If only today you knew the things
that make for peace

By James McGinnis, Institute for Peace and Justice

Jesus’ words, as he wept over Jerusalem, are more compelling today that ever: "If only this day you knew the ways that make for peace..." (Luke 19:42). Surely Jesus weeps today as he did then. He wept over the violence of 9/11 and the violence in Afghanistan and weeps over the escalating violence in his beloved Middle East – Israel, Palestine and Iraq. Today, Jesus needs more than our own tears of mourning. He needs us to teach and live the ways that make for peace. These ways that make for peace have been articulated in a unique way in the Pledge of Nonviolence.

The implications of the Pledge for peacemaking in post-9/11 America have been spelled out in two new teacher-friendly manuals, entitled IF ONLY TODAY YOU KNEW THE THINGS THAT MAKE FOR PEACE. One manual is for children, K-8, and the other is for Christian youth groups and high schools. These timely resources focus on the positive, with images of Christian peacemaking, They draw from Scripture and Christian symbols, enriched with images of peacemaking from Gandhi’s life and other faith traditions. Both address questions like what does it mean to follow Jesus in a time of terrorism and war, to give our lives in the service of both justice and peace?

When it comes to challenging students to be peacemakers, especially in a time of war, it is essential to present a variety of action possibilities. Both manuals do just this. Units include ways of responding to terrorism and war, models of other young peacemakers, ways of building the global family, and other actions for peace. It is especially important to help students respond to the victims of terrorism and war, but also address the policies that contribute to these evils. For instance, the manuals describe programs to provide food and medicine to families in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus opportunities to link students in the US with children in these countries.

Older students are offered key statements from President Bush and responses from US Church leaders to analyze in informing their consciences and moving to action. Older students are also given a process for interviewing peacemakers in their own local communities.

These resources bring together interpersonal peacemaking and international peacemaking, with the Word of God and a variety of prayers and worship services challenging and supporting us as we commit ourselves to being instruments of the peace of Christ. To order, call the Institute for Peace and Justice at 800-833-0245 or visit our website, www.ipj-ppj.org.

SAMPLE ACTIVITY: "Patriotism and the Christian"

STEP 1 – DEFINITIONS OF PATRIOTISM. Have students write their own definition and discuss these as a class and then read these two definitions of patriotism and ask students which they prefer and why.

Robert Heinlein (writer & US Naval Academy graduate): "Patriotism means that you place the welfare of your nation ahead of your own, even if it costs you your life."

Ralph Nader (consumer advocate & US presidential candidate): "…patriotism is working to make America more lovable…This means working to end poverty, discrimination, corruption, greed and other conditions that weaken the promise and potential of America."

STEP 2 – CHRISTIAN PATRIOTISM. Present statements from your own denomination for students to consider.

STEP 3 – THREE LEVELS OF PATRIOTISM & CITIZENSHIP [The resource presents three pledges and flags – the US flag and Pledge of Allegiance, the Earth flag and the "World Pledge," and the UN flag and its pledge in the Preamble of the UN Charter.] Discuss the importance of all three and decide as a class which flags you would like to have in your classroom and which "pledges" you want to say regularly.

STEP 4 – PATRIOTISM & BEING CRITICAL OF US POLICIES. Read Amber Amundson’s letter (excerpts below) and have students talk about her feelings and her "patriotism." Can we be critical and patriotic at the same time?

“Dear President Bush,

My name is Amber Amundson. I am a 28-year-old single mother of two small children because my husband was murdered on September 11 while working in the Pentagon.

I am not doing well. I am hurt that the U.S. is moving forward in such a violent manner. I do not want anyone to use my husband's death to perpetuate violence. So, Mr. President, when you say that vengeance is needed so that the victims of 9/11 do not die in vain, could you please exclude Craig Scott Amundson from your list of victims used to justify further attacks? I do not want my children to grow up thinking that the reason so many people died following the Sept. 11 attack was because of their father's death. I want to show them a world where we love and not hate, where we forgive and not seek out vengeance.

Please Mr. Bush, help me honor my husband. When we buried my husband, an American flag was laid over his casket. My children believe the American flag represents their dad. Please let that representation be one of love, peace and forgiveness. I am begging you, for the sake of humanity and my children, to stop killing. Please find a nonviolent way to bring justice to the world.”

STEP 5 – PERSONAL ESSAY. Have students write an essay or paragraph on "What does it mean to be an American and a Christian?" or do a picture collage expressing their vision.

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