Why I’m Giving Up Peace for Lent

The violence of our world seems to be spiraling out of control. Every news outlet is filled with the latest tragedy and for many, the violence has struck closer to home than they ever imagined. Sadly, much of the violence is being done in the name of religion. Religion – at its best – is …

(de)Escalating Violence and the Human Story in Israel/Palestine

I was sitting in the airport the other day listening to yet another account of the current events unfolding in Israel and Palestine. Almost mechanically, the lips of the news anchor spilled out words like terrorists, extremist, escalating violence, detention, kidnapping, hatred, protest, etc.  It was as though they were telling a story of some …

Left Behind, Failed Peace and the Human Implications of (bad) Theology

Through my work with The Global Immersion Project, I have spent a significant amount of time over the years cultivating relationships among both Israelis and Palestinians as we partner together in cultivating a narrative of reconciliation. As is often the case when we approach a people or place with the hopes of being/bringing the needed change, …

7 Lessons About Peace From My Time in the Middle East

Having just gotten home from guiding another The Global Immersion Project Learning Community deep into the lives of the unheralded heroes in the Holy Land to learn from their often untold stories, I am processing emotions, thoughts and reflections that will soon bud into a renewed set of practices at home and abroad. I have …

Untold Story in the Holy Land – Exposed

This is a much needed piece of journalism that is one of the most accurate reflections of the situation of Christians in Israel/Palestine that I have ever seen. Many of the people and places in the video are those Jan and I have come to know and interact with in our time on the ground …