Jim's Peacemaking

Greetings friends! Here are my plans for 2007 combined with a report on 2006. I gave 34 presentations this past year , sharing with about 1355 persons about CPT peacemaking. I see this as planting seeds which help people to consider nonviolent ways of resolving conflicts from the personal to the international level. To start off, here are some photos that catch some of the highlights of my peacemaking. Here I am planting peace seeds by sharing photos and stories about CPT with this army sergeant in the Opon. He asked several times, "Do you think a person could be forgiven if they killed someone?" He added, "It sure doesn't make any sense the way we Colombians are killing each other." Even soldiers are seeking the way to peace. This was part of a couple of days where persons who had lost family members in a massacre broke their years of the silence. This is an important element in forging a lasting peace for Colombia that is based on reconciliation and justice. T...

Hello Friends, "Did I talk to too much about faith and prayer? It's hard for me to talk about my peacemaking and not mention these things. That's just where their questions seem to go," I said to a human rights professor, after speaking to her university class. She responded, "Oh no, that was fine. I asked that question about whether you proselytize because I knew that you didn't. But I felt it important for the students to realize that faith can be an important part of peace and justice work and it does not necessarily mean you proselytize." Art Sandler, the other professor at Webster University, said, "That was really good. The students were really engaged. We should make your visit an annual affair." I heard this sentiment of inviting me again next year often, after the 14 times of sharing in St Louis and Hannibal, Missouri. After the presentation to the Pax Christi group at St Louis University, one of the students, upon seeing my "Do Y...

Hello friends, "I used to be very active in the peace movement, but my current work has been so consuming I haven't participated much in the last ten years," shared Rich Wood, a former United Methodist pastor, during a conversation with me on the train to Chicago. For the past ten years Rich has been dedicating himself to exposing the way drug companies are wrongfully pushing farmers to use unnecessary drugs on animals here and abroad. I also got to share CPT photos and stories with him. "It is very encouraging to hear about CPT peacemaking. Even though I get 40 emails a day, I would still like to be on your mailing list." I responded, "You can always delete my email if you are getting too many emails; I will never know it!" And I added, "But don't forget your work is an important part of peacemaking and I want to encourage you to keep at it. Blessings to you in it." Rich and I agreed though our work often feels overwhelming, one thing...

Hello friends, "Your friend Mr. Fitz got in my head. He got even me thinking. We never pay attention in that class, but everyone was listening," a star football player at Verdugo High School said to my friend Cordell Bowman. Before the class started the teacher told me, "Now this class might get out of hand, and if it does we will just usher you out of the room." Another teacher, after hearing my sharing, said, "You have to share this with more people. So for the next 90 minute period, please go to my friend's class for 45 minutes and then come back to my class. You got me thinking too." Another teacher shar ed, "You talked about values, something these students seldom hear about, and that was good." For four classes in a row, I shared in this LA high school. I never have had such attention from students during high school classes. They filled the time with lots of important questions. I was worn out, energized, and very encouraged when it...

Dear friends, My three months in Colombia and on the CPT team there were drawing to a close, and Noah was leading the team worship which would be my final one this time. He asked people to share anything they wanted to share with me or to say prayers for me. Michele shared, "I really appreciate the fact that when you took me downtown to make a copy of my passport, you also introduced me to your many friends that we met along the way. I also appreciate how you shared CPT brochures with those we did business with." Pierre said, "I just always chuckle inside whenever I see you giving out a Peace Pilgrim pamphlet. I can't help but think that you are a peace pilgrim too." He added, "And you will be Uncle Jim to our two-year-old daughter Vania from now on!" As I listened to these and other sharings and looked around at each person, suddenly a light went on in me which made me share, "You have each helped me become more of what God meant me to be during...

Hello friends, Those of you who know me personally know how I love to talk with people! And praise God, for He continues to use these conversations for the building up of His kingdom. On the bus trip to Bogotá (a week prior to leaving Colombia), I had a three hour conversation with my seat mate, Jorge (name is changed for security), an older fellow who shared with me some of his experiences living in Colombia during the present conflict “ which has gone on all his adult life. When I was young and saw all the suffering of the poor, there was a real temptation in my anger to think the only way to bring justice was to take up a gun. One of my friends and a natural leader took up the gun and soon was killed as a young age, killing any future contributions to society as well. Somehow I was saved from going down that road. I now have a business that works in the countryside. One time in order to do our work, I had to pay off two of the guerrilla groups by giving them jobs and pay off the...

Hello friends, The other Sunday a former paramilitary, Jose, who is the leader of a Christian band, invited CPTers to come to the worship service where they would be playing. So I went. Jose left the Paras (the illegal paramilitary organization) as a result of conversations he had with CPTers in the Opon four years ago through which he came to see the futility of using a gun to try to solve the 40-year-old conflict. Jose told me Sunday, "There were about 50 of us who left the Paras at that time. Some ended up in jail, as they were so used to criminal activity, it got them in trouble. Others returned to the Paras, and a few of us started to try to straighten out our lives. I am graduating from a seminary course Dec. 17. Can you come to my graduation?" "Regrettably," I replied, "I won't be here in Colombia then." Recently, when I was picking up a switch at the hardware store, the clerk asked, "Who are you? And what are you doing here in Colombia?...