If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away---Henry David Thoreau

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Art Gish: Christian Peacemaker, 1939-2010
















Finished a drawing of Art Gish, peace activist who died this week in a farming accident (Read the stoty at:http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/article-31680-prominent-local-activist-dies-in-farming-accident.html). I read Art's book The New Left and Christian Radicalism back in the late 70s, when I was looking for anything that was Christian and radical. I met Art at a regional peace gathering I helped organize in Columbus, Ohio around 2004. We were at a table with a Christian Zionist who had a totally different perspective on Israel/Palestine than Art and the rest of us at the table! And yet, Art treated him with respect, even though he has been on the ground in Israel/Palestine with Christian Peacemaker Teams and knows well the real situation there and not just some idealogy.

Art became recognized internationally through an Associated Press photo of him confronting an Israeli tank ready to destroy a Palestinian marketplace (See picture above and read the story at :http://mideastchristians.virtualactivism.net/articles/amongapples.htm)

May his wife, Peggy, find comfort in her loss and the world weep upon the loss of one of her prophets.

Video of Art and Peggy Gish, Old Radicals:

Old Radicals from matthew leahy on Vimeo.

1 comment:

  1. Sorry ot hear of the passing of Art. I was a friend of sons. used to ride my horse over to visit. Agree or disagree w/ his views you have to admit that he practiced what he preached.

    ReplyDelete