Anti-war sign vandalized at Skyridge Church of the Brethren.

An anti-war sign hosted by Skyridge Church of the Brethren in Kalamazoo, Mich., during Holy Week was pulled down and damaged in repeated acts of vandalism. The large 31- by 15-foot sign was posted on the church lawn, along a busy four-lane road, at the request of a local peace group. The sign read in huge letters, "Iraq how many deaths?" and was framed with silhouettes representing men, women, and children--military and civilian—who have died in the Iraq war.

Outreach Committee co-chairperson Ineke Way, a member of the group Kalamazoo Non-Violent Opponents to War (KNOW), was instrumental in bringing the sign to the church. After worship on Palm Sunday, pastor Debbie Eisenbise led the congregation and KNOW participants in prayer dedicating the sign.

The posting of the sign was an eye opener for the community and congregation, Eisenbise said. Many people stopped by to see it up close and to place flowers on it in memory of those who have died. One woman asked for a picture to send to her father, a Vietnam veteran. Others wrote letters and made phone calls of appreciation to the church. Some made crank calls the church received one from a man self-identified as "Osama Bin Laden." Other people requested a discussion of the church's peace position, which Eisenbise explained as the Brethren understanding of Jesus Christ's message that "all war is sin."

One night, vandals pulled the leg off of one of the plywood figures on the sign. "This only helped the sign to be more representative of the many amputees who are victims of war," Eisenbise said. Another evening, someone drove a truck onto the lawn and used ropes to pull down the whole sign, which resulted in increased media attention. A radio station had a two-hour call-in program on "What do you think of the sign at Skyridge Church of the Brethren?"

The sign was taken down from the church lawn before Easter sunrise. Recently KNOW and Pax Christi posted it at a retreat center run by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Kalamazoo.

"The whole experience for the Skyridge Church was a powerful reminder of what it means to witness to our faith, and how Jesus, the Prince of Peace, brings redemption and reconciliation for all," Eisenbise said. A letter of appreciation to the church from KNOW echoed the sentiment, "We believe that we have scattered seeds in places and in ways we can't even imagine."

Source: Newsline 7/02/2004