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Doors Close and Doors Open in One Day


Hello friends,

“I told you I was going to Colombia, didn’t I?” said my friend Paul Alexander, the co-founder of Pentecostals and Charismatics for Peace and Justice.

“No, I know nothing about it.” I responded.

Paul answered, “Well, next May, Bob Welch, a fellow professor, and I are going to Colombia to interview Colombian church people who are active in peace and justice work. We want to use these interviews for a book we are writing. I was hoping you could help us find people to interview and to come help us with the interviews.”

This all happened about 9:30 PM in Los Angeles after I was told by the Presbyterians that morning in New York that they felt I would not work for their Colombian accompaniment program because It meant waiting around for something to happen several days a week and they felt that would not fit who I was. I asked to try it for a month, but they felt it just would not work.

What a gift for the Lord to open doors so quickly after receiving this discouraging news.

The Presbyterians did encourage me to pursue my standing invitation to visit the Colombian Mennonite Brethren churches (as a way of encouraging them in their peacemaking). A few days later I was in Fresno, CA and talking with my friend Cesar Garcia, former president of the Colombian Mennonite Brethren who had invited me to share with the churches. So I now have plans for that to happen in April and May of 2010.

In my month of travel I gave 23 talks to groups and had many intense individual conversations. Each one was special in its own way. In Long Island, NY I was told by my host Tom, “You really challenged them.” “Really?” I answered. “I thought I was just talking to the 'choir,' the way they agreed with me.” “Oh no,” Tom replied. “Your sharing, I think, will change Long Island!”

In Eugene, Oregon I shared at Well Springs Friend's School for 58 students who are not fitting into the public school system. As usual, I gave out literature and asked them to leave whatever they didn’t want on their seats. And only one student left anything. This just confirmed my sense of connection with these high schoolers.

Here are some of the people from the Springwater Church in Portland, Oregon where I shared. They asked me to share with Colombians, “Please forgive us for the US foreign policy that has caused many Colombians pain and suffering...” That evening they were sewing school kits for the Mennonite Central Committee to be given to children abroad.

With each slide presentation I offered a list of books (attached or see below) with my comments telling how each book has helped form my peacemaking. This same paper also showed how - with one click of the computer - people can let their senators, representatives, and President Obama know their concerns. I always encourage people to pray as they do this.

When I was leaving Lancaster Mennonite School, three students walked across the street to tell me how much they appreciated my sharing in chapel. At Western Mennonite School in Salem, Oregon, a student went out of his way to thank me.

For your prayers:

That the seeds sown in this trip would sprout, grow and flourish into fruits of peace, joy and love in the lives of each person that was touched.

For the church for the homeless I attended with our daughter Emily that meets in a park in Salem, Oregon.

For the US to decide not to have seven military bases in Colombia.

Peace,

Jim

PS: See my book comments below


Jim’s Comments on Books That Have Been Forming His Peacemaking


To see my letters, go to www.jimspeacemaking.org. My email is jimfitz2@gmail.com. The CPT website is cpt.org.


An easy way to inform the government of your concerns is the following: If you

go to the Friends Committee on National Legislation web site: www.fcnl.org and click on “Contact Congress” and fill in your zip code, you than can send your letter to your Senators, Congressperson, and President Obama with just one click. Just copy and paste the letter into the box. I would encourage you to consider signing up for the FCLN email list. It is a very easy way to let your representatives know what you are thinking. Democracy only works if we use it. Also, a fast, easy way to help people in dire need is to go to www.amnestyusa.org and click on “What You Can Do.”



Friends –

Here are some books

that have helped me

in my journey. I pray

that they may speak

to you also.

Jim


The Message Remix Bible by Eugene Peterson. Eugene’s introductions and his today’s language translation have moved me to make bible reading a central part of my quiet time. I often find my own experience in the stories. Some important quotes “Jesus is the descent of God to our lives, just as they are, not the ascent of our lives to God, hoping he might approve when he sees how hard we try.” “The Bible is about the incredible love of God among us, doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves.” “We are most ourselves and the people of God when we love.” “As you read ask God to have his way in your life.” As a result, I have begun my first quest to read the Bible through. Buy a used copy on EBay, Amazon, or biblio.com for less than $15.00. Be sure to get the remix which has the verses noted and Eugene’s introductions, and some maps etc.

The Myth of a Christian Nation- How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church by Gregory Boyd. He has shown me how the ways of the world have crept into my life and replaced the ways of Calvary: love, justice, mercy. He says we need to be part of politics but to be careful not to align ourselves with any party. He calls us to be always suspicious of all political parties, but support whoever calls for Biblical love, justice, mercy, truth and peace. Boyd gives clear insight into biblical church/state relationships. It was very refreshing to me to hear this from a non- traditional peace church brother.

Biblical Pacifism by Dale Brown. Just what it says and very clear. Dale faces squarely the hard questions often asked about the Bible and peace from several points of view. He answers questions like, “What about wars in the Old Testament?” and “What if someone attacks you?” Dale also shares his own personal journey with peace. He is a personal friend.

Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour. Chacour is a Christian Palestinian priest who grew up during the formation of the state of Israel. His family is part of a church that dates back to the very beginnings of Christianity. This book has been very helpful for me in coming to understand in a very personal and new way how the conflict has and is affecting both Jews and Palestinians living in the area. Elias has really challenged my understandings of peacemaking and of Jesus’ call to love our enemies. Elias’s father’s example of returning good for evil moved me deeply. Elias is now a bishop of the Catholic Church in Palestine. In many ways I see him as the Martin Luther King of the Middle East, working tirelessly at reconciliation in the Israel/ Palestinian conflict. One of his projects is to build schools where both Israeli and Palestinian children attend. It was a very moving, “I couldn’t put it down” kind of book.

The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist. Lynne’s mission is to eradicate hunger in the world. This has given her close relationships with the poorest and the richest and everyone in between. In this book she reveals the false assumptions about money and having enough that we all live by and how these block us from solving world hunger and living fulfilling lives. My trying to live more under the assumption that there is enough in this moment has brought increasing peace amidst my hurried times. This book is transforming me. Lynne is director of The Hunger Project.

Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. Shane is part of a younger generation living among the poor in Philadelphia. He shares many funny but conscience-jabbing stories from his journey. His journey took him from first spending two months in a community of lepers with Mother Teresa to immediately going to visit the mega church Willow Creek in Chicago. He has powerful insight into stepping out of our normal assumptions about what church is about. Delightful and inspiring, especially to youth. Jesus for President is another book of his that is similar and is also very good.

It’s a Meaningful Life, It Just Takes Practice by Bo Lozoff. Lozoff is director of Humankindness.org and teaches prayer and meditation to prisoners as a way of reducing violence in their lives. He draws on the wisdom of several religious traditions including Christianity. I feel God has used this book to deepen my understanding of my own Christian faith. I am now on my second time through. The good life is not achieved without practicing, but it is worth it. Challenging.

Desperate Marriages by Gary Chapman. He uses real situations from his obvious many years of counseling to illustrate the lies that hold us captive, to help us take responsibility for our own thoughts, feelings, and actions, and how to make choices that have a positive impact on yourself and your spouse. What you can do if your spouse is irresponsible, a workaholic, controlling, uncommunicative, abusive, unfaithful, addicted to alcohol or drugs, or depressed. He restores hope by sharing over and over how the only options are not just 1) a life of misery or 2) separation, and that a good life together can be achieved with hard work and often help from others. His suggestions could save many a marriage that is on the rocks, which is the situation of many, as a friend recently remarked.

Real Sex by Lauren Winner. Lauren honestly articulates a lot of the violence associated with sexuality that we never talk about or deal with. Getting it into words is helping me deal with it. I wish I had read this book when I was a teen. She speaks of the difficulty and the importance of sexual chastity and the churches role in helping each other in it. She points out the lies the church and our culture tell us that trip us up. She addresses pornography and masturbation and how far is too far?

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. Putting into practice his challenging suggestions of living in the here and now has been a major part in helping me to deal with some difficult depression in my journey. He writes out of his own struggles with depression. I have read it 4-5 times.

A New Earth- Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckart Tolle. A step further into the power of living in the here and now. Some practical advice on moving away from our preoccupation with fear of the future and regrets about the past. Reading it quietly, and just a little bit each day, has helped bring more calm into my life.

The Powers that Be by Walter Wink. This book has been really central in forming my peacemaking. I have read it 4-5 times. Wink’s call to love our enemies and to prayer has made me think about who my enemies are. Some have been politicians, so I put them on my prayer list. And I was amazed to see how that changed my attitude toward them in that I see them more as humans and less as evil. I still feel anger sometimes because of some of the things they do. God is still working on that in me. Wink helped me look at myself and realize how I need to change to become a person for peace. He writes stories from his personal experience. Really good.

Hebron Journal by Art Gish. Art is a friend who has spent much time in Hebron with CPT. His is a moving account of CPT’s day-to-day peacemaking in both Israel and Palestine. Art is the man in the photo on the display board who is standing in the way of the tank.

Iraq: a Journey of Hope by Peggy Gish. A deeply moving account of CPT work in Iraq since before the war started. Peggy was part of some CPTers who camped at water treatment plants in hope of deterring the US from bombing them. Peggy is also a friend of mine.

Boundaries in Marriage by Cloud and Townsend. Through this book I came to see how personal relations are an important part of peacemaking. Here I learned, among many helpful things, that the only person I can change is me and that is where peace begins.

The Journey Toward Reconciliation by John Paul Lederach. Lederach has worked on reconciliation in many places: Nicaragua, Ireland, in many churches and in his own family relationships. A very personal account drawing on these experiences to teach the nuts and bolts of Biblical peacemaking. Excellent.

A Simple Path by Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa cuts through all the clutter and complication we put on the gospel. She is a challenge to all of us to simply love. Powerful.

Steps to Inner Peace by Peace Pilgrim. Peace Pilgrim walked 25,000 miles over more than 25 years sharing about peace to whoever was interested. She fasted unless given food and slept along the road unless given a bed. Full of transforming peace wisdom. I give this booklet free to anyone.

The Five Languages of Love: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman. A classic on this issue, I hear even the Amish use it. It teaches one how to discover what our mate’s meaningful languages are and how to express them in caring ways. Otherwise, we can be missing each other despite our best intentions. The five categories are: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. Very helpful.

Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer. Is the life I am living the same as the one that wants to live in me? With this begins a moving mediation on finding one’s true calling. In writing this book, he draws on his personal journey through depression which I identified with in my own journey. A good book.

Poustinia: Christian Spirituality of the East for Western Man by Catherine Doherty. This brought home to me how the practice of the Jesus Prayer – “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner” - could help me in my journey. We see the journey of a pilgrim as he seeks to learn to pray this prayer. It is a classic. It moved me deeply.

Living Together in a World Falling Apart by Dave and Neta Jackson. This is a classic handbook on living in Christian community. It includes a snap shot of many Christian communities..

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins. I had always suspected the US government was up to some awful stuff under the table. But this is the first time I heard someone say, “This is how they trained me and this is what I did, even to government leaders.” Realizing that bringing this to the light is part of ending these bad activities helped me get through this book. His section on what you can do was very encouraging.

Mediation: A Simple 8 Point Program for Translating Spiritual Ideals into Daily Life by Eknath Easwaran. He says: “You may be saying I am not sure I can meditate. . . I just can’t sit still. I say, try it – you’ll be surprised. Some of my friends were jumping beans before they learned to meditate.” Very encouraging to keep practicing mediation and prayer, and it has been a life saver for me in times of stress.

CPT policy is that volunteers such as myself raise all of their own funds. Therefore, I depend on donations in order to provide protection to threatened Colombians as well as to give presentations to increase awareness and encourage people to do their part to bring peace and justice to the world. I invite you to take part in this effort by praying for peace and/or making a donation. You can donate online at jimspeacemaking.org or make a check out to “Jim’s Peacemaking” and mail to: Jim’s Peacemaking, 723 Seward St, Evanston, IL 60202.



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