This is now the fourth war I have lived through in Lebanon. Each time violence returns, it carries old memories with it. Old fears. Old grief. In moments like these, I often find myself asking again: How do we hold on to peace in the midst of darkness? How do we continue believing that God is good and that Jesus truly is the Prince of Peace when societies keep tearing themselves apart?

We must cultivate political will among American leaders to end the “forgotten” Korean war. It is long past time for the Korean people to have the peace and sovereignty they need to determine their own future. Here are some ways you can learn about the ongoing war and advocate for peace.

It has been one year since fighters from Hamas and other militant groups fired rockets and crossed the border from Gaza into Israel, brutally killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 more, ripping apart families and traumatizing the country. It has been one year since Israel retaliated with airstrikes against the crowded cities of Gaza, soon to be followed by a ground invasion and blockade that cut Gaza’s access to food and fuel. Why do we care? Why don’t we just look away and trust these far-off countries to sort it out themselves? 

Several nights ago, I was invited by my dear friend to come to Vratnik, but this time to a local “kafana” (pub) to come and sing Sevdah, a traditional genre of song from Bosnia that usually talks about unrequited love, tragedy, and fallen heroes. I’m a big advocate of in-person therapy, but oftentimes that type of therapy is unavailable or unattainable. So that evening, I decided to offer a different kind of therapy, the kind that sings songs of sorrow and gives permission to even the most hardened of men to experience the emotions of pain.

Peace Catalyst International unreservedly calls for a ceasefire in Palestine and Israel, the return of all hostages, secure humanitarian corridors, and an end to the widespread killing and destruction in Gaza.

For the past 10 years I developed an interest in studying trauma. I must admit that my interest in the topic started from purely selfish reasons. I wanted to investigate and try to explain to myself the events that took place in my past. And try to understand why I jump and scream every time there is a sudden loud noise, thinking who is shooting, from what direction, and is my life under threat? Slowly, this interest grew to a much larger scale. I took on the ambitious task of trying and understand how trauma travels through generations. And what consequences it leaves behind.

There is a constant battle between the individual longing for freedom and civilisation demanding conformity and repression of instincts. And so, individuals are constantly sending subtle and not-so-subtle messages about their feelings and this restricted freedom. I had this on my mind recently as I took the trolley bus through Sarajevo.

We all encounter circumstances, people, and conversations that scare us. It is natural for our defenses to automatically kick into gear, preparing us to fight or escape at any cost. This is why I am amazed whenever I meet people who instead manage to pause their defense reactions long enough to engage their curiosity and seek to better understand their partner in conflict. This kind of dialogue is truly courageous.

Will you wage peace with us? Let’s pray in the new year by praying for Syria, South Sudan, Somalia, Central African Republic, and Afghanistan!