Peace and Justice Support Network of Mennonite Church USA
http://peace.MennoLink.org

LITANY OF RESISTANCE

by Jim Loney (CPT Reservist), Toronto, Ontario
This Litany contributed by Christian Peacemaker Teams
One:	Let us pray - You have learned how it is said
All:	Love your neighbor and hate your enemy
One:	But I say this to you who are listening
All:	Love you enemies
One:	Do good to those who hate you
All:	Bless those who curse you
One:	Be compassionate
All:	Judge not
One:	Do not condemn
All:	Grant pardon
One:	Because the amount you measure out
All:	Is the amount you will be given back
One:	Let everything you do
All:	Be done in love
One:	Blessed are the poor
All:	For theirs is the kingdom of God
One:	Blessed are they who mourn now
All:	For they will be comforted
One:	Blessed are the meek
All:	For they will inherit the earth
One:	Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice
All:	For they will be satisfied
One:	Blessed are the merciful
All:	For they will be shown mercy
One:	Blessed are the pure in heart
All:	For they will see God
One:	Blessed are the peacemakers
All:	For they will be called the daughters and sons of God
One:	Blessed are they who are persecuted because of righteousness
All:	For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.


One:	Deliver us, O God
All:	Guide our feet in the ways of your peace.
One:	In humility, we ask
All:	Hear our prayer.  Grant us peace.
One:	In humility, we ask
All:	Hear our prayer.  Grant us peace.
One:	Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
All:	Have mercy on us
One:	Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
All:	Free us from the bondage of sin and death
One:	Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
All:	Hear our prayer. Grant us peace.


One:	For the victims of war
All:	Have mercy
One:	Women, men and children
All:	Have mercy 
One:	The maimed and the crippled
All:	Have mercy 
One:	The abandoned and the homeless
All:	Have mercy 
One:	The imprisoned and the tortured
All:	Have mercy 
One:	The widowed and the orphaned
All:	Have mercy 
One:	The bleeding and the dying
All:	Have mercy 
One:	The weary and the desperate
All:	Have mercy 
One:	The lost and the forsaken
All:	Have mercy 
One:	For those fleeing in terror
All:	Have mercy


One:	For our scorched and blackened earth
All:	Forgive us for we know not what we do
One:	For the scandal of billions wasted in war
All:	Forgive us for we know not what we do
One:	For our leaders who wage war in our name
All:	Forgive us for we know not what we do
One:	For our Caesars and our Herods
All:	Forgive us for we know not what we do
One:	For our generals and tacticians
All:	Forgive us for we know not what we do
One:	For the men and women in battle
All:	Forgive us for we know not what we do
One:	For the men and women training for war
All:	Forgive us for we know not what we do
One:	For the scientists and researchers
All:	Forgive us for we know not what we do
One:	For the arms dealers and the merchants of death
All:	Forgive us for we know not what we do
One:	For our taxes that fund the evil of war
All:	Forgive us for we know not what we do
One:	Deliver us, O God
All:	Guide our feet into the ways of peace
One:	In humility, we ask
All:	Hear our prayer.  Grant us peace.


One:	From the arrogance of power
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the poverty of violence
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the tyranny of greed
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the ugliness of racism
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the politics of hypocrisy
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the hysteria of nationalism
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the cancer of hatred
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the seduction of wealth
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the addiction of control
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the avarice of imperialism
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the idolatry of national security
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the despair of fatalism
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the violence of apathy
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the filth of war
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the profanity of war
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the necessity of war
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the madness of war
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the blasphemy of war
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the brutality of war
All:	Deliver us
One:	From the demonic waste of war and of preparation for war
All:	Deliver us
One:	Deliver us, O God
All:	Guide our feet into the ways of peace
One:	In humility, we ask
All:	Hear our prayer.  Grant us peace.


One:	Obedience to God comes before obedience to human authority
All:	Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's
One:	Let your will be done, not mine
All:	With the help of God's grace
One:	Let us resist and confront evil everywhere we find it
All:	With the help of God's grace
One:	With the waging of war
All:	We will not comply
One:	With all preparation and training for war
All:	We will not comply
One:	With the forces of fear
All:	We will not comply	
One:	With the legalization of murder
All:	We will not comply	
One:	With the legalization of genocide
All:	We will not comply		
One:	With laws that betray human life
All:	We will not comply			
One:	With the bombing of civilians
All:	We will not comply		
One:	With the bombing of cities
All:	We will not comply		
One:	With the violating of our earth
All:	We will not comply			
One:	With the destruction of peoples
All:	We will not comply		
One:	With the raping of women
All:	We will not comply			
One:	With governments that are blind to the sanctity of life
All:	We will not comply	
One:	With economic structures that impoverish and dehumanize
All:	We will not comply
One:	With the manipulation and control of public information
All:	We will not comply	
One:	With economics that manufacture instruments of death
All:	We will not comply
One:	With economics that practice the use of instruments of death
All:	We will not comply
One:	With the perpetuation of violence
All:	We will not comply
One:	With structures that divide rich from poor
All:	We will not comply
One:	With the hypocrisy of political maneuvering
All:	We will not comply


One:	With the help of God's grace
All:	We will struggle for justice
One:	With the compassion of Christ
All:	We will stand for what is true
One:	With God's abiding kindness
All:	We will love even our enemies
One:	With the love of Christ
All:	We will resist all evil
One:	With God's unending faithfulness
All:	We will work to build the beloved community
One:	With Christ's passionate love
All:	We will carry the cross
One:	With God's overwhelming goodness
All:	We will walk as pilgrims of peace
One:	With Christ's fervent conviction
All:	We will labour for truth
One:	With God's infinite mercy
All:	We will live in solidarity with all people
One:	In the end there are three things that last
All:	Faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love
One:	Let us abide in God's love
All:	Thanks be to God.