The war began before many of them were born.
Costa Mesa resident Kathy Mader brought her 3-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter to the vigil, to teach them about peace, she said.
“It’s heartbreaking — devastating that it’s been five years,” Mader said.
Fairview Community Church members have been lighting candles and gathering on the street corner outside of the church each Wednesday during Lent to pray for peace.
Wednesday’s vigil was the culmination of the weekly street corner gatherings.
The vigils give people a way to think about peace and feel they can make a difference in a small way, said Rev. Sarah Halverson, of Fairview Community Church.
“It’s been really powerful,” Halverson said. “It’s a testament to peace.”
A jogger wearing an iPod across the street turns his head to look. A man waves at the protesters from the back of the No. 47 bus to Balboa Boulevard and 23rd Street.
People driving home from work periodically honk their horns in support, and the protesters cheer. Others stopped at the traffic light try to avoid eye contact or never glance up as they talk on their cellphones while changing lanes.
The Rev. Dennis Short of Harbor Christian Church in Newport Beach was one of several clergy members who attended.
“I think during Holy Week it’s especially important to light up these kinds of issues,” Short said.
The Rev. Holly Reinhart-Marean of Christ Church by the Sea in Newport Beach said she was drawn to the vigil as a way to assert her beliefs.
“Killing people doesn’t solve anything — I really don’t think Jesus would be bombing or shooting anybody,” she said, waving a banner at passing motorists.
