April. 18 - Lent before the War

Devotion

by Shirley H. Showalter, president of Goshen College

Because Lent and the war in Iraq came at the same time this spring, my spirit has been troubled. How can we identify with Christ’s suffering at a time when we feel so helpless to intervene in the suffering of others? When we watch the news and pray here on campus, how do we reconcile conflicting emotions and viewpoints, both within ourselves and within our community?

As the war began, I went back to my journal to find sustenance. I found four sentences, paraphrased from a speech given by Cardinal Joseph Bernadin to his fellow priests, which have been a touchstone since I became president: “I hope that before my name falls from the Eucharist prayer in the silence of death you will know well who I am. You will know because we will work together and play together, fast and pray together, mourn and rejoice together, despair and hope together, dispute and be reconciled together. You will know me as a friend, fellow [professor] and [president]. You will know also that I love you. For I am [Shirley], your [sister].”

I felt a strong call to fast as I reread those promises. Members of the GC community have joined me. Dallas Miller and Dean Johnson loaned me books, Jennifer Schrock connected me to the Women Fast for Peace website http://www.mcc.org/canada/peace/fast/index.html which Marian Miller has been using. Students Sarah Rohrer and Alicia Janzen fasted with me.

I have done weekly 24-hour water-only fasts throughout Lent. Prayer on those days has been ever-present. When my stomach growls, I respond with, “Thank you, Jesus.” Or “Provide food for the hungry, dear God.” or “Bring a swift end to war.” “Guide our feet while you hold our hands.” “Revive us again!” It is a very small sacrifice to abstain from food for one day. But it is enough to take us to the cross in our minds. When we have been to the cross for even a little while, we yearn for Resurrection like the starving yearn for bread.

Take our yearnings, oh God of Resurrection Power and bring us peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


by Ann Hostetler, associate professor of English

The ashes of winter lie scattered,
the last dead weeks inch forward.
For days the sky is gray except for a tongue
of sun that appears to lick the cold

All winter, preparations for war rumble
around us, our neighbors’ sons and daughters
take their places overseas, tanks and uniforms
cross our television screens. Countdowns

and delays, inspections and resolutions,
slowly the world withdraws from the call
to arms and we find ourselves in the camp
of a lone giant about to cast a boulder into an ant heap.

How to stay the giant’s hand? We hold vigils,
light candles, pray. God’s switchboard must be busy
so many folks trying to get his ear. Through all
this waiting, the daylight grows longer.

A news anchor from Kuwait reports
his hotel is so full of Military personnel
and Marines that he can’t find a seat in the weight-
room. He talks to the Iraqi minister for trade.

You want oil? he says. No need for a war.
Just tell Exxon to call me. Here’s my card.
“All diplomatic efforts have failed,” Bush says.
But where’s his Madeline Albright?

Where are his Camp David Accord?
As the ashes of winter fall into the ground
let them fertilize forgiveness. Let them sprout
olive branches. Let us relinquish all forms

of punishing cruelty, whether intoxicated
with righteousness and hate. Let our lone
giant sit on his boulder, open his lunch,
and picnic with the ants.