RE-THINK Day of Action Reflection

Welcome back to RE-THINK, a blog where our staff members will be sharing their thoughts and experiences working at the Br. David Darst Center. Today's post is from Robert Ortbal, a former board member and a long-time supporter of the Br. David Darst Center.  As we close out our second annual Day of Action, he reflects on why the action of the Catonsville Nine was so important. 

A Day of Action reminds me that speaking out against injustice should be on behalf of the voiceless, the poor and the disenfranchised. Biblical history, both in the Old and New Testament, reflect stories of prophetic voices which challenged the status quo based on what was perceived to be abuses of God’s people.

It can be easy to become self-righteous about issues we regard as unfair, unjust or abusive. Nevertheless, the decision to act on conviction seems first to require prayerful reflection about one's motives. It cannot be motivated simply by anger or resentment.

Brother David Darst and the Catonsville Nine decided to burn draft record during the Vietnam War because they believed the war and the draft were unworthy of America’s values. Furthermore, they were convinced that a symbolic, non-violent action could speak to the horror of real violence being visited on American and Vietnamese soldiers not to mention Vietnamese civilians. The action was taken to represent a disruption to the war machine’s momentum. It was saying “no” to the incredible destruction of the lives of many in South Vietnam. This civil disobedience was viewed by many as a very disloyal to the United States and quite unpopular among many Americans. Perhaps it disclosed that many Americans valued the loyalty to a state and its political agenda rather than to one’s conscience. Brother David and his fellow protestors did this unselfishly, knowing full well the consequences of challenging some people’s notion of justice could be personally very heavy and even dire. It is worth reflecting today on what prophetic actions mean and why they summon deep courage and conviction, often at great personal sacrifice and cost.