respect for the conscientious objectorsin the past. Standing firm in one’s beliefs, as a youngCanadian today, generally does not require oneselfto defend those beliefs. As a result it is easy to avoidthinking about the call that we as Mennonites haveto be pacifists.Voice 3: Now faith is the assurance of things hopedfor, the conviction of things not seen.Voice 4: In the comfort of my day to day life, Ioften have little reason to reflect on what it means tobe a pacifist. The conscientious objectors did nothave such a luxury—to assume CO status they hadto go against the pressure of society and defend theirbeliefs.Voice 3: Faith is the assurance of things hoped for.Voice 2: But something I want to understand is this:People make decisions and follow their conscience.But with these stories of COs, there seems to besomething else as well—some kind of longer history,some kind of longer chain of events. Does that makesense?Voice 3: By faith, Noah built an ark. And by faith,Abraham and Sarah obeyed when they were called.And…Voice 1: Dateline: the early 1940s. By faith,Mennonite leaders are busy organizing peace committees.Pastor J.B. Martin is a leader in thealternative service effort in Canada, along with E.J.Swalm, Jacob H. Janzen, and others who are alsosupporting the young men in the work camps. Thecongregations work hard at adjusting to the absenceof their young men.Voice 3: And by faith, Isaac invoked blessings for thefuture. And by faith...Voice 1: During World War Two, there were over10,000 Mennonite young men performed alternativeservice during the Second World War. Those involvedin the CO movement faced risks: Some wereharassed by judges and government officials. Somewent to prison. The Leamington Mennonite Churchwas vandalized and ransacked for information. AMennonite church in southern Alberta was burnedby arsonists.38

Voice 3: And by faith, the people passed through theRed Sea. And by faith…Voice 4: During World War Two, my hero wasReverend E.J. Swalm, who had been imprisoned inthe First World War for his refusal to put on thearmy uniform. I remember how at a public meeting,he spoke so sincerely and passionately of his experiencesand his final release from prison. I was ayoung man of 21 at that time, and his words had abig impact on me.Voice 3: By faith we understand that the worlds wereprepared by the word of God, so that what is seenwas made from things that are not visible.Voice 2: So the story does go back pretty far. I’m stilltrying to understand how this story helps us today.Why is it important to remember the stories of COs?Voice 4: Remembering the faith of conscientiousobjectors in the past provides a legacy that presentand future COs can draw on for support andinstruction when faced with similar decisions of conscience.This Christian heritage of objection to warin all forms thus becomes the foundation—thecommon bond of reference for one and all.Voice 2: A legacy for the future? A common bondfor everyone? How can this be?Voice 4: This heritage provides validity and supportby linking past and present Christian objectors into atradition of resistance, a peoplehood of many whofaithfully refuse to participate in war—at anyhazard.Voice 2: A tradition of resistance sounds pretty radical.Voice 1: Roots do go deep into the earth. The pastdoes help the present come into existence.Voice 4: For me, I feel it is important for these veryreasons that the stories of those who were conscientiousobjectors in the past be passed on. They are areminder of what it means to stand firm in one’sbeliefs, as Jesus and his followers both preached andtaught by example.Voice 3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by sogreat a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside everyweight and the sin that clings so closely, and let usrun with perseverance the race that is set before us,looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of ourfaith.(pause for about 5 seconds—this is the breakbetween the first and second sections)Voice 2: What about today? We’re not at war today,are we? There’s nothing that requires us to be radicalor to go against the system like our forbearers did.Voice 1: But being radical doesn’t just mean beingchallenging. It also means going back to the roots.The word radical means “of the root”. It meansgoing back to the roots of our faith. It means feelingconnected to all those who—because they were followingJesus—were witnesses for peace before us.Voice 4: Jesus was unarguably a radical. Jesus didnot do what was expected of him by the people butrather what was required of him by God and God’slaw. In the days of the early Anabaptists, being anAnabaptist required one to be a radical—they had tobe willing to sacrifice their lives for their beliefs. Ialso see COs as being radicals.Voice 2: So does God call us to be radicals? Whatdoes it mean to be a radical witness for peace?Voice 3: By faith, Noah built an ark. By faith,Abraham and Sarah obeyed when they were called.Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great acloud of witnesses, let us run with perseverance therace that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneerand perfecter of our faith.Voice 1: Being radical means going back to the rootsof our faith. It means feeling connected to all thosewho - because they were following Jesus—were witnessesfor peace before us.Voice 4: I believe that certain stripes of Mennonitesare seen as radicals and that we more modernMennonites are included, even though we do notconsider ourselves to be radical. By the generalpublic, Mennonites are considered to be peacemakers.Voice 2: I think that’s right that we don’t considerourselves to be radical. When I look at my own life,I think about how normal it is. I think about howmy life is nowhere near as dramatic and exciting assome of these people who were COs.Voice 4: Being a radical peace witness is nothingmore than living a life of peace, demonstrating tolerance,and supporting good works. It means livingout our essential beliefs as they apply to thechurches’ work through MCC and MEDA, throughpeace and justice initiatives, and through restoring,recycling, and caring for our environment.39

Voice 3: Blessed are those who trust.Voice 4: I do not think Mennonites are seen as beingradical. There is no need to be radical. You can be apeace witness by being low key and of good character,by being a witness for Christ, by helping involuntary service, by showing our concern for ourbrothers and sisters, such as in the times of floods,hurricanes, and earthquakes.Voice 3: Blessed are those who trust in the Lord.Voice 1: And this is another link to the past.Mennonites refused to fight because they chose tolive a life of service and peace rather than one of violence.The war strengthened this belief. After thewar, many COs continued in a life of service, and soit is because of that CO experience that we nowhave things like Mennonite Voluntary Service.Voice 2: So maybe it’s a matter of trusting that wewill find the everyday ways of being witnesses forpeace. But is that too easy? Sure, we believe in peace,but do we really have the guts to make sacrifices forpeace?Voice 3: Blessed are those whose trust IS the Lord.Voice 1: And this is the story. The story of peoplethroughout history who walk by faith, who trust inthe Lord, and who continue to put their lives on theline because of their peacemaking convictions.Voice 3: They shall be like a tree planted by thewater, sending out its roots by the stream. It shallnot fear when heat comes and its leaves shall staygreen. In the year of drought it is not anxious and itdoes not cease to bear fruit.(Short pause)Voice 1: Dateline, (current date). Location: (currentlocation)Voice 2: So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. As achurch, we’ve got this new vision statement that saysthat we’re rooted, growing, and branching. We saythat we are a welcoming community of diverse personsfollowing Jesus Christ. So we’re linked togetherwith this common purpose. Where do we go fromhere?Voice 4: Being a pacifist is something I feel verystrongly about. Standing up for justice where injusticespresent themselves—this is something thatMennonites have often become known for. There aremany places where Mennonites can be peace witnesses:working for social justice, writing a letter to agovernment leader, or stepping outside of societalnorms to befriend those who are neglected by oursociety. What is most important is that we asChristians are living as we are called to.Voice 2: What will we at (church name) do as witnessesfor peace?Voice 3: You shall be like a tree planted by the water,sending out its roots by the stream.Voice 2: What stories will be told about the courageouspeople in 2006 who stood up for peace? Howwill these stories be linked to the stories of COs inprevious wars? How will God work among us?Voice 4: We need to demonstrate that we are theeyes, arms, and legs of God. We need to speak outagainst the wrongs of society and not stand idly by.And we need to know that we are not alone.Voice 3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by sogreat a cloud of witnesses...Voice 1: Where saints and angels dwell above, allhearts are joined in holy love. God binds us in thatheavenly chain. God gives peace. God gives peaceagain and again.Voice 3: Blessed are those who trust in God.Voice 1: God binds us into a heavenly chain ofpeacemakers. God gives peace again and again.Voice 3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by sogreat a cloud of witnesses...Voice 2: Therefore, we give thanks to God for thestories of these peace witnesses. We pray that Godwill guide us in the way of peace. And we pray thatthe Holy Spirit will inspire us to keep the chainunbroken....Pause...then the songleader leads “O God of love,O Power of peace” (HWB #368) with the followingwords:O God of love, O Pow’r of peace, make warsthroughout the world to cease. The wrath of humansin restrain—give peace, O God, give peace again!Whom shall we trust but you, O Lord, where restbut on your faithful word? None ever called on youin vain—give peace, O God, give peace again!Here saints and angels dwell above, all hearts arejoined in holy love. O bind us in that heavenlychain—give peace, O God, give peace again!40

Finding storiesSome people in our churcheshave firsthand experiences relatingto World War II, orresistance to Vietnam, war taxresistance, or other forms ofconscientious objection. Othersmay know of stories passed on in their families. APeace Sunday theme of conscientious objection towar can provide the opportunity to find and recordthese CO experiences.Sample interview with Vietnam draftresister Monte CorwinAs a Christian, why is it important for to rememberthe stories of those who were conscientiousobjectors in the past?Remembering conscientious objectors in the pastprovides a legacy of religious objection to warfarethat present and future COs can draw on for support,instruction, and advisement when faced withsimilar decisions of conscience. This Christian heritageof objection to war in all forms thus becomesthe foundation, the common bond of reference forone and all. It provides today’s COs with an historicalprecedent for discernment and decision-makingif faced with imminent induction into the “involuntaryservitude” of military service.Throughout history, our forbearers were seen asradical, in part, because of their faith convictionsabout pacifism. Do you think Mennonites are seenas radical today?Within the broad Christian community, I believethat most would see Mennonites as sturdy godlyfolk, radical in their sense of reaching out andbeing ever ready to help those in need. Today, theirtraditional peace witness would be generallyknown but not seen so much as radical, as perhapsduring the past World Wars. Today, there are anumber of peace groups, both religious and secularand (especially in Canada) “untested” by anational conscription, as in these two previouswars.How does our Christian faith require us to be radicalpeace witnesses?For me, to assume a peace witness seems necessary,fitting, and proper, based upon my understandingof Scripture—as gleaned from the “good news” ofthe New Testament. My conviction of the Lord’sintention for worldwide peace, brotherhood, andjustice is so central and elemental in my soul, mycore of being, as to be ineffable to written expression.Suffice it to say that a peace witness “should”be essential to a proper faith perspective within anyChristian faith-based organization. Hopefully, mylife will be lived out as a personal reflection of thatconviction, that core belief.Historical Mennonite faith imperatives should berevisited and re-evaluated as the challenges oftoday are measured against those of the past. Thatis why it is so important to remember the stories ofthose who were contentious objectors in the past.May their experiences help to guide those who“contentiously object” to participation in any currentor future state-organized act of warfare, ornational aggression.Interview a WWII COsThe voices of the WWII COs are quieting as timemoves along. We do not have too many years leftin which we can hear their stories firsthand, so it isimportant to record their wisdom now.Prepare for the interview:Have good recording equipment and extra tapesand batteries. It is best to use clip-on microphonesand to sit close together. Test your equipment andknow its capabilities.Know your topic. It would be helpful to do a bit ofbackground research (e.g. That There Be Peace byLawrence Klippenstein, or Chapter 2 inMennonites in Canada, Volume 3, by Ted Regehr).Not all COs worked in the forestry camps. Someworked on farms, some in industry, some in hospitals,some in northern native communities.Ask open-ended questions and try to draw out theunique aspects of the story.Sample questions:1. Personal backgroundName, parents, where lived, church affiliation.2. War is declaredHow did it impact you?When you found out you might be called up forservice, what went through your mind?How did you decide not to join the military andopt for Alternative Service?Were there people you looked to for advice?Was there tension between you (or other COs) andpeople who were joining the military or had friendsor family in active service?41

How did the church/family react to your decisionto be a CO?How did the church community support you? (eg.Did the minister help you when went before thejudge, did people send letters, care packages, sermonsetc.?)3. Appearing before a judgeMany COs had to appear before a judge to arguetheir case. Some did not have to do this. CO statuswas not always given, sometimes the person spenttime in jail. If the interviewee spent time in jail, askquestions about that experience as well).Where did the proceedings take place, who was thejudge?When you went before the judge, what was theprocess like, what questions were asked?How did you prepare yourself?Were you scared?Was there anyone with you?When and how were you notified about yourCO status?How long after this event did you startalternative service?4. Alternative ServiceDid you leave home for your alternative service?Where did you go, for how long, what did you do?What were your activities while serving. How wereyou treated; were there visits by ministers; howwere they received; did you get mail; from who;how did people from different churches get along;could you speak German while in service; how didyou feel about the work you did; how was thefood; what was done for leisure time; what weresome jokes played on others, etc.?What did it mean for you family that you weregone (loss of workers, loss of wages)?Were there hardships? Elaborate.5. Coming homeWhat was it like coming home? How were youreceived by family, community and church?6. ReflectingHow did your faith support you in your choice tobe a CO?How did the alternative service affect you and youroutlook on the world and life?Did the experience change you?Is there a lasting legacy of the CO and alternativeservice experience today?42

Vietnam WarDraft Resisterthe story of SamSteinerThirty-eight years ago I was a new political refugeein Canada. On November 2, 1968 I obtainedlanded-immigrant status at the border crossingbetween Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia,Ontario. Three days earlier, I had been indicted bya grand jury in the U.S. District Court inCleveland, Ohio, for failing to comply with anorder to report for and submit to induction intothe armed forces of the United States.How does a mild-mannered twenty-one year oldfuture librarian with an impeccable Mennonitepedigree get himself into a mess like this?Christian faith as expressed by Mennonites—withits implications for all of life—was central to myfamily of origin. My great-great grandfather, PeterSteiner, was also something of draft resister to militaryservice. Family lore says he escaped fromNapoleon’s army on its way to Russia and eventuallyfound his way to North America.The small church of that I attended in the 1950scared much about love and mutual aid within thecommunity. It cared about the eternal destiny ofthose within its midst and unsaved souls on variousmission fields. But it seemed to care less about justicein the society around it. We prayed for peace.We wished for justice to go with that peace but wedidn’t “fight” for justice.I attended Goshen College, a Mennonite school innorthern Indiana, in 1964 with an undevelopedsense of how Christian faith might constructivelywork within the larger secular Society. In highschool I had shifted from naïve faith to become theclass atheist. I also went to university as a patrioticracial bigot. Like all 18-year old American males, Ihad to register for the military draft on my birthday.I did so, but I did not register as a conscientiousobjector to war as most Mennonite youngmen would have done.However, six months after I registered for the militarydraft I underwent a political, if not spiritual,conversion. With a carload of other GoshenCollege students I planned to be a passive observerof a large civil rights march taking place betweenSelma and Montgomery, Alabama, led by CivilRights leader Martin Luther King. On that rideinto Alabama I finally became emotionally connectedto the visible injustice that has always beenaround me. For the first time I experienced internallythe underside of the American way of life.During that ride through Alabama, our carload ofuniversity students, one of whom was MiddleEastern, also saw hatred and distrust in the whiteeyes around us.When I returned to college I recognized I could notkill another human being on the basis of political(or economic) differences. I also saw the need tocombine social justice with my newfound (or rediscovered)pacifism. Belatedly I registered with mydraft board as a conscientious objector. I arguedthat life was inherently sacred, and that I did nothave the right—ever—to terminate another humanlife. I recognized I did not have the wisdom tomake that kind of decision.The political conversion I had experienced led toan activist phase in my life. I joined radical studentorganizations and participated in mass demonstrations.Gradually I became more involved in thedraft resistance movement that grew along with theVietnam War.Eventually I destroyed my draft card, which allAmerican men were legally required to carry, and Imailed the pieces back to the government informingthem I would no longer participate in themilitary system. Among other things in my letter tothe government, I questioned the use of death as atechnique for conflict resolution. I also questionedthe alternative service system, lovingly embraced byMennonites for decades. I believed “alternativeservice” simply helped the U.S. military system towork efficiently as Mennonites and other pacifistsperformed meaningless service that aided the“national welfare.” This led to the loss of my job.For one stretch I lived on Kraft dinners purchasedwith funds from the sale of my blood.I worked for some months as a supply clerk at ahospital in Illinois. Many of my co-workers wereMennonite young men who were putting in twoyears of “alternative service.” That was government-approvedcivilian service in lieu of militaryservice. Throughout the Vietnam war it remainedrelatively easy for young men from peace churcheslike the Mennonites and Quakers to avoid militaryservice if they stuck to the rules. For a youngMennonite this often meant having your pastorhelp fill out the relevant forms with the appropriate43

pious answers, and sitting back to wait for apaying job. Unfortunately sincerity of belief wasnot a crucial factor.In April 1968 the U.S. government finally called meto take up arms. I refused induction into the army.This included a small demonstration at the federalbuilding there, and refusing to board the bus takinginductees for formal swearing-in ceremonies.During the fall of 1968 old student friends fromGoshen College, in particular Sue Clemmer, thewoman who later became my wife, persuaded methat Canada was an honourable alternative toprison. A growing relationship with Sue movedhope in a new direction when it otherwise was inshort supply.About one week before Christmas in 1975 the U.S.government dropped its charges against me afterthe American Civil Liberties Union filed a legalbrief on my behalf. The government did thisbecause they had violated my rights in at least threeways during the draft process. In the early 1970s Icompleted my university education. I was engagedby Grebel professors like Walter Klaassen andFrank Epp whose “peace with justice” positionswere unashamedly linked to their, and my,Mennonite heritage. For me this was important as Islowly found my way back to Christian faithwithin a Mennonite context.Reflecting on my experience, it appears to me thatfor several reasons Mennonites and other Canadianpeace people have become too relaxed about theirviews of peace, justice and war. One was ourresponse to the first Gulf War in the early 1990s. Iwas appalled to see Canada fall so quickly into linewith U.S. foreign policy in supporting one dictatorialgovernment (with oil) against another (withoil). This year Mennonite voting patterns in theU.S. reflect overwhelming support for a presidentialdoctrine of pre-emptive war that violates internationallaw at multiple levels.We continue to forget the lessons Vietnam taughtus about how governments create “truth” that suittheir own purposes. Have either Gulf Wars beenany more about justice than Vietnam was?Mennonites have not spoken with unity on thesewars except to keep their own hands clean. I watchand worry about this Mennonite response.44

Hutterites inAlcatraz—As told by Dora MaendelIn 1874 when a delegation ofHutterite ministers from Russiainquired about immigrating tothe United States. They were permitted an audiencewith the president. They told him they were ofGerman-Austrian background, God-fearing, hardworking,law-abiding farmers who practicedChristian Community of goods—an asset to anycountry, asking only to be permitted to quietly livetheir faith of peaceable, brotherly love.As such, President Grant responded, DakotaTerritory was exquisitely suited to their needs andthe government would be delighted to have themsettle there. They explained that their religion alsoincluded unequivocal opposition to swearing anoath, as well as any form of violence. Could hegrant them official exemption from militaryservice?It was his turn to explain. He might be president ofthe United States, he said, but it was not in hispower to grant anyone exemption from militaryservice— that was a matter for Congress —a verylengthy process. History suggested, however, thatwhen a country was engaged in war, it took aboutfifty years before it became involved in another,and since the US had just concluded a very bloodycivil war nine years earlier, they could be reasonablyconfident that there would be several decadesof peace. On that basis they were welcome tosettle in his country.As it turned out, the president was almost right,and the Hutterites spent the next forty years, establishinga number of colonies. Then World War Ihappened.Overnight they became enemy aliens, regarded withsuspicion by their neighbours because of their firmrefusal to participate in the war effort; and theiruse of the German language lent credence to therumours that they secretly supported Germany. Inone instance, colony livestock was stolen and soldand the money given to various organizationsinvolved in supporting the war effort. The RedCross returned its share of the money, when theyheard that it had been illegally obtained.In 1917, Congress passed a Conscription Act: Allmen between the ages of 21 and 31 were toregister. With no Conscientious Objector Programin place, different groups responded to the call forconscription in different ways. The Hutterites wereadvised that when the letters of conscriptionarrived, the young men in question should comply,that is, go to the designated military camp andappeal to the commander there for permission todo domestic kinds work.When four young men from the Rockport Colonyreceived their letters in the spring of 1917, thebrotherhood agreed that they should go: Michael,Joseph and David Hofer and Jacob Wipf, theirbrother-in-law.Joseph’s wife wept when he told her. “It’s frightening,”he agreed, but we have to trust God,” hetried to comfort her. “Remember yesterday’ssermon about how God always finds a way to lookafter those who walk in His ways.”“I wish my faith were stronger.”“David is one of the examples mentioned—fleeingfor his life from King Saul. “I’ll be alone with thechildren—not knowing when you’ll be back.Another example is Die Kinder Israel in the desertanother—think of the many miraculous ways theyexperienced God’s goodness and protection.”“I had a terrible dream last night, a nightmare.”she says sadly. “Gophers were eating your toes!”“You know we can’t always rely on dreams.Probably, it has something to do with the prairiedogs we saw when we walked by the garden yesterdayevening.”“Yes. I know you’re right, but it’s such beautifulspring weather. And you’re leaving for an out-ofstatemilitary camp—Fort Lewis, Washington! Ican’t help worrying!”Next day, the whole community gathers for a tearful,heartrending farewell. Then the four are drivento Mitchell, South Dakota where they board thetroop train. It’s noisy and crowded. Soon, theothers notice them and start taunting. “Hey, youblack-bearded idiot!” someone says to David. “Youknow beards aren’t allowed in the military!”“We’re Hutterites.” Jacob tries to answer calmly.“In our communities, married men wear beards.It’s a biblical sign of simplicity.”“Simplicity, my foot! You’re just cowards!”45

“Our beards,” Joseph interjects, “Are also a sign ofmembership in the Brotherhood Council.”“Well! We’ll council you when not to wear them!”Another shouts belligerently. Rough hands seize thefour and amid a barrage of profanity, their beardsare shaven and their hair cut. Tearful and demoralizedthey arrive in Fort Lewis, dreading whatawaits them.*At this juncture the quartet sings three verses of“Mein Eifer tut mich dringen.” It expresses believers’devotion for Christian Community, and sorrowthat the ideals of peace, love and brotherhood continueto be so foreign to humankind.At the military camp, David Hofer asks to speak tothe Lieutenant Commander and shows him a documentstating their membership in the HutterianBrethren Church. He explains the church’s standagainst taking an oath, violence and wearing a militaryuniform. The commander insists that theymust obey orders, just like all the others. Whenthey refuse to don the uniforms and appear fordrill practice, they are placed under arrest. Threeweeks later, they are brought before a court martial,where they are permitted to affirm to speakthe truth.“Do you ever fight with your fists?” The prosecutordemands. “What would you do if a manattacked your sister?”Their sentence of thirty-seven years is reduced totwenty. Chained hand and feet to each other, twoby-two,they are taken even farther west to theprison at Alcatraz in the Bay of San Francisco,escorted by four armed officers.This is where they spent the next four months, thehottest of the year. The first twenty-four hours theywere given half a glass of water. Because theyrefused to wear the military uniform, they woreonly very light clothes. Alcatraz lies below sea levelso they slept without bedding chained by the anklesto each other on the cold, wet cement floor. Fornine hours each day, their hands were forciblyraised above their heads and chained crosswise tothe iron bars of their cells. This meant that theycouldn’t even defend themselves against the mosquitoesand other insects.When they still refused to don the uniform, theywere placed in solitary confinement. On Sundaythey were brought to the upper level and permittedto walk around the enclosed compound with theother prisoners, one of whom exclaimed with tearfuleyes, “Is this the way to treat human beings?”The brothers’ arms were terribly swollen and theywere covered with a ghastly rash.Several weeks of regular meals alternated withbread and water. They were beaten so severely withiron rods that Michael once fell down, unconscious.There were many tears, sighs and brokenprayers. One brother once overheard anotherpleading, “O Almighty God of heaven and earth!”*At this juncture the Buben, young men sing Verses1 and 9 of “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden” (OSacred Head Now wounded).On November, the four Hutterian brothers aretransferred to a military prison in FortLeavenworth, Kansas. Again, under the militaryescort of six armed officers, they are chained toeach other hands and feet for the long train ride offour nights and five days. Arriving at the camp inthe evening, the officers compel them up the inclineto the military prison, goading them with bayonetprods amid loud shouts, “As if they were chasinghogs.” Their arms chained together, each brothercarried a bag in the other hand; their Bible and apair of shoes under one arm.Arriving at the top, they were ordered to wait outsidefor their prison attire to arrive. Several hourslater, at one o’clock in the morning, they werealmost too stiff with cold to put them on. At five inthe morning, they had to be up waiting at theoffice door in an icy wind.By this time Joseph and Michael suffered suchsevere pains that they had to be hospitalized. JacobWipf and David Hofer were taken to solitary confinementcells where, again for nine hours daily,their hands were chained together through the ironbars of their cells. This continued for two weeksduring which their diet was bread and water.When a guard arrived to tell them that a telegramshould be sent home, telling the community aboutJoseph and Michael’s illness, David fainted, soJacob Wipf sent it. Their wives, accompanied bythe minister and another brother, arrived severaldays later, having been sent in the wrong directionby a station agent.Maria, Joseph’s wife insisted that she wanted to seeher husband, but the officer at the desk told herthat he’d died two hours previously. Distraught andgrief stricken, she stood before his coffin. Raising46

the lid, she gasped in horror. “You would insulthim by dressing him in death in the military uniformhe refused to wear in life.”Later, David was permitted to the bedside of hisdying brother Michael and was unexpectedlyreleased, after which he made his way back to thecolony on foot. Jacob Wipf was not released untilApril 12, 1919, long after the Armistice had beensigned. In a letter to his community, Wipf wrote,“Sometimes I can’t help envying my three brotherswho are already released from this torture. Then Iwonder why is the hand of the Lord so heavy uponme? I, who tried to remain faithful to God and tomy community. Why must I continue my solitarysuffering? But then an incredible joy comes overme, such that I could weep for joy, when I considerthat Our Lord considers me worthy to suffer forHis Name’s sake. And I must confess, comparedwith our confinement thus far (in Alcatraz) this lifehere (in Fort Leavenworth military prison) is likeliving in a palace!”It was a huge funeral. The Hutterites had lost faithwith the American government and decided toimmigrate to Canada.“Here we lie upon the barren earth, as God wills,without harm to anyone. We do not wish to doharm or evil to any man, yea, not even our worstenemy. And all of our life and deeds, words andworks are open to all. Yea, before we would strikeour greatest enemy with the hand, to say nothingof with the gun or sword, as the world does, wewould rather die, and let our own lives be taken.We have no material weapons, neither spear norgun, as anyone can see.” — Jacob Hutter in TheChronicle of the Hutterian Brethren, Vol I, p. 112.*At this time the quartet sang “Wie ein Hirsch inMattigkeit,” one of our German church hymns,which is based on Psalm 42 of which the verses 1to 4, as well as 6, 9 and 11 are particularly appropriate:As the hart panteth after the water brooks,so panteth my soul after thee, o God.My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:when shall I come and appear before God?My tears have been my meat day and night, whilethey continuously say unto me, Where is thy God?When I remember these things, I pour out my soulin me: for I had gone with the multitude, I wentwith them to the house of God, with the voice ofjoy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.O my God, my soul is cast down within me: thereforewill I remember thee...I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgottenme? Why go I mourning because of theoppression of the enemy?Why art thou cast down, o my soul? and why artthou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: forI shall yet praise him, Who is the health of mycountenance, and my God.47

Peacemakerswho sow inpeace raise aharvest ofrighteousness.—James 3: 18