Teardrops on the marble: time to ban nuclear weapons forever

Participating in these advocacy meetings on behalf of the Uniting Church in Australia was at once the greatest honour of a lifetime of advocacy work but also the most frightening insight into the state of global militarism and geopolitics that I have ever experienced. As I walked the corridors of Parliament House with the wise and brave people from ICAN Australia, the horror of what we were addressing gradually dawned upon me. 

Working for justice and peace is the best kind of work- God’s work. But it is not for the faint-hearted. As we wove our way through doors of Ministers, MPs, advisors, tailored and refined our messages amidst political hugs and handshakes, here and there our teardrops discretely sprinkled the marble and timber floors. The powerful leadership and poignant humour of the ICAN and PHAA team were captivating. Nonetheless, Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” and its ugly, angry, droning strum kept pushing into my consciousness.

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world…

By day two, the reality of contemporary nuclear weapons brinksmanship pushed past my denial and lit the flames of fear. Could Australia be used as a launching pad for a nuclear war? Why are we exporting minerals like Zirconium that are used in the production of nuclear weapons? Did I hear correctly what President Trump recently said about resuming the testing of nuclear weapons?

As a father of five, I turned to prayer. My fear became a lesson. I realised that the nuclear weapons industry is built on a similar fear for people on the opposite side of the argument- fear of living in a world without so-called nuclear deterrence.  

However, there’s an old saying- “If you sit in the barber’s chair long enough, sooner or later you’ll get a haircut.”- So it is with nuclear weapons. Developing and stockpiling nuclear weapons will eventually destroy humanity and Creation. There are simply too many variables at play for a disaster to be avoided indefinitely.

The Uniting Church in Australia resource A Vision for a Just Society plainly sets out the case against nuclear weapons and lights the way forward:

Nuclear weapons are unique in their destructive power and the threat they pose to the environment and human survival.

Jesus’ teaching consistently calls for a love of all people, even enemies (Matthew 5: 43–44), and his disciples are called to be “peacemakers” (Matthew 5: 9), to the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5: 18) and to pursuing peace with everyone (Hebrews 12: 14)

When we consider the power of God’s love and the human capacity to try to love our neighbours as Jesus has loved us, there is hope.

There is an Independent MP in Federal Parliament who promised to ask the Prime Minister about responding to President Charissa’s letter calling on his Government to sign the TPNW.

There are several Labor MPs who promised to follow up with the minority of Labor MPs who have not yet signed the ICAN Pledge in favour of the TPNW.

There is a Green MP who has committed to raise pertinent questions at Senate Estimates.

There is a Liberal MP who admires the work of former Prime Minister, the late Hon. Malcolm Fraser, in helping to establish ICAN.

There is a senior Labor Minister who “hopes one day to be in a position to sign the TPNW”.

We have a Prime Minister who in 2018 quoted his former mentor, the late Hon. Tom Uren: “The struggle for nuclear disarmament is the most important struggle for the human race.” It is time for that Prime Minister to speak again.