UNITED WE STAND -
FOR PEACE -
By Michelle Wentworth (Simpson College Senior, Indianola, IA)
On December 26, I embarked on my first Feast of the Holy Innocents Retreat. I was excited to go and be with like-minded persons who give voice and action to their beliefs. I was also a bit nervous and didn’t know what to expect. I was looking forward to the chance to put my own beliefs into practice by crossing the line at Offutt Air Force Base with new friends and kindred souls.
Over the next few days, people came and went, exchanging stories and catching up on time gone by. There were discussions about this book and that politician. There were card games and walks around campus. There were phone calls to the press and food prepared in the kitchen. What I experienced there, in the basement of St. John’s Church on Creighton University campus, was a true sense of Christian community, of Koinonia.
Friday morning, Fr. Jack McCaslin celebrated the Eucharist. We then gathered at Offutt with our supporters to pray, hear again the words of Matthew, to raise our voices in song and stand united for peace. We were met with press reporters and also a few disapproving passers-by who shared their opinions.
After we each made our statement, we joined hands, crossed the line, and knelt to pray the Lord’s Prayer. As soon as our knees hit the ground, the military police led us away. We were handcuffed, seat-belted into vans and driven to a building on base where we were processed. The handcuffs were cut off, photos and fingerprints were taken, and we were given “ban and bar” letters banning us from base property for 2 years (Fr. Jack and Fran are banned for 5 years due to previous demonstrations). They then drove us just off the base to where Richard was waiting to take us back to the rest of the group who were waiting at the Village Inn.
It was an experience to remember, and I can only hope that our words and our actions at the base that day spoke to someone and caused reflection on the violence that is accepted as a given fact in this society. My other hope is that I’ll have the opportunity and courage in the coming years to support and participate in continued actions to promote peace and non-violence.
On Thursday morning, we visited Offutt AFB and read the infant narrative from the Gospel of Matthew telling how Herod killed all boys under age 2 in an attempt to kill the ‘dangerous’ baby Jesus. We also saw the layout of where the demonstration would take place the following day. After lunch, we got together to talk about why we were there. I heard people express the desire for peace worldwide, for justice to be done so that all could live without fear, and for most people these desires came out of a sense that as Christians we are called to live a life of non-violence. Fr. Frank shared his knowledge on Offutt AFB, home of STRATCOM, and some of its history. He and his brother, Tom Cordaro, (National Council Chairperson, of Pax Christi USA) went over past demonstrations and what we could expect the next day. Those who had decided that it was right for them to cross the line gathered to discuss the details and prepare their statement. Thursday night Tom discussed how the events of 9-11 are connected with the capabilities at Offutt AFB and how terrorism can be found right here in the Midwest.
23rd Annual Feast of the Holy Innocents
DMCW Photo
We had agreed it was important to remember that the base personnel are our fellow human beings and we would each make a short personal statement at the line, so that they also had the opportunity to see us as people [specifically as a father (Tom), a high school religion teacher (Paul), mothers and grandmothers (Dagmar and Fran), a priest (Fr. Jack), as a peer (Sarah), and as a college student recently engaged (myself)]. As I listened, I heard my fellow line-crossers speak simply yet eloquently of peace and love for all who dwell on this earth, and a willingness to give voice to those who suffer from violence - especially at the hands of the violence our government dictates and our tax dollars finance.
Line Crossers: Tom Cordaro, Fran Fuller, Michelle Wentworth, Sara McElmury, Paul Fried, Dagmar Hoxsie, Fr. Jack McCaslin
