On a rainy Sunday evening in 2005, almost 200 children, women and men of diverse faiths and ethnicities gathered in Cupertino to pray for peace. The Community Interfaith Prayer Service for Peace was held on March 20, at St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church. Strangers, neighbors, families and friends marked two years of war in Iraq and the end of the Ò100 Hours of ConscienceÓ for Darfur with a voice of unity.
ÒI am a link in the BuddhaÕs Golden Chain of Love that stretches around the world. . . May every link in the BuddhaÕs Golden Chain of Love become bright and strong, and may we all attain perfect peace.Ó With these words, 7-year-old Meiko Flynn-Do of the Mountain View Buddhist Temple introduced the tone of the service Ð personal responsibility for peacemaking and a vision of hope for the world.
The themes of global responsibility, peace and light were emphasized through sight, sound, song and scripture as well as prayer.
After a Call to
Worship From the Four Directions by bell, drum, gong and singing bowl and a
welcome by The Rev. Mary Blessing (then of St. JudeÕs, now vicar at St. PhilipÕs Episcopal Church, Scotts Valley, CA), the congregants recited the
Global Ethic while encircled by a Ribbon of Names. Stretching mid-level around
the entire perimeter of the sanctuary and punctuated with votive candles, the
lists represented individuals who have died in the Iraq war since March 2003,
including more than 16,000 civilian Iraqi victims and 1696 U.S. and Coalition
casualties. In addition, the many people killed in the massive crisis in
Darfur, Sudan were represented by the Unity Statement of
faith-based, humanitarian and human rights organizations along with a list of
the signatories.
Wisdom from Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions formed the basis of the call for peace. After readings by both children and adults, including Matangi Rajamani, Hein Do, Jonathan Majewski, Andrei, Anton and Elina Whaley, Rabbi Daniel Pressman, and Samina Sundas, founder of American Muslim Voice, the congregation was invited to light a taper candle from one of the votives along the wall as a prayer for those who have died from any kind of violence within the human family and as an offering of peace. The mood was relaxed yet reverent as all moved about singing the Taize refrain, ÒO Lord, Hear My Prayer,Ó each in his own language. Young children asked to be lifted up to see the names. People for whom walking is difficult were determined in efforts to place their candles in one of the six bowls of sand around the church.
With candles blazing around them, the congregation began a Time of Prayer by singing the prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, ÒMake Me A Channel of Your Peace . . . where there is hatred let me bring your love, were thereÕs despair in life let me bring hope, where there is darkness only light . . . Ò
Throughout the service, after each offering of scripture or prayer, the deep vibration of the Òsinging bowlÓ permeated the space and connected each heart in prayer.
At times the sanctuary was filled with driving rhythm, clapping and finger snapping, as in the South African Freedom Song, ÒSiyahambe,Ó which was marked by Rick AustinÕs drumbeat. At other times, Laura and Allison Green on piano and flute promoted deep contemplation as they suffused the sanctuary with sounds of beauty and peace on such offerings as ÒThe PrayerÓ and ÒSpirit Song.Ó Echoes of Òpeace, my friendsÓ resounded as all joined in singing the traditional Hebrew, ÒShalom ChaverimÓ in a round.
The St. JudeÕs ChildrenÕs Choir, led by Irene Kwok and accompanied by Kathy Disney on piano, offered a heartfelt rendition of the African American spiritual, ÒIÕve Got Peace Like a River,Ó while adult volunteers from St. JudeÕs Choir and the Fun Times Singers of Campbell sang the stirring ÒSong of Peace,Ó based on a Chopin etude.
In conclusion, The Rev. Roger Wharton of the Campus Ministry at San Jose State encouraged the community to go forth shining the light of peace and justice. And The Rev. Mary Blessing dismissed the gathering with the words of the late Rev. Ward McCabe:
We are people of God
And therefore servants of all Creation
So go forth into the world in peace
Return no one evil for evil
Instead forgive
Support those who are shy or hesitant
Accept a part of the burden of anyone who is in pain
or feels overburdened
Give dignity to all people
Remembering that the power of the Great Spirit enables us to do many things
which we cannot do by our own strength or wisdom AMEN
And although there was homework yet to do, preparations to be made for the next work day and schedules to keep, people seemed to take their time leaving, still feeling the reverberations of the heartbeat of ancient faith, delighting in a new sense of community and savoring the glow of a renewed vision of peace.