Dear Saints in Santa Fe, and other far-off places:

Greetings in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ!

Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.

We sing this Taizé song as we file from the Agape Center to the courtyard.  It is now night.  We have come from across the country to Ghost Ranch to discuss gun violence and its prevention.  It is the first gathering of its kind.  The first for people from faith communities to meet one another, to lament and learn, and plan and dream of a day when no one is killed by gun violence anymore.

Jesus called 72 from Galilee to go forth and preach the good news.  Jesus, the one who taught and lived nonviolence.  Father John Dear, international peacemaker and advocate for nonviolence, calls us the Ghost Ranch 72 in his opening remarks Thursday night.  It fits.  It feels good.  There are 74 of us but I’m pretty sure Jesus won’t mind a few more.  We need all the people we can get to do this work.

We stand in a circle holding a votive candle in our hands, each with the name of a group of gun violence victims.  Jenny’s candle says Those shot at shopping malls.  Mine is Those who have taken their own lives.  The list is read aloud, the list keeps going, and when our candles are called, we take it to a center table and place it under a cross made from a gun.

I hear Father John’s voice, words from last night, saying nonviolent movements are more successful than violent ones. War begets war.  Violence begets violence. Studies show, the trauma stays for generations.

Jesus keeps telling us, fourteen times in the Gospels to be precise, to not be afraid.  Can I do this?  What about our enemies?  Those who have hurt us?  Those who use violence against us?  Shouldn’t we use violence against them?  Just a little bit?  John shakes his head.  Don’t we get it yet?

My eyes go around the circle in the candlelight, and I see old friends and recognize the ones I just met. I see others I hope to meet tomorrow.  This is what we do.  One speaker tonight, the daughter of Jim Atwood for whom this movement is named, said relationships will save us.  We need to know each other.  We are trying.  I am thinking it might just work.

John prays a closing prayer and lifts up the nonviolent Jesus.  Again. He’ll do it again tomorrow.  I hope I do as well.  That we all do.  And yes, we are to forgive all those who have harmed us.  We had a minute or two to come up with the names of those we need to forgive. We all join in as he start saying the Lord’s Prayer.

We end the night by greeting each other in the name of the nonviolent Jesus. As I walk back to my room to write this letter to you, I think this might just work.  We’re going to make a difference one day.  I know it.

Jesus remember us, as we learn to be nonviolent. 

Grace and peace,

Harry