Jim's Peacemaking

“Putting disciplined quiet time into your life’s routine” January I, 2010 Dear friends, Here are some suggestions for putting disciplined quiet time into your life’s routine. I wish I had these when I started. 1. Commit yourself to a goal you think you can fairly easily meet. Too many times we set the bar too high and fail to achieve it and then feel guilty, saying “I will never be able to be disciplined,” or “This just doesn’t fit who I am.” And then we give up trying. 2. Choose something that is meaningful to you - read the psalms, a prayer book, another book, some type of meditation, or a combination of things. To begin with, it is best for this to be fairly simple. 3. Be creative. I have heard of people having a regular, disciplined quiet time as they drive or travel on public transportation. I know of one woman who scheduled three hours once a week, sending her small children off on a “date night” with Daddy. Ask God to lead you. 4. Try to keep the same routine for your quiet tim...

New US War, US Military Bases in Colombia July 30, 2009 Hello Friends, I am very concerned about the US recently announced plans to construct military bases in Colombia. As you know, I have been a volunteer with Christian Peacemaker Teams since 2002, accompanying Colombian farmers who are threatened by guerrillas, paramilitaries, and Colombian military forces. As we have often told these armed groups, “You have been trying to resolve the conflict in Colombia for the last 50 years with a gun. Can’t you see it just does not work? It just results in more suffering and death of people each day.” To build military bases in Colombia is continuing this same false assumption that the conflict in Colombia can be solved with a gun. Lasting resolutions to conflict always are resolved with negotiations. Let’s support President Barak Obama’s proclamation to make diplomacy central in US foreign policy. I sense this is a very pivotal point in US Colombian foreign policy that could go the wrong way ...

Dear friends, Whether you are new to my updates and newsletter or you have been a subscriber or supporter for a long time, greetings from our new home in Chicago. A big change for Lyn and I this year was our move here in December to a rented apartment from our rural farm home of 27 years at Plow Creek Fellowship near Tiskilwa, IL. An important part of my peacemaking efforts has been this an nual reporting of my activities of the last year and a forward projection, with openness to the Lord’s leading, of my hopes and plans, along with a budget for the coming year. This exercise, I have found, is good for me as it lends perspective to my work and also holds me accountable to all of you who are praying and supporting the work and me financially. I’ll begin with some recent photos and commentary: This is one of five presentations to 300 Elkhart high school students in Indiana this April. The teacher noted, “This fueled a half hour of really powerful discussion.” Some of students response...

Hello Friends, “I want to let you know, I am going to be praying for you,” a young man quietly told me after my slide presentation in his middle school in West Virginia. At each of my school presentations I say, “If you have interest in reading any of these books that have impacted my peacemaking, let me know and I will give them to your library.” Interestingly, the middle school students always mention a few books on my list. The most requested book, both in Philadelphia and in West Virginia, was Real Sex by Lauren Winner. A most honest and healthy look at sex. It brings to light the violence that is happening regarding sex that we never talk about or deal with. I wish I had read this book when I was a teen. In Philadelphia In one class I had 90 minutes and only 4 hours’ sleep beforehand, and I was wearing out, when the students brought up questions about what Quakers believe. Fortunately my Nephew Dave Fitz who is a Quaker and who is much more articulate than I am was along. ...

Dear friends, I asked for you to pray in the last letter and to say it simply, God answered far beyond our expectations. 1. In El Salvador, a moderate leftist candidate was elected, 51% to 48%. And a good friend in Colombia who was watching the election wrote, “I think this new president has real potential to be a government that is really for the people.” 2. When I went to give the five presentations to the Proviso West High School, the teacher was so fearful he would lose his job if my presentation even hinted anything about religion that I was ready to say, “Oh, let's just forget it.” But when we went to check with the principal, she assured us there would be no problem and said “This kind of presentation is an important p art of giving the kids a good education.” In asking the students what they thought of CPT afterwards, they were 90% very positive. One senior is seriously considering CPT as part of her future. 3. I got an email from the Presbyterian director that contained th...

Hello friends, I have a prayer list for you. 1. El Salvador is in the midst of an important election today. Pray that God’s will be done. That whatever the out come that people would have dialogue with each other and not resort to the gun to resolve their differences. 2. Tomorrow I plan to give 6 presentations in the Proviso West High School in Chicago. Students are involved in gangs and probably some carry guns when not in school. Pray that we all could be open to what the Lord wants to say to and through each of us to bring his peace, justice, and joy . 3. I have made an application and had an interview to volunteer in the Colombian Presbyterian accompaniment program. I felt very good about the interview and feel their program would fit me very well. The Presbyterians have been waiting 2 weeks to talk to CPT before they can move ahead with my application. Pray CPT would respond soon and if not that I would have patience. 4. I am going through a crisis in my life and will be se...