five years.

sadly, i can't even really remember what i was doing five years ago when the war started - i think that i was pretty oblivious and apathetic. the journey that i've been on for the past five years, especially the past three, has been pretty incredible. i still feel as though i am generally pretty uninformed about the happenings of the world, but despite that, i felt so able to mourn today - to mourn the hundreds of thousands of lost lives, to mourn the families ripped apart, to mourn our ability to kill one another, to mourn unnecessary death.

we held a candlelight vigil at joseph's house tonight - it seemed appropriate, as we, too, are very familiar with mourning the dead. it breaks my heart to think about the way that we are able to love and accompany in a beautiful way those who are dying here at j-house, while thousands upon thousands of iraqis have died alone and needlessly because of this awful war. and honestly, if the government weren't spending billions of dollars on war and violence in iraq, perhaps joseph's house would not need to exist - perhaps the government could and would actually spend money and effort on fighting the poverty in this country that leads people to be homeless, on fighting AIDS in this country that kills so many.

i wrote a liturgy for tonight's memorial vigil. i'll post it here. because we wanted to be inclusive, we did not use any kind of religious language in the liturgy. but all i can think tonight is "Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. please."

A Liturgy for the Fifth Anniversary of the War in Iraq

Response: We remember, we mourn, we press on towards peace.

Leader: On this day, we lament these past five years of violence in Iraq.

Response: We remember, we mourn, we press on towards peace.

Leader: On this day, we think of those thousands of soldiers, both American and Iraqi, who have died in combat.

Response: We remember, we mourn, we press on towards peace.

Leader: On this day, we think of those tens of thousands of Iraqi people, innocent civilians, who have died in violence or in need as a result of this war.

Response: We remember, we mourn, we press on towards peace.

Leader: On this day, we think of those millions of Iraqi refugees displaced by war who today, at this moment, are without homes, food, medicine, shelter, or safety.

Response: We remember, we mourn, we press on towards peace.

Leader: On this day, we think of those millions of Americans who are homeless, sick, hungry, and neglected while our government spends billions of dollars on war and violence.

Response: We remember, we mourn, we press on towards peace.

Leader: On this day, our hearts ache for all those who have lost fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, and friends to the senseless violence of war.

Response: We remember, we mourn, we press on towards peace.

Leader: On this day, we mourn loved ones lost, and we condemn violence in all its forms.

Response: We remember, we mourn, we press on towards peace.

Leader: On this day, we pledge to remember and honor those who have died by actively pursuing peace, both in our own lives and for our nation.

Response: We remember, we mourn, we press on towards peace.

Lord, have mercy on us. lead us to peace.