People like learning from experts. And better yet, experts who not only know their stuff but who give good advice based on personal experiences. As we learn from them and experience for ourselves the truth of what they have to teach, they become more credible. They are teachers we can trust. In Indonesia we have a phrase for people like this: sudah makan banyak garam, which literally means people who "have eaten much salt." People who eat much salt have a lot of life experience and know what they are talking about.

The year from spring 2011 to the coming spring of 2012 has been a year full of women proclaiming “Peace!” at the top of their lungs. Not quiet wishes for tranquility or ease, but bold pushes toward equity and right-ness, even as they are buffeted in the process.

Here I begin a series on faith and poverty, spurred on by a Lenten program at my church focused on the poor. In a blog about Fair Trade I explored some of the complexities of the notion of poverty, emphasizing in particular the unjust structures of global trade that hinder the economic development of the poorest countries. 

You are already aware of what comes to mind when people think of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I just spent 10 days in the Holy Land and I now have a new way of seeing the threats on Israelis and the occupation of the Palestinians. The conflict is no longer just about religion, land, and justice. It is about real people and friends that I have made there. I heard stories from both sides (this is my second time there). I have seen their pain, faced my own prejudice, and learned a lot about peacemaking. 

Peacemaking is not rocket science. Ultimately, it’s about friendship, and Rabbi Solomon and Steve LaSala masterfully modeled the three foundational steps of friend-making. I encourage you to follow their example by beginning a friendship with someone whose perspective is different than your own!

David L. Johnston has just written an article in response to last week's Newsweek cover article, “The Global War on Christians in the Muslim World,” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

Can any parallels be drawn between the behavior of Ahmadinejad in Iran and dispensational Christianity?

N.T. Wright often speaks of God’s mission in terms of “putting the world to rights.” Our world, full of irresponsibility, greed, power, lust, and violence, is desperately in need of restoration.

Common grace, common ground, and the common good are three indispensable keys for peacemakers that help us build bridges for peace, partner for human flourishing, and bear witness with authenticity!