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By Tony Brun In the popular culture of Latin America, often times silenced, but many other times accustomed to maintaining a wise silence, we use the saying: “For one who understands well, few words are enough.” I want to follow this idea of the use of few words, and to ask of you - our readers - a lot of imagination to recall some old words of Abraham Lincoln. On Saturday, January 27, as on last Saturday, March 17, as on other occasions in Washington, DC, hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated, chanting and singing: “No to War.” The diversity and the imagination, the anxiety and the indignation, took to the streets near the Capitol, the White House, the Pentagon and other government buildings. I don’t know if President George W. Bush saw us or heard us pass by. But it seemed to me that the imposing statue of Abraham Lincoln was moved and took on life before this crowd of such color and pain, of such chanting and passion. Though seated and moved emotionally like a good Quaker, he once again smiled with a veteran faith: “Yes, God prefers common folk, that’s why God made so many.” I don’t know either if President George W. Bush saw or heard the statue of Lincoln speak. But it seems to me that the statue shook in its chair and became consciously indignant of Bush and his followers who still argue for the need for more war. Though seated and looking toward the White House, he once again passed judgment with his political experience: “You will never convince a rat that a cat brings good luck.” In the words of the German Anabaptist George Schnabel: “No military action can be good which produces more widows and orphans than those they protect.” The boys and girls in Iraq grow up and know that the remedy will not come from whence came the illness. The boys and girls of the United States that demonstrated to end the war grow up and fear that victory only brings victory, but not peace. I do not know either if President George W. Bush understands or fears this also. But it seems to me that the majestic statue of Lincoln wanted to join the demonstration that shouted: “Bush lies! Who dies?” Though seated, he sent a warning to his successor, once again reminding us with his popular wisdom: “You can fool some of the people all the time. You can fool all of the people some of the time. But, you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” Finally, the colors and the clamors of the demonstration began to fade away. Floodlights illuminated the statue of Abraham Lincoln, who remained seated and alert and therefore meditative. It seemed to me that from his peaceful and tormented posture, he turned to the heart of the essential things of life. That is, to love one’s neighbor, and the truth, as one’s self: “If you want to win someone over to your cause, convince him first that you are a sincere friend. I wish that as I lay down the reins of power, and if I were to lose all my friendships, at least one friend would remain with me.” Tony Brun is a Mennonite pastor from Uruguay who now teaches and serves as liaison to the LatinoAmerican community for the Servant Leadership School of Washington, DC. Phil Anderson translated this article.
Original content by: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Inwardoutward/~3/104046921/.
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Scott Bartchy is a radical. He believes in a subversive system that embraces those on the fringes of our society and seeks to establish a new way of life that goes against the status quo.