Jim's Peacemaking

Hello, Friend February 15, 2012 Creating On Earth Peace in my church. Henry: I really appreciate the way you reach out to people here at Living Water Mennonite Community church. Your example and practice is a very important and good part of our church. We have been best friends for a long time. Henry continuing: But I just want to let you know that when I talked to you about changing Pot Lucks to two times a month I really felt you didn’t take me seriously. I felt dismissed, and that really offended me. I’ve been stewing over this ever since that happened over 2 years ago. I feel it has broken the goodness of the close relationship that God had given us. Judy (paraphrasing back): You really felt hurt when you talked to me about changing the Pot Lucks. You felt I dismissed you and did not take you seriously. You have been stewing over this for years now. It hurt you to lose our closeness. I am really sorry. Henry: I think that sums it up prett...

Hello Friends, A Fresh Overview of Jim’s Peacemaking January 17, 2012 Before I get to the overview I would like to tell you a story: When I was in Colombia last year I shared with some farmers that were forced to leave their farms by paramilitaries who accused them of helping another paramilitary group. I told them a story of how another village responded to the paramilitaries when they were accused of supporting the guerrillas. They said, “We are not going to leave our farm as usually happens. We would rather die than kill guerrillas.” The leader in the audience responded, “Maybe we were cowards?” I feel this planted seeds for the farmers to consider standing up to bring peace to their village. This inspiring people to act for peace is one of the main purposes for my trips to Colombia. Now for the overview. My mission is to Grow Peace internationally and locally by Instilling Hope through: • Raising awareness of God’s actions for justice and peace through CPT. • ...

Hello Friends, A Fresh Overview of Jim’s Peacemaking January 17, 2012 Before I get to the overview I would like to tell you a story: When I was in Colombia last year I shared with some farmers that were forced to leave their farms by paramilitaries who accused them of helping another paramilitary group. I told them a story of how another village responded to the paramilitaries when they were accused of supporting the guerrillas. They said, “We are not going to leave our farm as usually happens. We would rather die than kill guerrillas.” The leader in the audience responded, “Maybe we were cowards?” I feel this planted seeds for the farmers to consider standing up to bring peace to their village. This inspiring people to act for peace is one of the main purposes for my trips to Colombia. Now for the overview. My mission is to Grow Peace internationally and locally by Instilling Hope through: • Raising awareness of God’s actions for justice and peace through CPT. • ...

Hello friends: Reading the Bible & Peace Advisory Board An Interesting survey how reading the Bible shape our opinions from "Christianity Today" , This is a magazine that has been one of the main voices for Evangelical Christians in the USA. Survey: Frequent Bible Reading Can Turn You Liberal What a surprising survey says about how reading the Bible frequently can turn you liberal (in some ways). Aaron B. Franzen | posted 10/12/2011 10:20AM Related articles and links | 1 of 2 ADVERTISEMENT A recent poll from LifeWay Research found that 89 percent of American households still own a Bible, with the average home having 4.1 Bibles. But owning a Bible is different from reading it—and pollsters might be surprised by what happens when many Americans do. Most polls, surveys, and studies that have examined the Bible's influence have looked at views of its inspiration and methods of interpretation. Gallup, for example, has fo...

Hello friends, Endangering the Troops November 30, 2011 “You should not cut the military budget that will endanger the troops; our military only responds in self defense, they will not a have a way to defend themselves." Shared a sister with much feeling who just got returned from the Special Forces in Iraq, I responded, “I didn't think of that. We should bring them home first that makes sense. I will have to change my flyer" She added, "Yes lets bring them home first, and in addition the private contractors make several times more pay than the soldiers, there has not been a cost of living increase for them for several years now. The politicians are the big problem.This is not right; the soldiers are risking their lives.” This conversation occurred at the end of my presentation at the Eugene Oregon, Quaker church. “Can you help me, said Pedro Avila in his broken English in Portland Amtrak Station; I responded do ...

Hello friends, Put on the Spot November 27,2011 " What would you do if you were president when the Japanese invaded Japan? ask a sister a number of times putting me on the spot at the Mt. View Mennonite Church in a suburb of Los Angeles, I hesitated trying to think what to say, I finally responded, "I don't know what I would do, I would have to think about that. I have heard that our government knew it was going to happen but they wanted to let it happen so they could rally the people of the united States to support the government going to war. I wonder if that was not the truth." Afterwards a brother from the audience who had obviously studied that history, said to me in detail,"You were right the government did know about it beforehand." I went on to say, " Often people ask, " What would you do if someone attack your family?" We are putting lots of effort in to how to make war and so little into how to ...

Dear Friend, Why didn't they shoot you ? 10/13/11 “Why didn’t they shoot you? Asked one of the students at Bethany Mennonite Christian School. I responded, might be because I am an American. But my sense is it is a lot because people are praying for us. At my talks over the years I run into people who say they heard about CPT and they have been praying for us. I sense more and more over the years these prayers have not only provided protection, but also they have made our work effective beyond what I will ever imagine. Another questioned “Were you ever scared?” I answered, “When we run into any of the guerrilla, paramilitaries, or the Colombian Army and they point their guns at us we never know what they might do, I must say fear runs through me. Though thanks be to God they haven’t shot at us yet.” We usually talk with them then, and we get to know them. And once that happens, I think they see us as people, and than it is hard for them to shoot...