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Soul Force: M. L. King Day at the Cathedral Monday, January 17, 2005 | |
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Dr. Martin Luther King called us to “rise to the majestic height of meeting physical force with soul force.” We can practice what he preached. Soul Force: M. L. King Day at the Cathedral was filled with activities dedicated to fostering peace within each of us, in our community and in our world. Dr. King’s legacy was honored and celebrated with an exhibition, interfaith service, and youth nonviolence activities. All events were free and open to the public. 
Eyes Wide Open Exhibit: The Human Cost of the Iraq War 10 am to 8 pm The thought provoking exhibit commemorated the casualties of the Iraq war with rows of boots and shoes arranged throughout the Cathedral marking lives lost, both American and Iraqi, both military and civilian. Informational panels provided historical background.
The exhibit was presented in partnership with the American Friends Service Committee, who has staged the exhibit in different forms at other sites across the country. The provocative exhibit is the first war memorial built while a war is still underway, with the goal of moving us all “beyond fear towards hope.” View the AFSC site on the Eyes Wide Open exhibit. | |
Interfaith Worship Service 12 noon, with choral prelude at 11:45 am View video of service: View the service leaflet (PDF). The reflective service on Dr. King’s themes of peace and nonviolence featured readings from the Christian, Hebrew, and Muslim faith traditions. The World Children’s Choir performed the choral prelude. | |
Youth Nonviolence Event 1:30 to 4 pm View video of program: People gathered to explore uplifting alternatives to violence. Communities in Schools leaders Robert Arias and William “Blinky” Rodriguez spoke powerfully of the need to speak out and work actively for nonviolence. Their tireless efforts aim to provide youth with street-savvy alternatives to the “spirit of revenge that permeates our whole society,” and to let inner city teenagers know “people are not going to give up on them.” Hip hop poets “Verbal Mayhem” proved the power of words with fast and furious rhythms “spoken from the heart on everything from breakups and beauty to school life and social stereotypes.” The World Children’s Choir, a professional children’s choir based in the Washington, DC area, which performs before presidents and tours internationally, inspired listeners with messages of peace, love, hope and purpose. | |
Letter from The Rev. Canon Eugene Taylor Sutton regarding M. L. King Day at the Cathedral Each year the Cathedral has honored the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by sponsoring a program on Youth Nonviolence on the weekend of his national holiday. On Monday, January 17, 2005, in addition to the youth program, the Cathedral will observe a full day of reflection and prayer on the theme of “Peace Within, Peace in the Community, Peace in the World.” As part of the observance, the Cathedral will host the acclaimed Eyes Wide Open exhibition by the American Friends Service Committee, a journey highlighted by images of the war in Iraq. The focus will be on the human cost of war, and will feature boots representing each U.S. soldier who has fallen in the war, along with photos of Iraqi civilians devastated by the war, in order to honor all those lost in the conflict. In its role as a National House of Prayer for All People, Washington National Cathedral recognizes the commitment to remember all who have died through violence and war, and to offer prayers for peace. It is particularly appropriate that on the day honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King, the Cathedral will focus prayers, worship and meditations on peace throughout our society and in all parts of the world, particularly for the conflict in Iraq that so profoundly affects our nation as well as the people of that beleaguered nation. The Cathedral will honor all of the dead in that conflict, and pray that the God of all nations will work through us to achieve His peaceful purposes on earth. The Rev. Canon Eugene Taylor Sutton | |