Last week I went to an great place called the Global Mall. It’s like the Somali version of Target. Walking into the Mall it looks like it’s going to be one big store (like Target) but it’s not: It’s dozens of stores, set up like stalls in a market. There are gorgeous, ornate dresses lining the walls and hanging twelve feet up and middle-eastern style super-sectional couches with tassels on them. The cafe inside serves amazing tea, but in the mornings it’s filled with only women and in the evenings it’s filled with only men.

Peace Catalyst works in cities and neighborhoods across the U.S. to promote understanding and peace between Christians and Muslims, and one of our most recent events was a Peace Feast in San Diego.

In part one of this series I mentioned six historical reasons for the rise of ISIS. In part two I outlined six reasons for the expansion of ISIS. Today we'll look at three things you can do about ISIS.

We in Peace Catalyst International seek to be faithful peacemakers in a divided country. The following 11 guidelines describe our commitments and aspirations. May they guide, strengthen and encourage you as well in these tumultuous times.

Our great nation can and must continue to be pro-refugee, pro-security and pro-religious freedom. We can welcome the refugee and keep our country safe and uphold religious freedom. We must do all three if we want to make America great and be a model of freedom for the rest of the world.

In part one of this series we mentioned 6 historical reasons for the rise of ISIS. In short, ISIS came about due to a confluence of political instability brought on by war and human rights abuses and by a vision of a purified Islamic caliphate. Here we will look at 6 reasons for the expansion of ISIS.

For most people, it seems like ISIS literally exploded on the scene. But the birth of ISIS actually took a long, twisted road. This post and at least one other that I will write next week are based on two of the most well-researched books available on ISIS: ISIS: A History by Fawaz Gerges and ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror by Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan.

One of the best ways to acquire wisdom is through reading. The five books below describe Peace Catalyst International’s multifaceted approach to Jesus-centered peacemaking. Read them carefully and apply them practically to become a peace catalyst this year!  

This week's Peace Feast at Hoyo's Somali Kitchen in Columbus was a great success! We ended at 9pm and by 10:30pm we still had people talking and laughing and enjoying one another, and we've gotten responses like, “this was the best conversation I’ve had with a stranger in a while,” and “I really made friends Saturday night!” Others who weren't able to attend have asked for another event soon.