reducing violence by

Litany of Resistance

Getting in the Way

    Jim Loney wrote the "Litany of Resistance" in 1991, during the first Gulf War.  It has been translated into several languages, and is prayed regularly by CPT teams and others not only in response to world conflicts, but in response to threats of violence directed towards our Teams and the human rights defenders and civilian communities with whom we work.

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    by Jim Loney (CPT Reservist), Toronto, Ontario
      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 your 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.