Sometimes women who receive the senior discount are not taken seriously; we can sometimes feel invisible. But some of us older women decided to be seen and put our bodies on the line with Mennonite Action in July. The idea of “All God’s Children March for Ceasefire” caught our attention and inspired us to participate in the walk from Harrisonburg, VA to the White House.
Mary Hershberger, from Brentwood, MD said “I was drawn to the march because the action was walking, and walking is what people in Gaza are forced to do, trying to keep their children and loved ones safe. I am 74 years old and couldn’t do the entire march, but I could help fund it and I walked for two days. The march organizers offered accommodations to folks like me and provided rides when I needed it. As I took advantage of these rides, I reflected on the brutal fact that 74-year-old women in Gaza are forced to continue walking when their bodies are far more distressed than mine was. I felt sad and angry at my own government for funding the anguish and killing in Gaza.”
Theda Good from Harrisonburg, VA said, “I knew my body would not do well marching 13 miles, day after day but I wanted to do something. Then the idea came to me and my spouse that we could help by driving the support vehicles. From the mini-bus (with camping gear), the poop-truck (a pick-up hauling a trailer with two port-a-potties), to our minivan (the “sag wagon” for those who needed a break from walking), I drove eight out of the eleven days of the march. I got a lot of joy by supporting the march that way.”
Alice Moyer, from Philadelphia reflected, “My concern initially was walking for miles through Virginia in the hot July sun; then I found out I was the oldest walker that day. My body was not happy, but I really wanted to continue. I was touched by the concern from my fellow younger walkers. The discomforts of walking in the heat, and sleeping on hard surfaces in spaces with many people were soon outweighed by my experiences along the road and in the group gatherings. I was touched by people's history, their lives connecting them to Palestine, the way they are living into their values and their hopes for what's to come. It was rewarding to see women in hijabs turn their cars around and circle back so they could stand with their children to watch and film us walking past. Many people along the way thanked us for walking and protesting.”
Young people and older people inspired each other as we walked and sang together. As I walked on day nine of the march, I was reminded of marches I had been part of in my twenties. All those years ago, I was amazed that older, gray-haired women cared so deeply about the same issues I cared about. Now I am the one with gray hair, marveling at the organizational skills, vision and passion of young people to lead the movement and the church.
The march was prayerful preparation for joining the Interfaith Action for Palestine in DC. In Washington we were not just Mennonite Action but part of a larger coalition: Christians for a Free Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, Hindus for Human Rights, Rabbis for Ceasefire and representatives from other faith groups. We gathered inside and outside the annual conference of Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Our voices and actions disrupted and offered an alternative to the destructive theology of CUFI, which misuses scripture and history to justify violence against Palestinians.
Some Mennonite Action participants were arrested on Capitol Hill as the march continued into the halls of the Senate. The hymns that ground us in worship, grounded us in prayer and action for peace in Palestine. As Mary said, “Our actions and arrests did not stop the violence in Gaza, nor did I expect they would. But our voices and bodies are a small and vital part of the broad movement that insistently confronts our legislators with the deadly consequences, for Palestinians, of our tax dollars funding this war.”
Alice said, “Yes, it feels discouraging to read the responses of my representatives to my letters and protests. But I cannot look away. I remember a quote from Sarah Augustine: ‘We must accept that resistance is an end in itself. In the face of overwhelming injustice, resistance is the only ethical human response.’ That has been my mantra. The act of resistance itself is valuable. I consider it an act of worship. It says to those suffering that I see you. I will not look away. What is happening is not OK and I will use my voice to fight for you.”
For more information or to join the work of Mennonite Action, go to MennoniteAction.org
Cynthia Lapp
Pastor, Hyattsville Mennonite Church
Hyattsville, MD
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