Day 7: Fast and Vigil for Justice

Dear Friends,

We are halfway through the "Fast for Justice," and as we get closer to the end, our minds are heavy with the thought of the prisoners for whom no end is in sight. We think of them and we also keep in mind all of you who are here with us in spirit.

We woke this morning on the day seven to find ourselves in the warm and hospitable home of M.J. and Jerry, the "Peace Oasis." The day began with an ecumenical Catholic Worker-style morning liturgy led by Bill, Jake and Clare.
 
Razia, who was raised Muslim, started off by sharing with us some of the history and significance of Islam. She recited for us the Sura Al-Fatiha ("The Opening"), which is the first chapter of the Qur'an. It translates in English as follows:

"In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful: The Most Beneficient, the Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgement. You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). Guide us to the Straight Way. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray."

Tim then shared with us a mantra from his own experience, which goes:

"I am, I am thee, and thee are me, we are one, for we are, we are atonement, for I am, of thee I am, that we are."
 
The Gospel reading today from John was about the wedding feast at Cana.  This image of joyous wedding feast brings up many of our own feelings: the tension between this feeling of joy, to be sharing the spirit of community, but also this intense sorrow that causes us to be here together. How can we resist the injustice of torture and still maintain the spirit of the celebratory feast that gathers us all together? We will keep this in our thoughts, and try to enter into what will happen with a sense of joy and possibility, while not forgetting the reality of those for whom this will not end anytime soon.
 
After the liturgy we gathered to check in on how we are all doing both physically and mentally at this point in the fast. Most everyone is doing well and hanging in there. And given the busyness of our schedule, there is not too much time to think about food!

Sherrill started our reflection by sharing the hope she finds in grassroots movements, and she reminded us of the six-hundred lawyers who are working, many pro-bono, to help detainees.

Jake shared with us his thoughts about how the world needs people who act, but who act from a place of grace and centeredness. It's important to think about when our action is coming from our own desire.

Ted brought up the works of mercy, especially hospitality, and how though a very different sort of work, it is very much connected to the works we are doing here because they both come from the same spirit. As Clare said, hospitality means to "help each other across the threshold."

Matt reflected on the beginnings of Witness Against Torture - the trip to Cuba, and how things came to this moment. He remarked on how different circles of people who gather together to do the work of Witness Against Torture are all so different and unique. He talked about the end of the fast, and about the prisoners who do not have the benefit of such limits. Matt asked: "What must it be like to not have an end to your fast? What is it like to say, today I am going to start something that may never end?"

We said goodbye to some folks who were with us for week one, and some for only the weekend, and tonight we welcomed a few more fasters into the circle.
 
We close this update, and these first seven days, with a link to a story about some men who have been released from Guantanamo
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8371321.stm), and part of a poem that Josh shared from memory, written by a Yemeni named Adnan Farhan Abdul Latif.  One of the first men transferred to Guantanamo, Latif has been there for over eight years.

"Where is the world to save us from torture?
Where is the world to save us from fire and sadness?
Where is the world to save the hunger strikers?

But we are content, on the side of justice and right,
Worshiping the Almighty.

And our motto on this island is, salaam."
 
Thank you for all that you do!
 
Peace with Justice,
 
Witness Against Torture
www.witnesstorture.org