On the Road to Peace

Usually it seems God has one of three directions for us: "Come follow me"; "Stay with me" (and "Keep watch!"); or "Go and tell them ..." The first is the call to discipleship; the second, a summons to accompaniment and companionship; the third, a push into prophetic ministry, to go forth and announce to the world of war and injustice God's desire for peace and justice.

Jesus, according to the four Gospels, welcomed everyone with his healing embrace. In fact, his outreach began with those who were not welcomed anywhere else. He placed them at the center of his community of peace, love and nonviolence. He put them in the center of his nonviolent vision, his all-inclusive mission.

Edward Snowden's revelation earlier this month to The Guardian that the U.S. government keeps phone records of nearly every American is shocking, disturbing and, alas, to be expected. We've become a culture of unbridled corporate greed, unchecked violence and global warfare that serves the 1 percent and hurts the world's poor, hungry, sick and children, not to mention the earth itself, so it's no wonder Big Brother is monitoring us all.

On the Road to Peace: Releasing information on war crimes, as the saying goes, is not a war crime. Bradley Manning should be released immediately.