CPTnet
23 December 2007
IRAQ REFLECTION: The Light shines in the darkness

by Peggy Gish

"--The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light." (Matt. 4:16A)
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
(John 1:3)

As we celebrate God's light and hope breaking into the world, I write from a
place so tangled in violence that people talk about it as if there were no
good solution to or way out of the violence. Each year in Iraq, the
hopelessness and darkness seem to increase.

People we talk to from south and central Iraq tell us stories of Iraqis
living with continual violence in the form of explosions, fighting between
militias, coalition force operations, killings by police death squads,
kidnappings. To these hardships, they add the stories of human suffering
from structural violence, such as a broken health care system and oppressive
or corrupt economic practices. Iraqis fear that the recent decrease in
violence is temporary and not indicative of a substantial strengthening of
society and governmental unity.

People in the Kurdistan Regional Government are thankful for more security
on the streets, but realize that for them this security has come at the
price of restricted freedom and human rights. Just as in the rest of Iraq,
life is hard. People have little access to electricity or water, health
care or government services. Kurdish Iraqis live in fear that terrorism
will move into their region. They realize that the U.S. is here primarily
for its own interests, not theirs, but also believe that presence might
protect them from Turkey and Iran.

So, what is the good news of Advent for the Iraqi people? How does the
light break into the darkness here? Has God forgotten them, or is God
entering into their world?

These are questions we ask as we live among the people and walk with them in
their struggles. We do not see corrupt and violent institutions or
international powers dramatically turning around. What we see are some
people willing to speak out when it is risky to do so, people giving
themselves to help others in need or to rebuild their society.

Sometimes we see light breaking through in institutions and people who have
a vision of another way of getting out of Iraq's chaos. These ways include
revealing the truth, working for reconciliation, and using the power of love
and nonviolent confrontation to stop the cycles of violence.

We hold on to the faith that the power God's light is stronger than the
darkness. Wherever people are open to God's Spirit of love and truth, God
will enter their midst and work among and through them to break down the
walls of hostility. We pray that we can be witnesses to the light breaking
in and will find ways to be part of God's work of healing and establishing
justice.