In 1956, John F. Kennedy published Profiles in Courage, a book that chronicled the actions of eight US senators who put the nation’s interests above their own.  Like many fearless acts, these decisions were, at the time, shocking, counter-intuitive, and often taken at great cost.  They sometimes involved crossing party lines or defying public opinion.  In almost all cases, they meant risking one’s own political power and status.

Such actions, virtually by definition, are rare.  But rare or not, they are needed now more than ever.

Eighteen months ago, the Congressional leadership changed hands.  The Democrats were swept into power with a mandate to end the US war in Iraq.  Nevertheless, the war continues.  The Pentagon, while touting a plan to withdraw some troops, has recently announced an expected “pause” in the draw down.  The US occupation of Iraq – with over 130,000 troops and a network of bases — could very well continue far into the future.

Bold, courageous, and even politically risky action from the Congress is required to create a concrete plan to end the war and to promote a just and lasting peace. 

That is why representatives of numerous religious traditions, communities and denominations will gather at the US Capitol on Friday, March 7. The Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partnership will host the 2008 Interfaith Peace Witness for Iraq, in which we will pray in houses of worship across Capitol Hill and then gather in the shadow of the Capitol.

We will then bring our call for an end to the war to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  (Currently, delegations of religious leaders are seeking meetings with these two religious leaders at this time.)

Some of us, as part of this solemn event, will face arrest to prayerfully underscore that, on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the war, our nation and its leadership must vote for nonviolent solutions instead of billions for more carnage – even as the Congress contemplates passing a new $102 billion war-funding supplemental.

By taking these small steps, we seek to invite all of us – citizens everywhere, our leaders, and ourselves – to summon the courage to put love in action, to go to the ends of the earth to make real peace, to call a time-out to business as usual, to respond to the emergency like a brigade of ambulance drivers, as Dr. King put it so well years ago. 

We will take this moment to ask that each of us to interrupt the smoothly running machine of officially-sanctioned and dutifully performed violence with acts of creative nonviolence, no matter how shocking, counter-intuitive, or costly. 

Please consider joining us this Friday!