CPTers freed!

U.S., British Forces Rescue Iraq Hostages - Yahoo! News

The feet of those who brought good news were beautiful indeed as we learned that Norman Kember, Harmeet Sooden and Jim Loney have been freed.

Yes, it was a multi-national military force that freed them, though without firing a shot. But, unlike the reporter stated on ABC World News Tonight, CPT is not without gratitude for those who freed them.

We are grateful to the soldiers who risked their lives to free Jim, Norman and Harmeet. As peacemakers who hold firm to our commitment to nonviolence, we are also deeply grateful that they fired no shots to free our colleagues.

As Rose Marie Berger points out,

It would be easy to pit the peacemaker against the soldier - but it would be wrong to do so. There are soldiers who serve "the least of these" in Iraq. It was an unknown American soldier who decided to drape Tom Fox's casket with a flag to honor his sacrifice. And there are peacemakers who thrive more on their own anger, self-righteousness, and personal purity, than on authentic deeply rooted sacrificial love.

We thank you, Most Holy Trinity, that our friends are free tonight. We thank you for all those who worked to bring about their freedom. We continue to pray for the soul of Tom Fox, who gave his life following your commands. We also continue to pray for the many, many Iraqis and foreigners who have been kidnapped, for the many Iraqis who have been arrested without cause, for the soldiers who are in danger, and most of all, for peace and an end to all violence.