Globe News, Amarillo, Tx. 28 March 1998

Man walking cross country to help wage war for peace

Don Munsch / Globe-News

Peace activist Rudy Stolfer stands with the coffin that he is lugging across the country in a crusade to help people understand the need for peace and God's love. He stopped in Amarillo on Wednesday on his way back to Washington, D.C., where his journey began in November 1996.

By DON MUNSCH
Globe-News Staff Writer

Rudy Stolfer says all the recent major wars society has waged - including the Vietnam War and the drug war have failed, thus it's time society has waged a war for peace, he said. Stolfer 48 of Washington Pa. is taking this message across the country . . by foot.

Stolfer walked through Amarillo Wednesday as part of his nationwide journey to share a message of peace and God's word with the masses.

Traveling with a coffin adorned with peace slogans and stuffed animals and containing food clothing and other necessities Stolfer said he has influenced 500 to 600 people during his sojourn, which began in November, 1996 in Washington, D.C. He has journeyed to the West Coast and is now heading back to end his trip on Labor Day in Washington. D.C.

"It's been an amazing walk" he said. ' Amarillo just happens to he a pivot point."

Stolfer said he's ''just one of these people who wants world peace, a person who wants to see people understand God's love.""

He said he hopes to meet with a group in Washington on Labor Day weekend for a peace vigil. The group called Prop One supports a measure that eliminates nuclear weapons by 2000. Stolfer said people need to stop living in the past if they want to seek peace. "It's time to forgive and forget. Let's try to decide how we're going to go about (dealing with problems)." he said

Stolfer said he expects his journey to encompass 6 ,000 miles when he's finished. Although he has camped out some nights by the side of the road, he said be has received help from police departments, charities, businesses and churches. "The walk has gotten me a lot closer to God," he said.

Stolfer, a former railroad worker and U.S. Marine who used to operate a company that made educational jigsaw puzzles for children said , he receives a lot of "strange looks" as well as peace signs, thumbs-up signals and hand waves as he travels across the country. He is currently traveling alone but he has traveled with others including people from New Zealand, Russia and Switzerland.

''Each and every act is for the glory of God " said Stolfer dressed in a T-shirt, cap and shorts. sporting dreadlocks and wearing ""What Would Jesus Do" bracelet. "I'm not in church once a week. I'm in church every day of the week. "

Stolfer said he will be staying at the Peace Farm while in town and he praised Peace Farm activists for their efforts to wage peace. ''Hopefully there will be world peace and I can get back to making jigsaw puzzles, '' Stolfer said when asked about his plans after his journey. ''We have to consider the kids and the generations coming up now and stop dwelling on tradition.

''I don't know what the outcome of this will be," he said." The Lord is providing to get me down the road "