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Nous Sommes Ensemble - Producing a Song for Peace

It was the most fun and fulfilling thing I accomplished in the Congo – producing my first song for peace. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a French-speaking country where I worked for six months, the most common phrase was "nous sommes ensemble" – "we are together." And we are. We share this world, and will enjoy peace and prosperity together or suffer together – the choice is ours. Although the effects are so disproportionate that those of us in the north may believe all is well, eventually pollution, poverty and conflict will touch us all, wherever we live.

Deepening Interfaith Peace in 2018

January 1 is designated World Peace Day by the Catholic church - a fitting day to reflect on the state of world peace, and ways that faith can guide us towards more a peaceful coexistence. It is also timely to reflect on how we can integrate peace more deeply into our souls and lives on New Year’s Day, a day traditionally devoted to personal reflection, renewal and resolutions. But peace in the modern world is not easy, intuitive, or inevitable. There are ways in which it appears to be ever more fragile, and challenging to build.

Inner and outer harmony - Ian Miguel's story

In my recent post, God has blessed us to bless others, I told you about meeting Ian and José Carlos on the beach while they were doing an environmental survey to track global warming. After talking for a little while about their project, I told them about my passion for peace, and the storytelling project that I was conducting around the world. When I asked Ian what peace mean to him, I was struck by the answer.

A little bit crazy, a little bit happy – José Carlos’ story

In my last post I told you about meeting José Carlos and Ian on the beach. When I asked José Carlos what peace meant to him, I didn’t fully follow the answer, so Ian translated for us. “Peace is the perfect combination of being a little bit mad and a little bit happy, he said.

Mad like angry, or mad like ‘loco’ (crazy)?, I clarified.

Mad like crazy, locito.

 

Finding Peace in Life’s Detours

Yesterday I landed in Mexico, a week in advance of the Baptist Peace Fellowship conference I’ve been looking forward to all year. Planning to meet a friend in Mexico City before proceeding to a writing retreat at the ocean, I booked a one day stopover in the city. When his plans changed last minute and he canceled our meeting, I tried to cancel my layover, anxious to start my retreat. When that proved impossible, I hailed a taxi to the city and looked for something to do near my B&B.

Jean Vanier: Change the world one person at a time

As we face the war on terror, the terror of war, and hatred among religions and races, now more than ever we must heed God’s call to peace. But how do we accomplish such a monumental feat? For answers, I visited Jean Vanier, a hero of faith, humanitarian service, and a champion of peace building. Jean Vanier shared his personal outlook, which has held true for him for more than fifty years: Change the world one person at a time.

Advent Peace

It's advent - the season of year when Christians await the coming of Jesus anew in our hearts, in remembrance of his birth over 2,000 years ago. To celebrate, we light a candle each Sunday - one for hope, one for peace, one for joy, and one for love. This Sunday, my church asked me to light the candle of peace. As someone called to be a peacemaker, I was grateful for the chance to share some of the stories and journies of peace I have made over the years. Let me share the highlights with you.

I Want (I Don't Want)

I don’t want our kids to meet at encounter groups, to learn to empathise with the “other”

I don’t want them to hear of the Holocaust, to learn how our homelands became our graves

I don’t want them to talk about the Nakba, the right of return, and how long it takes

I don’t want to fear that in my nascent country, we risk annihilation again

I don’t want to fear that in my exile, we risk losing the chance for a homeland

 

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