What began in Philadelphia on Feb. 14 with 150 peace pilgrims marching to the White House in support of a permanent cease-fire in Gaza swelled to 350 participants by the time they arrived on Feb. 21 to protest the violence and mutilation being perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinians.
They were greeted by hundreds of Washingtonians, bottles of water in hand, eager to add their dissenting voices to strengthen the one message of the masses: ceasefire in Gaza.
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A man named Josh, the pilgrimage song leaderled the group in singing words by musician Sarina Partridge: “Raising our voices. Higher and higher. No more war. We call for a ceasefire.” He characterized his faith as coming from two sources, the Torah of nonviolence and a grandmother who, while others wailed on the way to Auschwitz, sang lullabies with whoever was composed enough to join her.
Tim Bullock, a monk, talked about the eight days of the journey, after offering a Hindu chant.
“Eight days of cold, snow, a little rain and wind, marching through communities who needed to hear our message,” Bullock said. “This diverse group marching for peace. The people were affected, some would smile or honk their horns. Some would frown. But they all heard us. Nothing less than a ceasefire. Now.”
Why Black People Marched
Rev. Stephen Green, pastor of St. Luke AME Church in Harlem, also chair of Faith for Black Lives, compared their mission to that of young David in the Bible and the pilgrims to the five smooth stones with which David defeated the giant, Goliath.
He addressed those who might wonder how and why Black people were among the marchers.
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“One year before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, April 4, 1967, he called out the greatest purveyor of violence in the world, his own country, the United States of America,” Rev. Green said. “Over 60 years later, and it’s still the fact that the nation that is the citadel of democracy is continuing to profit off the bombing of Brown children in Gaza. This is not a disconnect from the history of American politics. The birth of this nation was founded on genocide, stealing land and colonizing against people who were indigenous to this land.”
He said, “We are here today as one beloved community, calling for ceasefire in Gaza, calling for the release of all hostages, and calling for an increase in humanitarian aid right now.”
“Right now,” was a recurring theme of the many speakers who each represented a unique sector of the community.
Jewish Calls for Ceasefire
“We are 290 rabbis across political denominations and orientations, calling in one voice for a ceasefire now. As rabbis, we are bound to a tradition that recognizes that every single life is sacred, and we should treat them as we would wish to be treated,” said Rabbi Alissa Wise, lead organizer of Rabbis for Ceasefire.
“We are committed to Shalom and to Jewish anti-war activism. We are tied to our capacity to not turn away from others’ suffering. Stop the devastation. Stop the starvation. Stop the unrelenting violence in Gaza. Ceasefire now. Let Gaza live!”
What Religious Unity Looks Like
Each speaker spoke with fire and determination, as if their voice would be the only one heard. And they each made a single point with a harmonious, melodious rendering, which was not to be denied.
National Council of Churches president and general secretary, the Right Rev. Vashti McKenzie, widened her message to include care of the environment and the earth. With prophetic confrontation, she offered the familiar query, “What does the Lord require but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before our God,” and then characterized the walk they’d just completed.
“With 60 organizations, the walk itself was a miracle in the making. Christians and Jews. Muslims and Hindus. We stopped at churches and Islamic centers. This is what it looks like when we all come together,” Bishop McKenzie said.
“We walk because we want people to have a future and a hope, but that can only happen with divine intervention. We came to talk to people in power, but also to the God of our belief,” she said, adding, “We need people in power to use it wisely as they navigate the complexities of diplomacy.”
She said we don’t choose the times we walk in, but we choose how we walk, in hate or peace. “We do choose what we will do in these times. We do choose whether we destroy the air, the earth, the water. We do choose whether to be inhumane or celebrate humanity.”