Mother’s Day is not primarily a call for sentimental reflection about our mothers. It’s a call to disarm. It’s a call to nonviolence. It’s a call to follow the God of nonviolent love, not the violent Caesars of our world. Finally, Mother’s Day is a call to peace, justice, and love for all of creation. Only when our lives are patterned in that way can we live out Howe’s dream to “solemnly take counsel with e ...

Rob's thinking is that people are gradually cluing in to God's vision of a world without retributive violence. “Revenge always escalates.” he writes (Kindle Locations 1919-1920). Always. So, God takes vengeance away from us. He situates the conversation in ancient history and what we can gather about the cultural situation of their time and place in history. ...

Yesterday was Easter – the day we celebrated the Resurrection of the Son of God. It’s the day when we finally realize that God isn’t out to get us. In fact, three days after a bunch of people abandoned, betrayed, and killed him, Jesus came back. And instead of following the same old script of holy-revenge-in-the-name-of-justice (thanks to Saturday Night Live for that skit!) Jesus offered forgiveness and pea ...

Can a song reconcile two nations? The captivating life of Monique Andree Serf, also known as Barbara, says yes... ...

http://www.hulu.com/watch/457670 Whenever I talk with people about Jesus and nonviolence, a curious thing happens. Someone will inevitably raise his hand (and it’s always his hand), call me a wuss, and then accuse me of making Jesus-Christ-Our-Lord-And-Savior into my own wussy image. First, the accusation that I’m a wuss is totally true. No one can surpass my wussiness. I run from confrontation and if I eve ...

Haidt says, “Anyone who values truth should stop worshipping reason.” Wow! And I thought reason was the only way to get at the truth. ...

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5 That verse has become my mantra. I constantly pray it, so that I might come to believe it. During the last week darkness has spread across the United States. First there was the shooting at Clackamas Town Center. I grew up near Clackamas, Oregon, and went to that mall frequently as a teenager. The familiar images of the parki ...

“Guns are why we’re free in this country, and people lose sight of that when tragedies like this happen.” Scott Ostrosky, Newtown resident, owner of informal shooting range, as quoted in the New York Times. “We can’t tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change.” President Obama, speaking at a Newtown, CT prayer vigil In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, CT on Friday, w ...

What I believe is we have to … change the culture of violence that we have. – Mitt Romney We’re going to hunt down those who committed this crime. – Barack Obama The definitive renunciation of violence, without any second thoughts, will become for us the condition … for the survival of humanity itself and for each one of us. – René Girard, Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World, 137. Mitt Romney an ...

Voices of Peace welcomed Kevin Miller, writer, director, and co-producer of the controversial documentary Hellbound? for an exciting conversation on Hell. In Hellbound?, Kevin interviews prominent pastors, theologians, musicians, and exorcists about Hell. Does Hell exist? If so, why? What impact do our beliefs about Hell have on the world? If God is Love, can God eternally torment people in Hell? These are ...