Rejoining Dr. King at Riverside Church

[hippywife]

Wish I were close enough to attend this.



BEYOND IRAQ: April 4, Rejoining Dr King at Riverside Church
On April 4, 1967, at Riverside Church in New York City, Dr. Martin Luther King spoke passionately and prophetically about the war in Vietnam - and beyond the war, the disastrous "triplets" that he said haunted American society: racism, militarism, and materialism.

He was speaking for a convocation of Clergy And Laymen Concerned About Vietnam (CALCAV). Beside him stood Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, co-chair of CALCAV. Together the two had resisted pressures from both their opponents and some of their supporters to keep silent about the Vietnam War. Indeed, the first words of Dr. King's speech quoted CALCAV's statement that: "A time comes when silence is betrayal."

This coming April 4, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., clergy and lay folk opposed to the Iraq War will join again at Riverside Church.

We urge readers of The Shalom Report who live anywhere between Boston and Washington DC to join in this historic gathering to learn from the past and change the future.

This April 4 Gathering will include readings of prophetic passages from Dr. King's 1967 speech; passages of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, and Hindu Scriptures; chants and songs of the Spirit; and offerings to God in the form of words from those who are facing another war today.

Among the speakers will be Rev. James Forbes, Dr. Susannah Heschel, Imam Feisal Rauf, Sister Joan Chittister, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, Rev. Osaqyefo Sekou; and (invited) * Rev. Jim Wallis, * Marian Edelman, *Rev. Jesse Jackson, * Harry Belafonte.

Dr. King would be sad but not surprised that we need to gather today. In 1967, he said -
"The war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit, and if we ignore this sobering reality we will find ourselves organizing clergy- and laymen-concerned committees for the next generation. They will be concerned about Guatemala and Peru. They will be concerned about Thailand and Cambodia. They will be concerned about Mozambique and South Africa.

"We will be marching for these and a dozen other names and attending rallies without end unless there is a significant and profound change in American life and policy. Such thoughts take us beyond Vietnam, but not beyond our calling as sons of the living God."

Exactly one year later, he was murdered.

And in what he called the "next generation," here we are -- and the name "Iraq" turns out to be one of the "dozen other names" he warned about.

In 1967 it was noteworthy that Jewish and Christian clergymen stood together against the Vietnam War. Today, it is even more noteworthy that the clergy-folk will include women, and that other religious and spiritual communities will take a full part.

The Riverside gathering is neither the beginning nor the end of the presentation to America of a NEW PROPHETIC AGENDA.

Before April 4, one million committed Americans of conscience are being drawn together to write A DECLARATION TO THE NATION.

Through Internet technology, one million Americans committed to peace and justice will share their ideas, faith and vision online. The WRITE-IN uses a friendly new collaborative writing system. You can participate from any Internet computer anywhere. You can focus your passion and concern over the Iraq War, share your insights, and create fresh new ways of speaking for peace and justice in our time, all while participating from your own computer space. You will need to register March 20-27 at www.faithvoices.org.

From Riverside on April 4, the "BREAK THE SILENCE" BUS TOUR kicks off. It provides a rolling forum for hundreds of thousands of caring Americans who want to speak out against the Iraq War and its conduct, and to speak out as well for economic, civil and social justice in our own land.

The "BREAK THE SILENCE" bus tour will leave from New York April 4 and initially visit Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. Then it will head south to Memphis, Nashville and Atlanta. It will be stopping for rallies along the way. Suggestions for route stops are welcome. To learn more about "BREAK THE SILENCE" bus rides and how you can make them happen, click here: www.drivedemocracy.org.

To contribute to and to learn more about this emerging progressive interfaith movement, click on: www.drivedemocracy.org.

More information is available from Clergy and Laity Network (CLN): www.clnnlc.org.

Co-sponsors for April 4 include the National Council of Churches, The Shalom Center, United for Peace and Justice, Clergy and Laity Concerned about Iraq (CALC-I), Fellowship of Reconciliation, Unitarian Universalist Association, Faith Voices for the Common Good, Drive Democracy, Disciples Justice Action Network, Progressive Christians United, Baptist Peace Fellowship, Christians for Justice Action, Peace and Justice Committee of the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, CA, and a growing number of religious and social justice bodies. The Riverside Church is graciously serving as the April 4 host church. Clergy and Laity Network (CLN), also a co-sponsor, serves as coordinator. A growing list of co-sponsors is being regularly updated on the Clergy and Laity Network website: www.clnnlc.org.


Below is a link to MLK's Riverside speech. It's worth reading again.
www.shalomctr.org/index.cfm/action/read/section/EMPI/article/peace130.html

[H2O Man]

1. I think it was his

greatest speech, and likely the greatest speech in American history. "A Time to Break Silence," often called "Beyond Vietnam," still sends chills through me. I'm glad to see people putting life into it.

[checks-n-balances]

2. Wish I could be there, too. What a lineup of speakers!

Lots of us need some spiritual fire & uplift right now!

It would be the best thing if MLK's speech were made available to more people in the general public. What a true prophet.

[hippywife]

3. I agree with you both.

I'm so glad that this event is winding up the Season for Nonviolence. It is totally fitting. I cry every time I read one of his speeches or see a documentary about his life.