Peace

For the last several years I have been a member of the Board of the Institute for Peace Studies at Rocky Mountain College. I have served as Secretary for the Board since 2002. Tonight we will be having a Spring Fling banquet as a money raiser to benefit our various projects such as an annual Festival of Cultures on Peace Sunday in June to celebrate the diverse population of this area; an annual Peace Camp for youngsters who need to learn how to deal with conflict in their lives; a mid-winter symposian for women in the area so that they can learn to deal with finances and live comfortably even though their wages are often less than that of men in comparable jobs. We have also held periodic Symposia dealing with understanding international conflict -such as the Palestinian problem. This is a part of our educational focus. We attempt to educate and not "take a stand".

This Blog all started bcause I have been thinking of how Jeanette Rankin of Montana voted against the US going to war both at the time of WW I and again WW II. That was during in epoch when the Congress could vote on whether or not we go to War. Rankin was, of course, outvoted, but each year the Institute has awarded a Jeanette Rankin Peace award to some person with close ties to Montana. The first to receive this award was Sen. Mike Mansfield. Most recently it has gone to a local lady who has worked diligently for fellow black citizens in Billings including serving as a prison chaplain. A couple of years ago I was able to nominate Sen. George McGovern who has a home in Stevensville, MT as well as in South Dakota. He was a gracious recipient. The Billings Gazette has declared this Award as one of the most prestigious in Montana.

My own prayer is for Peace. Several years ago I was asked to lead the Invocation at one of our Board Meetings. It went like this:

God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; God of Jesus, Mary and Joseph; God of Sharon and Arafat; Almighty God, maker of heaven and earth; we pray for your presence in the lives of all, and we pray that the peace that passes understanding might prevail in our lives, and in a world torn by war and genocide. We seek your blessing and your guidance in our work as an Institute for Peace. In the Spirit of the Christ we pray. Amen.