http://VrienDuineN.tripod.com
http://VrienDuineN.tripod.com The war has begun and the cycle of violence continues. The heaviness that this brings to us is difficult, but we are comforted by the fact that we are surrounded by a community committed to nonviolence.
In these last 6 weeks, we have been greatly influenced by the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. Before this we were against a possible war against Iraq, now we are against the war and all wars. I am sure that some of you support the war since most of you are Americans. Here are some ideas to think about.
--Most of the rest of the world thinks the war is wrong, we could not even convince our neighbors Canada and Mexico to support us :)
--Every major denomination in the US with the exception of the Southern Baptists has said that the war is wrong (Bush will not talk to his own Methodist pastor)
--If we are worried about being killed by Iraqi terrorists, what gives us the right to go kill them?
--There is little support for a war that would require a draft. Most people who support the war are not willing to die for it; they are willing to send our troops (who are mostly poor) to die, but would not go themselves.
--We say we are bringing freedom to the Iraqi people, but the US has a very bad track record on this, we usually set up right wing dictators to run the countries we "help."
On a brighter note. We are enjoying the coming of spring in Atlanta. There has been lots of rain, but the magnolias and flowers are beautiful. Deb has been notified that her green card has been approved and she was paid for an article she wrote about our Cambodia experiences that will be published in the Church Herald (the monthly magazine of the Reformed Church of America). Jon just finished reading "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn; unlike most history studied in schools, it does not just present the side of wealthy white Americans, it talks about history from the point of view of the rest of society (the poor, women, minorities). Deb's parents came for an all-too short 3 day visit - they drove the 20 hours just to see us! We had great conversations with them and were so thankful that they were able to experience a little of what we've been doing. This past week, we also had a visit from Elliot and Elaine Tanis, friends of ours from 3rd Reformed Church in Holland, MI. As the first of our Holland community to see us since last June, talking with them and catching up on news made us miss home.
Contributing to our sense of hope are some of the things we're looking forward to. We hope to participate in an anti-Coke demonstration on Monday (in response to the recent Columbia Coke worker assignations) and are also excited about a "road trip" with our 20 member "family" to Memphis next weekend. The purpose of the trip is to learn more about the civil rights movement.
The sense of hospitality here at the Open Door continues to amaze us and we are increasingly hearing the call to listen and serve the poor in our society. In response to this, we have decided to stay longer than the three months we originally planned (when we came we were worried that we might want to or be forced to leave after a one month trial period!).
We continue to grow and change with our experiences here. We are no longer planning on buying a house in Holland, since we are unsure what these changes will mean for us in the next few years of our lives. Thanks for the emails, letters and prayers that you all send our way - we are grateful and blessed.
Peace,
Jon and Deb
I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.
Matthew 25:35-36
