Shine the Light

Listing of Events international locations and times Daily D.C. Procession Schedule and Locations

Prayers and Resources Litany for Peacemakers "The Spirit of God is upon us..." - a litany Prayer Banner - instructions for how to make one Shine the Light logo image - download and use for your own events

A Prayer for Unity in a Time of War “I implore you then, live up to your calling. Spare no effort to make fast with bonds of peace the unity which the spirit gives.” Ephesians 4: 1, 3 Thou hope and joy of all creation, You have given to all generations the power to seek you, and in seeking you, to find you. Grant us, we pray, a clearer vision of your truth, greater faith in your power, more confident assurance of your love. Many of our sisters and brothers in Iraq, be they soldiers or civilians, young or old, captives or captors, suffer overwhelming grief and affliction. Bombed, maimed, mutilated, wasted, tormented, these our brothers and sisters endure unending war, much of it fueled by U.S. wealth and arrogance. Grant us, we pray, courage to overcome our cautions, to set aside our unjust comforts. To resist the works of war and embrace the works of mercy. Grant us, we pray, the grace to hear deep in our hearts our Muslim brothers’ and sisters’ daily call to prayer: “O God you are peace. From you is peace and unto you is peace. Let us live our lives in peace. Bring us into your peace. Unto you be honor and glory. We hear and obey. Grant us your forgiveness God, and unto you be our becoming.”

Daily D.C. Procession Schedule and Locations Below Photos of Shine the Light processions

Shine the Light:  A Call to Witness in a Time of War

January 2006

During January, Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) invited supporters around the world to help "Shine the Light" on hostage-taking and abuse of detainees in an ongoing effort to expose the shadowy scourge of war and end the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

Beginning January 15 – the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – through January 29, 2006, CPT carried out a series of dramatic processions in Washington, DC starting at key institutions which bear responsibility for war-making and ending with a brief prayer service at the White House. Each day, candle-carrying participants walked in prayerful silence guided by a torchbearer shining the light on a hooded detainee who symbolically represents all persons held captive by war and occupation.

In 1967, reflecting on the U.S. war in Viet Nam, Dr. King exhorted those gathered at the Riverside Church in New York, saying: "I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours." In that spirit CPT encourages supporters to join this effort in Washington and beyond.

Prayer Vigils Pray for....  An End to the Occupation.  An End to the Abuse of Detainees. Freedom for the Peacemakers. In additon to Shine the Light events, many groups have planned weekly vigils, some of which incorporate Shine the Light materials.  Click here to find one near you....[more]

 

SHINE THE LIGHT AT HOME
Organize processions led by a torchbearer illuminating a hooded "captive" to expose the institutions in your community that sponsor, support, or benefit from the abuse of detainees and war-making. Challenge legislators, government officials, and corporate executives to change course. Highlight the devastating cost of this war sustained by victims on many fronts.

 

DON’T LET THE LIGHT GO OUT
Cindy Sheehan galvanized worldwide attention when she camped out at President Bush’s Texas ranch for weeks insisting that he explain why her son Casey had to die fighting in Iraq. Throughout the fall, CPTers set up similar encampments in Northern Indiana towns as an ongoing challenge to the war. The "Shine the Light" action campaign builds on those "Camp Casey" experiences in an effort to reignite the forces of truth for building a worldwide culture of nonviolence.

While the DC portion of this campaign contemplates an ending date of January 29, local communities may wish to "Shine the Light" throughout the Lenten season or the period leading up to March 19-20 – the third anniversary of the war. (See www.aglobalcall.org for details about "A Global Call for Nonviolent Civil Resistance to End the U.S.-Led Military Occupation of Iraq.")

We hope this campaign might provide a framework by which Christians, Muslims, Jews, and people of all faiths can continue the outpouring of supportive actions for justice which have accompanied CPT since four of our workers went missing in Iraq on November 26.