Jim's Peacemaking

Dear Friends,                                       Fear and the Corona Virus

In some self-reflection I have come to see that I have been unconsciously enveloped in a fear over the coronavirus pandemic. I feel paralyzed and hopeless. I noticed I feel I just have to turn the radio on to keep up on what is happening. Each time I hear more figures on how it is getting worse everywhere in the world, it fills my mind, the focus of much of what I think about. When I came to see this was happening, I noticed I wanted to just turn on the radio, and it was and is hard to turn it off. Just about everything on the radio was related to the virus. In reflecting I realized this subconscious fear permeated me. This fear was not healthy. It was creating anxiousness and anxiety, and anything but peace and contentment. This fear was what I needed to get rid of. From a Dr. Bruce Lipton I learned about fear. For example, fear goes in gear when we are attacked. All our blood goes to our arms and legs so w…

amigos,  un acontecimiento esperanzador

 este es un acontecimiento esperanzador!
Hace dos años, Etiopía era un caso estancado. El gobierno parecía estar perdiendo el control. La mayoría
de las personas Oromo estaban inquietas bajo una regla que parecía robarles su lugar. La
tradicionalmente poderosa Amhara se amotinó. Un estado de emergencia trajo silencio en la superficie,
pero debajo de la nación se arremolinaba. Una Guerra civil amenazaba. Un extranjero fue asesinado. El
turismo disminuyó. Finalmente, el primer ministro renunció. La iglesia oró fervientemente. Luego,
inesperadamente, hace ocho meses, el relativamente desconocido Abiy Ahmad fue elegido primer
ministro.
Lo que siguió fue igualmente imprevisto. En un audaz y valiente discurso de aceptación; Ahmad anunció
una política de paz, amor y unidad para la nación y sus relaciones con el resto del mundo. Hizo grandes
promesas y para sorpresa en un mundo cínico de promesas políticas, las cumplió.
"Necesitamos fricción pero n…

Queridos Amigos, Nueva Rodilla y Haciendo La Paz2 de April 2020 Desde el 22 de enero tengo una nueva rodilla y ahora me estoy recuperando. Lyn estuvo aquí para mi cirugía y me ha estado ayudando enormemente en mi recuperación. Hizo muchas llamadas telefónicas y sugerencias para asegurarse de que la recuperación fuera más fácil y rápida para mí. Pasé 4 semanas en rehabilitación. Allí, comí mis comidas con 4 pacientes judíos y un presbiteriano. Fue una oportunidad sorprendentemente buena para compartir sobre trabajar por la paz, incluyendo compartir una charla y fotos sobre Colombia y El Salvador y tener muchas buenas conversaciones. Un hermano judío comentó: "Todos queremos la paz, pero ustedes están haciendo algo al respecto". Irwin, otro judío, leyó mis panfletos de paz y tomó los nombres de todos los libros que uso para mis tiempos de silencio y así poder conseguirlos y leerlos. Le mostré un mapa de Israel / Palestina y cómo los palestinos controlaban aproximadamente el 95% de…

Dear Friends,             A  New Knee & Making Peace       3/5/20
On January 22 I got a new knee and I’m now recovering. Lyn
was here for my surgery and has been supporting me
enormously in my recovery. She made lots of phone calls and
suggestions to make sure the recovery went easier and faster
for me.
I spent 4 weeks in rehab. There I ate my meals with 4 Jewish
patients and a Presbyterian. It was a surprisingly good
opportunity to share about working for peace, including sharing
a talk and photos on Colombia and El Salvador and having lots
of good conversations.

One Jewish brother remarked, “We all want peace but you are
doing something about it.” Irwin, another Jew, read my peace
pamphlets and took the names of all the books I use for quiet
time so he could get them and read them.

I showed Irwin a map of Israel/Palestine and how the
Palestinians controlled about 95% of the land in 1947 and only
10% today. He showed this map to Mart who is Jewish. Mart
responded, “Oh that’s jus…

An Incredible Prime Minister Dear Friends, a hopeful happening, Two years ago, Ethiopia was a basket case. The government seemed to be losing control The majority Oromo people were restive under a rule that seemed to rob them of their place. The traditionally powerful Amhara rioted. A state of emergency brought silence on the surface, but underneath the nation seethed. Civil war threatened. A foreigner was killed. Tourism waned. Finally, the prime minister resigned. The church prayed earnestly. Then, unexpectedly, eight months ago, the relatively unknown Abiy Ahmad was elected prime minister. What followed was equally unanticipated. In a bold, courageous acceptance speech; Ahmad announced a policy of peace, love and unity for the nation and its relationships with the rest of the world. He made sweeping promises and, to the surprise of a world cynical of political promises, kept them. “We need friction but not hatred, argument but not insult,” he tells his people. “To give forgiveness to …

Tidbits12/6/2019 Dear Friends: The New Testament book of Revelation gives us one of the moststunning, creative and beautiful pictures of Jesus and his kingdom in the entire Bible.  “Revelation” is written specially for Christians living as citizens in a superpower. Thegospel of Jesus in “Revelation” is more political than anyone imagines, and in a way no one guesses. John of Patmos‘s Revelation is intended somewhat to comfort but  mostly to warn the Christians who were too cozy with the Roman Empire…..don’t get comfortable with Empire! Remember it’s a beast!  “Revelation” is a prophetic interpretation of those tumultuous and significant happenings that Jesus, not Julius Cesar or any President is the world’s true emperor and Savior.  “Revelation” is a creative picture of the clash between the beastly empire of Rome and the peaceable reign of the Lamb of God. It shows the world finally conquered by a little Lamb they killed who lives again. “Revelation” isn’t about the violent end of the world…