Here is the support discernment committee that is helping me sort things out as to what and where to share these days. Starting at left, David Hovde, Ron Johnson, me, Julius Belser. They’ve been a helpful group. Dear Friends, “I think, Jim, you should consider attending the “Center for Justice and Peacebuilding” at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA. I think you could learn a lot and they would be interested in hearing and learning from you too.” Thus spoke Julius at a discernment meeting. The others affirmed it. So I looked into it and signed up for a pertinent course. Here’s the encouraging letter I got back from a professor. ...
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Hello friend, Hope “Bells on Christmas Day” Here is an old familiar carol written during the civil war, which must had been a turbulent time very similar to the present. A strong message of hope you might find helpful. Pay attention to the words as you sing or read it. Shalom, Jim 1. I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play and sweet the words repeat...
Dear Friends, Push Back to Nonviolence 10/22 thru 11/9 I was in Oregon where I gave 13 talk/discussions in schools and churches, one of them in Spanish. As usual I got pushback each time where people expressed their questions about my proposal: To tell Isis we really want to talk and to show it we will stop bombing and instead drop humanitarian aid like tents, clothing, and medicine. The most common reservations were “I believe we could never talk to Isis. They are not reasonable.” My responses were something like this. “I have the same questions. But we might be very surprised. I think they may say, ‘Let’s see how serious they are.’ They too are created in the image of God. Then there is that within all of us to respond to love. “I don’t know for sure what they would say, but if not this then we need to try something else. We can always go back to bombing, which obviously just makes their support grow.” I always appreciated the pushbac...
Jim's Peacemaking Newsletter View this email in your browser Dear Friends, Push Back to Nonviolence 10/22 thru 11/9 I was in Oregon where I gave 13 talk/discussions in schools and churches, one of them in Spanish. As usual I got pushback each time where people expressed their questions about my proposal: To tell Isis we really want to talk and to show it we will stop bombing and instead drop humanitarian aid like tents, clothing, and medicine. The most common reservations were “I believe we could never talk to Isis. They are not reasonable.” My responses were something like this. “I have the same questions. But we might be very surprised. I think they may say, ‘Let’s see how serious they are.’ They too are created in the image of God. Then there is that within all of us to respond to love. “I don’t know for sure what they would say, but if not this then we need to try something else. We can always go back to bombing, which obvi...
Dear friends, Less both sides Forget God Rules in this Election! ...
Dear Friends, Muslims, Hispanics, Gays “What similaries do to you see in the USA today and in your time growing up in Nazi Germany between 1928 and 1948?” Ask a brother at a sharing I attended. Franz Schneider answered. “What scares me is the signaling out certain groups like Muslims, Hispanics, and gays as the enemy as though they are the problem by a certain candidate. We were catholic we were on the list; fortunately no one turned us in. I had a brother for who the SST came to our house, arrested him and we never saw him again. I was home when it happened. Another thing is the one presidential candidate’s reluctances to say he will accept the outcome of the election if he loses. All these things happened under Hitler. I am fearful. Your country is in dangerous territory. At one point whole neighborhoods were leveled by the bombing. Many homes had cellars connected to the neighbors under the main houses, so when one was bombed you went t...
Voting for Donald, Particularly in Swing States, any vote for anyone other than Hilary (despite her many very negatives) is a vote for Donald Trump and his anti-Jesus hate and fear proposals like, closing doors to refugees,Nuclear bombing the Mideast, and anti-women, etc... Remember in Colombia the polls and media said 60% were for the peace agreement and they lost by .5%. could it happen here? Shalom to us all, Jim