I knew about the Peace Vigil coming up and wasn’t quite sure I would attend but the closer the day came, the more I knew I needed to go.  My soul said it was time.

I wasn’t really scared but I did feel a bit nervous.  But I was amongst Friends!  I knew all would be well and that what we were about to do was important.

We were lucky to have Alan Clayton as our leader and police liaison contact.  I felt safe knowing that Alan knew what to do.

I read the flyer to discover that more than 50,000 children had been killed or injured in Gaza.  50,000!  Every war is horror beyond our imagination but this one…

We all took the tram to the American Consulate in St. Kilda Road, in the heart of Melbourne.  It doesn’t look like a consulate except for the American flag outside.  However, it is a big, grey imposing building.

I was careful to take a home-made sign which said words which resonated with me: ‘The World Needs Peace’.  This was the right sign for me.

We gathered in a group outside the embassy entrance in a sort of elongated oval.  Feeling relatively inexperienced, I intended to stand at the back but something prompted me to go to the front.  I was well used to handing out ‘how to vote flyers’ for the Animal Justice Party during elections and knew what to do. 

I stood at the front, closed my eyes and prayed for peace: for the Friends gathered, for the passersby, for the folk in the American Consulate, for all the people, on all sides affected by this terrible conflict.

But then I realised I was missing handing out the leaflets!  So, I opened my eyes and started to observe and tune my awareness.  I slowly began to hand out our flyers.  I tried to make eye contact with the passer by, smile, and say softly and gently, “may I offer you a flyer”? 

It was a silent vigil and so in a way this was not the right protocol but the words I offered were few and soft and it felt right to me.  I had some good responses and also some who just shook their heads or walked by without any acknowledgment of our gathering.  One man even walked almost in the gutter to avoid us!  There were many different responses and reactions.

Suddenly, I noticed an official car pull up from the Australian Federal Police.  I was surprised!  We were such an innocuous bunch!  But perhaps not to them and not to the folk in the American consulate.  I did feel a bit nervous but also proud.  It was a strange mixture of emotions.  I think I felt safe because of the Friends around me, holding all of us and standing together. 

The police spoke a few words with me because I was at the front and I directed them to Alan Clayton who dealt with the situation very ably. 

Later, the Victorian police showed up and wanted to know more about what we were doing.  One of the police officers was interested in Quakers and accepted a flyer.  I was surprised and pleased.

There were two little boys who successfully gave out many of our flyers.  They gave them out with much enthusiasm and this was recognised and appreciated by the passersby.  😊

One passerby spoke with me quietly and commented on my bravery (she may have been referring to the new, proposed anti-protest laws).  I said that I didn’t feel brave at all and that I would be brave if I lived in Palestine or somewhere in the middle east.  She wanted to take a photo of me and I complied.  I introduced myself to her and we shook hands.  This woman was moved by our action.

There was a little girl standing next to me with a flyer in her hand.  I waited until I saw a passerby who I felt might accept one.  I nodded to this little girl to go ahead.  The passerby did not accept the flyer.  The girl was a bit crestfallen.  I searched for the right words and mouthed ‘you tried’ to her and smiled.  I felt that this was an important experience for her.

One of us handed a flyer to a man who quietly said he was Palestinian.  Those who heard this closed our eyes and prayed.  The person who handed him the flyer said ‘bless you’.  I felt the group deepen.

We ended our peace action by taking some group photos.  One passerby who was passionate about our action was very keen to be in the photo and so of course we included her.

We took the tram back to our accommodation at University College.  I felt tired but strangely happy.  On the tram going to and coming back from the peace action, I got to know and like a lovely elderly Quaker named Margaret.  It was just by chance we sat next to each other both ways.

Speaking with Lorel Thomas, who has devoted a major portion of her life and love to this cause, I told her about how I felt somehow ‘cushioned’ during this action.  Lorel said it was because we had a gathered meeting.  I agreed with her.  We were all held by Spirit.  Spirit was with us.

Was it worth it?

If we opened the heart of just one person, then yes, it was worth it.

If we felt we were ‘doing something’ for peace, it was worth it.

To align our prayers with peaceful action was worth it.

To speak our Truth, that war is wrong, was worth it.

Thank you to everyone who was part of this spirit-filled action.