On an early mid-August morning, my wife and I began our day long journey to Sandpoint, Idaho to conduct a training for people interested in learning more about the current refugee crisis. But when we arrived we found protesters outside and 170 people inside, almost all of whom were also there to protest. Here's what happened next.

Jon Huckin and Jer Swigart wrote, Mending the Divides: Creative Love in a Conflicted World to help   followers of Jesus become “everyday peacemakers.” I think they have succeeded in their peace mission. Mending the Divides is now one of my top ten books on peacemaking.

Today is International Religious Freedom Day, and today we reaffirm our support for the protection of this right for all people, Christian, Muslim, or other.

What happens when you bring together a dozen teenagers who don’t know each other, come from two totally different religious backgrounds, and ask them to put their phones away for the day and actually TALK to each other?

“I hate Muslims.” As a simple conversational opener after church, Bob introduced himself, letting us know where he stood on the Muslim/Christian debate. Awkward conversation and strained parting smiles left us each to head home after the service. “How ‘bout that Bob? Think we'll avoid him in the future... wow." But then something happened that we never would have expected... 

At one point during the 3-hour protest, I was able to have some reasonable conversation with one angry man who was about 40 years old. His shirt said, “Jesus says you must be born again” and he wore a black beret to shield his face from the sun. As I looked into his calm blue eyes I thought, ”He looks so normal.”

With fortitude, the Muslims and all those outside of Masjid Omar Ibn al-Kuttab in Ohio practiced great restraint in the face of incredible offense. A leader of the mosque had informed friends of Peace Catalyst earlier in the morning that a hate group was planning to arrive during Friday Prayers.

One of the first questions people ask when it comes to local peacemaking is how to get started and how to go about beginning new relationships. So here are some starting tips.

American churches and organizations are loving their Muslim neighbors in practical, beautiful ways. Many more groups than I ever imagined are reaching out in love to their Muslim neighbors.