Global Examples, Local Lessons…

August 6, 2014
Hello Tablers!

This week at The Table we are set to enjoy something I’ve been looking forward to for quite a while. As you will see in the paragraph below, Christina has been not just on a “trip”, but on a “journey”. And she has made what I regard as the kind and courageous choice to share some of what she encountered with all of us. I expect that what she has to say will not be simple to hear, but it will be both needful and good. This is how Christina describes where she will be headed when we gather this week:

What does it look like for a person to live in a country filled with violence due to religious and ethnic divides, and to witness on a daily basis the extreme fragility of life?  Secondly, what does it look like to live in a place that is recovering from such violence?  And most importantly, where are the glimmers of hope in what far too often looks like a bleak and hopeless reality?  What does it look like when people commit themselves to stopping the cycle of hostility and working towards building peaceful communities; choosing to forgive when everything in their body says to kill?

This is essentially what I’ll be talking about this Wednesday.  Yes…this all sounds a little dark, but I promise you, my stories are filled with hope!  
 
Now to give you a quick background – A few months ago I was given the opportunity to go on a trip to Nigeria, Bosnia, and Kosovo, to meet with individuals working in the peace-building and sustainable community development sectors.  In Nigeria, we were listening to and learning about what peace-building looks like in the midst of active violence. In Eastern Europe, we were learning about some critical trauma healing, peace and conflict resolution work that is happening to try to alleviate the risks of the cycle of war continuing.  I have way more stories and reflections than I can share in 30 minutes, but I look forward to the challenge of making this concise, eye-opening, and an encouragement to all of us in our journey of faith.
 
See you at 6:30 on Wednesday!

Christina.

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