Wisdom Exchange
Two CTA peacemakers discuss the war and its alternatives
Call To Action News - April 2003
CTA's Next Generation (ages 18-42) is still fostering intergenerational dialogue between themselves and older CTA members in the Wisdom Generation. This e-mail dialogue March 10-20 was about finding alternatives to war, even as Bush led the U.S. into its invasion of Iraq. Excerpts of the dialogue appear below.
Paul Canavese, 30, a software engineer in the San Francisco Bay area, works in parish ministry "on weaving stewardship and discipleship throughout parish life." He is pursuing an M.A. in Ministry for a Multicultural Church at the Franciscan School of Theology, Berkeley, Calif. A course on "Liberating Nonviolence" from Louis Vitale and Ken Butigan moved Paul to become active with Pax Christi USA and its Young Adult Forum.
Dave Corcoran of Chicago, 68, was a Columbus, Ohio diocesan priest in the '60s. He married Barb in 1972, they raised three adopted Korean children, and Dave since 1982 has been a Catholic hospital chaplain. He learned peacemaking from the Berrigans, Vietnam protests, and CTA actions in the 1980s. A Roy Bourgeois CTA talk brought him into SOA Watch: he did six months in federal prison last year for SOA civil disobedience.
March 10. Dave: My present stance is not only opposition to Bush's war on Iraq but to all wars. I am a pacifist as I believe Jesus was (is). I cannot believe that God creates us only to approve of us killing off one another or endorses one people against another. God's love is universal.
The alternative to conflict is basic communication - listening, putting oneself in the shoes of the other, feeling their pain. Trips to other countries - Guatemala, Colombia, Palestine, South Korea - seeing the injustices there and remembering our misguided polices in Vietnam, have shaped my thinking about war. When our leaders do something wrong, we have to challenge it as Jesus did. King, Gandhi, Dorothy Day and Jesus have taught us that when nothing else works, we have to practice non-violent direct civil disobedience. To follow unjust laws is to give our consent to them.
Paul: Here in the Bay Area, much of the public is opposed to the war. I've been fortunate to join anti-war marches with tens of thousands, and feel the passion of a community standing up for what it believes.
But even here there is diversity of opinion about Iraq. One friend said she realized that she likes the way she lives and doesn't want to change, but that lifestyle is made possible by the kind of military action we are currently threatening.
Dave: Many people who are for the war secretly feel as she does. They like the way they live and don't want to change their comfortable lifestyles. If it takes regime change or even nuking someone else to maintain our status quo, they are all for it. I don't think they are evil people. They are not really aware of how a majority of the world lives in poverty because of our unjust economic policies. That's where NGO's like Witness For Peace are doing such a great job getting people to go to other countries, living with the people and experiencing the injustice.
March 13. Paul: To the credit of my friend, she did come to one of the recent anti-war rallies. But the larger discussion is about what it may cost to truly be a disciple of Christ. It can be scary to think about where God may lead us.
Dave: It may be scary if we put ourselves there as we are now. But when we get there, we will be different than we are now. God knows what we are capable of at any particular time, and gently leads us.
Paul: My perspective has changed by my exposure to people who live justice and the gospel. Our society is motivated primarily by fear, consumer culture, competition, and self-centeredness. It's one thing to hear someone preach about living a radical life, acting nonviolently. But getting to know individuals who actually live this way has motivated me. My focus on pastoral work raises the question of how we can share this experience with others.
March 14. Dave: My wife and I were arrested yesterday doing civil disobedience at Boeing in Chicago, trying to stop business as usual. Eleven of us were arrested and supporters outside were handing out 1,600 leaflets about Boeing as the second largest producer of weapons of mass destruction.
Three years ago I couldn't have done what I am doing now. We are all on this pilgrimage together, we are just at different places along the road. One husband of a cancer patient I minister to saw the No War button I was wearing, and said I should change it to "On (ward) War." But another cancer patient, a veteran who is dying from the effects of Agent Orange, told me he wanted a button like mine and was grateful when I placed my button on his shirt.
Paul: I have been graced by some phenomenal parish experiences, involvement with Pax Christi, and my theological studies. But so many come to our parishes without being truly engaged. The peace movement often seems to be preaching to the choir. The hard part is introducing new people to nonviolent living. The solution is teaching first about discipleship, starting with the individual, the gifts she or he has. That's where my energy is focused in our parish. While we are not equipped to do much in response to war right now, I am hopeful that our work will lead us to a place where people will feel compelled to pray, study, and take action in response to injustice.
March 17. Dave: Well, the president showed his true colors today. He was determined to go to war all along, no matter what the world community through the U.N. said. There was a sadness throughout the hospital today. We are at the brink of war, the first time in U.S. history that we have launched a war preemptively on a weak and vulnerable people. I feel so guilty of blood shed in my name and with my money. God, help me to make amends even before it begins.
March 20. Paul: As I listened to Bush announcing the war, I had tears in my eyes. This war is wrong on so many levels. It reinforces a society based on fear rather than love. My friend who works in day care said eight-year-olds were asking if they're going to have to hide because bombs may be coming.
When I think about the cycle of violence that we are reinforcing, I realize how important my faith is to me. Somehow God will work in spite of and through all the brokenness and crucifixion. Resurrection happens. I pray that I will be aware of the injustices, take the action that God is calling me to take, but remain open to the people whom I disagree with.
Original article
Call To Action News - April 2003
CTA's Next Generation (ages 18-42) is still fostering intergenerational dialogue between themselves and older CTA members in the Wisdom Generation. This e-mail dialogue March 10-20 was about finding alternatives to war, even as Bush led the U.S. into its invasion of Iraq. Excerpts of the dialogue appear below.
Paul Canavese, 30, a software engineer in the San Francisco Bay area, works in parish ministry "on weaving stewardship and discipleship throughout parish life." He is pursuing an M.A. in Ministry for a Multicultural Church at the Franciscan School of Theology, Berkeley, Calif. A course on "Liberating Nonviolence" from Louis Vitale and Ken Butigan moved Paul to become active with Pax Christi USA and its Young Adult Forum.
Dave Corcoran of Chicago, 68, was a Columbus, Ohio diocesan priest in the '60s. He married Barb in 1972, they raised three adopted Korean children, and Dave since 1982 has been a Catholic hospital chaplain. He learned peacemaking from the Berrigans, Vietnam protests, and CTA actions in the 1980s. A Roy Bourgeois CTA talk brought him into SOA Watch: he did six months in federal prison last year for SOA civil disobedience.
March 10. Dave: My present stance is not only opposition to Bush's war on Iraq but to all wars. I am a pacifist as I believe Jesus was (is). I cannot believe that God creates us only to approve of us killing off one another or endorses one people against another. God's love is universal.
The alternative to conflict is basic communication - listening, putting oneself in the shoes of the other, feeling their pain. Trips to other countries - Guatemala, Colombia, Palestine, South Korea - seeing the injustices there and remembering our misguided polices in Vietnam, have shaped my thinking about war. When our leaders do something wrong, we have to challenge it as Jesus did. King, Gandhi, Dorothy Day and Jesus have taught us that when nothing else works, we have to practice non-violent direct civil disobedience. To follow unjust laws is to give our consent to them.
Paul: Here in the Bay Area, much of the public is opposed to the war. I've been fortunate to join anti-war marches with tens of thousands, and feel the passion of a community standing up for what it believes.
But even here there is diversity of opinion about Iraq. One friend said she realized that she likes the way she lives and doesn't want to change, but that lifestyle is made possible by the kind of military action we are currently threatening.
Dave: Many people who are for the war secretly feel as she does. They like the way they live and don't want to change their comfortable lifestyles. If it takes regime change or even nuking someone else to maintain our status quo, they are all for it. I don't think they are evil people. They are not really aware of how a majority of the world lives in poverty because of our unjust economic policies. That's where NGO's like Witness For Peace are doing such a great job getting people to go to other countries, living with the people and experiencing the injustice.
March 13. Paul: To the credit of my friend, she did come to one of the recent anti-war rallies. But the larger discussion is about what it may cost to truly be a disciple of Christ. It can be scary to think about where God may lead us.
Dave: It may be scary if we put ourselves there as we are now. But when we get there, we will be different than we are now. God knows what we are capable of at any particular time, and gently leads us.
Paul: My perspective has changed by my exposure to people who live justice and the gospel. Our society is motivated primarily by fear, consumer culture, competition, and self-centeredness. It's one thing to hear someone preach about living a radical life, acting nonviolently. But getting to know individuals who actually live this way has motivated me. My focus on pastoral work raises the question of how we can share this experience with others.
March 14. Dave: My wife and I were arrested yesterday doing civil disobedience at Boeing in Chicago, trying to stop business as usual. Eleven of us were arrested and supporters outside were handing out 1,600 leaflets about Boeing as the second largest producer of weapons of mass destruction.
Three years ago I couldn't have done what I am doing now. We are all on this pilgrimage together, we are just at different places along the road. One husband of a cancer patient I minister to saw the No War button I was wearing, and said I should change it to "On (ward) War." But another cancer patient, a veteran who is dying from the effects of Agent Orange, told me he wanted a button like mine and was grateful when I placed my button on his shirt.
Paul: I have been graced by some phenomenal parish experiences, involvement with Pax Christi, and my theological studies. But so many come to our parishes without being truly engaged. The peace movement often seems to be preaching to the choir. The hard part is introducing new people to nonviolent living. The solution is teaching first about discipleship, starting with the individual, the gifts she or he has. That's where my energy is focused in our parish. While we are not equipped to do much in response to war right now, I am hopeful that our work will lead us to a place where people will feel compelled to pray, study, and take action in response to injustice.
March 17. Dave: Well, the president showed his true colors today. He was determined to go to war all along, no matter what the world community through the U.N. said. There was a sadness throughout the hospital today. We are at the brink of war, the first time in U.S. history that we have launched a war preemptively on a weak and vulnerable people. I feel so guilty of blood shed in my name and with my money. God, help me to make amends even before it begins.
March 20. Paul: As I listened to Bush announcing the war, I had tears in my eyes. This war is wrong on so many levels. It reinforces a society based on fear rather than love. My friend who works in day care said eight-year-olds were asking if they're going to have to hide because bombs may be coming.
When I think about the cycle of violence that we are reinforcing, I realize how important my faith is to me. Somehow God will work in spite of and through all the brokenness and crucifixion. Resurrection happens. I pray that I will be aware of the injustices, take the action that God is calling me to take, but remain open to the people whom I disagree with.
Original article