Faith Matters August 2025: Leighton Linslade Churches Together
Protesting against War - It can be hard being a protestor against war. Accusations can be thrown at you for being unpatriotic, or an appeaser.
Many simply refuse to believe that there can be an alternative to war. And those who are conscientious objectors have been imprisoned and sentenced to hard labour in the past.
The prophet Jeremiah had to deliver an uncomfortable message to his country’s leaders. He foresaw defeat in war if the leaders continued on their chosen course. He went unheeded at first and then was imprisoned later. After defeat happened he was then able to offer hope for the future. But was the lesson learned?
In our own times there have been mass protests against war, but the government ignored them. And today, any form of protest seems to run the risk of arrest and imprisonment. The long running campaign against the use of nuclear weapons still continues. There is a possibility of women returning to Greenham Common to protest against its use as a base for USA nuclear war planes.
The eightieth anniversary of the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, should be a warning against the stockpiling and threats to use nuclear weapons. Yet, treaties have been abandoned, and the world appears more precariously balanced than ever.
At the recent Milton Keynes International Festival thousands of paper doves were made, with words of peace on them. They were made into an amazing installation which will travel the world. They continue the practice of making origami paper cranes as a symbol of peace following the bombing of the two Japanese cities.
Faith that there will be peace is not a blind confidence that everything will be alright; nor that victory will come to the righteous. It is a commitment to live peacefully, loving our neighbours, caring for the poor, and seeking justice for the victims of oppression. It urges us to protest against war, arms manufacturers and those who use them.