Last night, I met with President Morsi of Egypt, along with a few other faith leaders of Judaism, Islam and strands of Christianity. I was the only evangelical in the room. I also met for the second time Egypt’s Foreign Minister and for the first time the Egyptian Ambassador to the US. The President cancelled meetings with 4 other heads of state just to be able to talk about faith, government, and global affairs with faith leaders.

All the hard work and planning has paid off, and the Evangelicals for Peace summit was a tremendous success! We had a phenomenal lineup of speakers and a packed room full of attendees. Peacemaking is a movement that is beginning to take hold, but what was specifically unique about this group is the focus on Jesus-centered peacemaking. Here's what participant Peter Sensenig had to say about the gathering and how Jesus is at the center of this kind of peacemaking.

Do we do peacemaking simply as an avenue to share the Gospel with people, or does the very act of peacemaking glorify God in and of itself? This week we'd like to continue our video series from Rick Love's talk at the Society of Vineyard Scholars, and today he addresses the Gospel and the role it plays in the work of peacemaking.

What exactly is peacemaking? What's the difference between peacemaking and reconciliation? Are they the same thing? If you wonder about questions like this, Rick Love gives some answers in today's short video clip. 

Both advocates of Pacifism and the Just War theory agree on the priority of reducing violence. Both wish to hold war accountable to moral values before, during, and after the conflict. So there is significant and practical common ground to work for peace.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, small in both population and wealth, has had an inordinate amount of influence in the Muslim world during the first decade of this century.

I joined hundreds of people last Saturday night (August 25) at Landreth Park in Joplin, Missouri to show solidarity with Muslims whose mosque was recently burned to the ground. The Neighbors Joplin Mosque Rally was organized by 20 year-old Ozark Christian College student Ashley Carter. “We send a message to the world that we will not let anger or hate or ignorance or fear win,” she said. “Peace starts when we always respond in love. We are not going to let hatred win,” she added. “We are going to spread love with radical acts of kindness.”

Our last video post was about the fact that God is a God of Peace and what that means for us as we work toward peace. Today, we bring you a video of Rick Love speaking to the Society of Vineyard scholars about what God's blessing is for those who are peacemakers. It's only two minutes long, so check it out and let us know what you think. What does this truth from Scripture mean for you in your own daily life? 

Earlier this week, we shared with you a video story of radical peacemaking in Nigeria. Today we share with you another video, this time about a vital foundation for the work we do at Peace Catalyst: the fact that God is a God of peace.