Hundreds of thousands of people opposing the war took to the streets last week in Washington and many other places. I was in Los Angeles at the time and joined a march there. Destination: the L.A. Federal Building. There we were addressed by Cindy Sheehan and Ron Kovic, inspiring speakers both.

And on top of that, a delightful surprise — I ran into my old friend singer Jackson Browne. He and I were arrested on those same federal building steps 18 years ago, and spent a memorable day in jail with more than a hundred other church workers and activists, strategizing our next action and campaign to stop U.S. military aid to El Salvador.

To cap off the weekend, on my return home, I found a card from Austria waiting for me, from 94-year-old Franziska Jägerstätter — wife of martyred Franz. Her card, full of love and blessings, bore a kind of weight. Suddenly our small steps for peace last weekend fell into proper perspective, which is to say they loomed small…