Holding white carnations high above their heads to symbolize the nation’s millions of jobless workers—including the 6 million facing the loss of their unemployment insurance (UI)  benefits Dec. 31—more than 2,000 union, faith and community activists committed their faith and action to demand Congress act now to extend the emergency lifeline for the jobless.

At the prayer vigil—with the Capitol dome rising in the background—the Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, director of the Washington, D.C., office of Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ), offered the opening invocation and prayer.

We are one people, united in our goal here to bring justice and mercy to all people…and, today in your presence, Lord, we do believe we will prevail and ask that you give us the commitment to stand with them every day.

The crowd included a large contingent from the Take Back the Capitol action on the National Mall who marched up Constitution Avenue to the vigil, with banners and signs that read “This is Economic Emergency,” “We Need Jobs Now,” and “We Are the 99%.”

Shonda Sneed is an engineering worker from Yellow Springs, Ohio, who has been unemployed on and off for the past two years. She is taking care of her mother who has dementia. She told the crowd:

"I don’t want a handout. All I want is a job. No one wants to be on unemployment but it should be there for people when they have no other choice. Right now, it’s hard for the average person like me to find a job….My unemployment insurance is my lifeline and the only way for me to make ends meet and put food on the table.”

Jose Barraza, a New Mexico construction worker, takes care of four of his grandchildren. Working now, but unemployed for most of the past two years, Barraza said his UI coverage helped him and his family remain in their home.

“With the Great Recession and the housing crisis, I was suddenly laid off from my job in construction, where I had been working for my whole life. I ran out of savings, even my retirement money, and I had no other option than to ask for unemployment insurance. It was not a lot of money, and we just had enough to feed my grandchildren. We barely made it. But thanks to that money, we were able to make it and we were not left out in the street.”

"We cannot separate faith from justice,” IWJ’s Ibrahim Ramey said.

The power of injustice may be great, but the power of God is greater.

Bill Redler, an unemployed plumber from Omaha, Neb., the Rev. Michael Livingston of the National Council of Churches and the Rev. Jennifer Butler of Faith in Public Life led a litany on commitment.

“Will you commit to speaking up and acting for change,” they asked. “We Commit,” the crowd boomed back.

Will you commit to speaking up and demanding that unemployment insurance benefits be renewed?

We Commit!

Will you commit to speaking up and acting for jobs not cuts?

We Commit!

Will you commit to speaking up for and acting to create an economy that works for all?

We Commit!

As the vigil ended, most of the crowd marched across Constitution Avenue and past the broad Capitol Hill Plaza to the steps of the Capitol. Several people held a large banner across and steps that read, “We Are the 99% Taking Back the Capitol.” Marchers tossed the carnations on the steps to leave a reminder to Congress that time is running out for the 6 million jobless workers who will lose their UI lifeline if Congress does not act.