The Wired Word for 07202025 - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

The Wired Word for 07/20/2025 ![rw-book-cover](https://readwise-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/static/images/article3.5c705a01b476.png) ## Metadata - Author: [[The Wired Word]] - Full Title: The Wired Word for 07/20/2025 - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: [#peacemaking, #WiredWord, #biblicaljustice, #conflictresolution, #faithandpolitics] Author: The Wired Word editorial team Source: The Wired Word (July 20, 2025) Reference: https://thewiredword.com date created: 2025-07-18 14:10 --- # ✌️ Title: Peace, Weapons, and the Way of Christ: Lessons from the PKK Disarmament ## 📚 Table of Contents: - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#-notes) - [📖 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Assessment](#-deib-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-belonging-assessment) - [✅ Logical validity](#-logical-validity) - [🔍 DARVO Analysis Prompt](#-darvo-analysis-prompt) - [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#-seo-evaluation) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) --- ## 📝 Summary: This Wired Word lesson reflects on a historic peace effort in which Kurdish PKK fighters laid down arms in a symbolic and strategic shift toward political engagement after decades of conflict with the Turkish government. The lesson ties this event to scriptural themes of peacemaking, repentance, and transformation. The biblical narratives of Abigail and David, Isaiah's vision of peace, Jesus' rebuke to Peter, and the Beatitudes call Christians to active, embodied peacemaking through truth-telling, nonviolence, and reconciliation. --- ## 📖 Main Content: ### 🗒️ Notes #### 🔥 News Summary - **PKK disarmament**: 30 fighters publicly burned weapons to begin transition from armed rebellion to political engagement. - **Historical context**: 40,000+ lives lost since 1984 in the conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state. - **Political shift**: Erdogan and Turkish parliament hinted at possible reforms; Öcalan and the PKK respond positively. #### 📜 Biblical Case Studies - **1 Samuel 25 (Abigail & David)**: - David planned retaliation against Nabal. - Abigail intervened with humility, strategy, and gifts. - Her actions prevented violence and inspired repentance. - **Isaiah 2:4-5**: - Vision of disarmament and divine arbitration. - Future marked by justice and transformation of tools of war into tools for life. - **John 18:10-11 / Matthew 26 / Luke 22**: - Peter's impulsive violence met with Jesus’ rebuke and healing. - Jesus’ commitment to the path of peace and redemptive suffering. - **Matthew 5:9, 44-45**: - Peacemakers reflect divine parentage. - Loving enemies = true discipleship. #### 🧠 Reflections and Questions - Conflict can be a catalyst for repentance and progress. - Biblical peacemaking centers humility, truth, and transformation—not appeasement or avoidance. - Reconciliation involves community, structure, and often symbolic gestures of trust. --- ## 📖 References: - Al Jazeera, AP, BBC, CNN, Reuters reports on PKK-Turkey peace process - The Wired Word - 1 Samuel 25, Isaiah 2, John 18, Matthew 5 --- ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: > Original: “She accepted responsibility and asked for forgiveness, even though she had done nothing wrong. Then she asserted that God had kept David from the guilt [...] he would have felt if he had shed innocent blood.” **Paraphrased**: Abigail took accountability to defuse David’s anger, even though she wasn't at fault. She reminded him that God had spared him the burden of killing innocents and urged him to maintain his integrity. > Original: “Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?’” **Paraphrased**: Jesus told Peter to stop the violence, affirming that his path included suffering, not retaliation. --- ## 📰 Newsletter: **📰 Peace in Practice: PKK Disarms, Scripture Speaks** In this week's Wired Word recap, we look at the Kurdish PKK's extraordinary step toward peace—burning their weapons in a symbolic act of transformation. Paired with 1 Samuel, Isaiah, and Jesus’ own arrest, this real-world headline opens deep conversations about justice, reconciliation, and the cost of peacemaking. Churches and communities are invited to reflect: what does it mean to be a *peacemaker*, not just a peace-wisher? 📚 Featured readings: - 🔥 1 Samuel 25: Abigail's diplomacy - ⚖️ Isaiah 2:4: Tools of war into tools for growth - 🕊️ John 18 & Matthew 5: Jesus’ rebuke and blessing 👉 Let’s echo Jesus’ “No more of this!” in how we live, love, and lead. --- ## ✅ Action Items: - Use this example in sermons or community group discussions on justice and forgiveness. - Develop a church-based series on *active peacemaking* modeled after Abigail and Jesus. - Frame global conflict issues through biblical peacemaking lenses in public theological writing. - Highlight the intersection of open-source community conflict resolution and theological peace teachings (paralleling leadership styles, governance, restoration). - Build out a contributor onboarding session around “speaking truth in love” and collaborative peacemaking in the WordPress OSS context. --- ## 🧪 Hypotheses: 1. Public symbolic disarmament accelerates public trust-building in conflict resolution. 2. Scriptural case studies influence Christian attitudes toward restorative justice. 3. Stories of women like Abigail change gender-based assumptions about power in reconciliation. --- ### 📊 Methodology: - **Data sources**: Conflict resolution case studies; church small group transcripts; international policy analysis. - **Research design**: Mixed methods—qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys. - **Analysis**: Thematic coding, regression modeling. --- ### ❓ Questions: 1. What does it take to “burn weapons” spiritually and relationally in modern conflicts? 2. How does honoring truth support or complicate reconciliation? 3. Are there modern Abigails stepping between power and destruction? --- ### 🔮 Future Research: - Gender and peacemaking in biblical and contemporary contexts. - Peace education curriculum for faith-based schools. - Role of public rituals in political transitions. --- ### 💡 Implications: - Bridges theology and conflict resolution pedagogy. - Offers models for restorative leadership inside open-source governance. - Inspires public theology rooted in real-world reconciliation. --- ## 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: | Style | Present | Suggestions | |-------|---------|-------------| | Visual | Moderate (scriptural metaphor, narrative arc) | Add infographics of PKK timeline and biblical conflict comparisons | | Auditory | Low | Offer audio recordings or narrated summaries | | Verbal | High | Dense language with rich metaphors and questions | | Kinesthetic | Low | Include action-based tasks like role-play or reconciliation activities | | Logical | Moderate | Historical logic present; could add decision trees for conflict outcomes | | Social | High | Group discussion prompts abundant | | Solitary | Medium | Journaling encouraged; could add reflection prompts | | Naturalistic | Low | Could connect conflict to environmental peacemaking (e.g., shared resources) | --- ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment: - ✅ Strong structure with headings and bullet points - ❌ No explicit alt text or screen reader testing - ❌ No keyboard-only navigation test - ✅ Text is resizable but lacks responsive images - ✅ High-contrast layout and legible font **Suggestions**: - Add image descriptions - Include ARIA landmarks - Create audio versions for accessibility --- ### 🌍 DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Assessment: - ✅ Culturally diverse focus (Kurdish, Turkish, biblical Hebrew culture) - ✅ Gender-balanced example (Abigail) - ⚠️ Needs more explicit neurodiversity and class lens inclusion - ✅ Language is generally inclusive and scripture-contextualized --- ### ✅ Logical validity: **Positive Reasoning**: - **Deductive**: Jesus’ rebuke to Peter reinforces that peacemaking is a divine mandate. - **Causal* - Summary: Last Friday, Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) insurgents began laying down their weapons in a symbolic ceremony at a mountain cave in Sulaymaniyah province in northern Iraq. Dear Class Members, Our lesson this week uses news of a peace initiative taking place between the Kurds and the Turkish government to discuss how believers can follow the Prince of Peace in our own peacemaking efforts. ![](https://www.thewiredword.com/_img/tww_logo_email.jpg) **Kurdish Militants Lay Down Arms in Peace Effort*****The Wired Word*** **for the Week of July 20, 2025** **In the News** Last Friday, Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) insurgents began laying down their weapons in a symbolic ceremony at a mountain cave in Sulaymaniyah province in northern Iraq. In an effort to move toward peace with the Turkish government after four decades of hostilities, 30 male and female Kurdish fighters cast rifles and machine guns into a large cauldron, where they were then set ablaze. Kurdish, Turkish and Iraqi officials witnessed the event. The PKK fighters who participated stated: "We voluntarily destroy our weapons ... as a step of goodwill and determination," adding, "We will henceforth continue our struggle for freedom, democracy, and socialism through democratic politics and legal means." The PKK took up arms against Turkey in 1984, hoping to establish an independent Kurdish state in the southeast of the country. Eventually, Kurds sought autonomy and civil rights for their people within Turkey, where they make up between 15% and 20% of the population. Kurds also live in northern Syria, northern Iraq and Iran. Some 40,000 people have been killed since the conflict began. Previous peace efforts between Turkey and the PKK have ended in failure. The current peacemaking effort was nudged forward last October when hardliner and nationalist Devlet Bahceli suggested in parliament that PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned in solitary confinement on an island near Istanbul since 1999, might be granted parole if he renounced violence and disbanded the PKK. In February, Öcalan told his followers that initially the PKK had formed because "the channels of democratic politics were closed" but now that the Turkish government was signalling a change in its perspective, the movement should formally dissolve, lay down its weapons, and seek to resolve its concerns through the democratic political process. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he welcomed the "opportunity to take a historic step toward tearing down the wall of terror" when he met pro-Kurdish politicians in April. The next month the PKK announced it would disband and renounce armed opposition to the government. In June, Ocalan, flanked by other imprisoned PKK leaders, appeared in an online video for the first time in more than two decades, stating "The phase of armed struggle has ended. ... The armed struggle stage must now be voluntarily replaced by a phase of democratic politics and law." He urged Turkey's parliament to set up a commission to oversee disarmament and manage the peace process, adding, "I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons." It is expected that the disarmament process will take place in stages throughout the rest of the summer. Kurds called for Turkey to end "the regime of isolation" imposed on Öcalan in prison, to release Kurdish prisoners, and to allow integration of former militants into the political system. Kurdish refugees who fled to Iraq from their villages in Turkey during the violence in the 1990s expressed hope that the peace process might end their decades-long suffering and allow them to return home. President Erdogan said in a post on X, "May Almighty God grant us success in achieving our goals on this path we walk for the security of our country, the peace of our nation, and the establishment of lasting peace in our region." "This will benefit both sides," said Abdulrahman Abbas, a resident of the town of Dukan, near where the ceremony took place. "Why should this bloodshed continue for nothing?" More on this story can be found at these links: [Kurdish Separatist Fighters in Iraq Begin Laying Down Weapons as Part of Peace Process With Turkey.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPBDwBc4OYy8rok0ifiHG0oTJ9eOoTqqK-2BEa8fIQzCHb2fDVp_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqgMISrOSkBrDvxR-2FpJYx9k8Q9VtOyqrzD1SvGra1kG3QX46g4GAERRAnKKpTk7GzkUSiEbEazDB8rxxspO3l0eJxTbLSgf51pKfPThN9ZEb4PwAS5FUDgIMWd05nZpfIxKf-2BfzOixSNgqdZPzidr-2B57C8aSRscGjYomBdau-2FByBJ8pVbwMA6Rli9HrHoaQi-2FgyPeGFl1I2N4HGXdSNqhiE0-3D) [*AP News*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPBDwBc4OYy8rok0ifiHG0oTJ9eOoTqqK-2BEa8fIQzCHb2nzBU_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqqZdsHC1p3qX7s6NQ-2Fy8PCsC1OYie49fNf8NvxAsvGiY9mMdsONg-2BsixA7lK-2BF2LV9wBoPS4ICgnhy6Aqrqup8uJufef9tutcyQcpcCqwZgtstB4UoSkU3lnyWy0wJeMU0Zz3RXf-2BOUKcrLlc-2FXc2GRo6O-2FctxA-2Bgt6wYWlsUBsTZrYs18uJJbr7U95D9EoJgwPcK5MJumqYDVCb3-2BeQhaA-3D) [Kurdish PKK Burns Guns in Cauldron in Big Step Towards Ending Turkey Conflict.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPN6H9bXG5FD2vf7eZP7qLxJVgrwLIkr-2FHGkrA156GJ1CRcsek-2ByRIbRtNlfJJvPLVg-3D-3D5Hgu_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqvvxRKTLNym9zY16rqMRHjyju8WTuk0lAIG4djrG6pJcD70T4U8XvQYbEN3lhMy9eXleIt-2BS4t4XjFaWkSQmsFagjoBw-2B9DYlg6mzh1-2F42Y1AypbaPLYpQUWN6nOaQ4UG2ArFozk-2FNzkk-2Fd95C04KEZu37Rh8GzJrGuzQauRVdq98D-2FLFUZoRdR5mvmG-2BzkmPmA9TY7aLtrxSgnqAx9he2U-3D) [*BBC*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPN6H9bXG5FD2vf7eZP7qLxJVgrwLIkr-2FHGkrA156GJ1CRcsek-2ByRIbRtNlfJJvPLVg-3D-3DvMaE_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqi9Mit0U-2B0nyzUr2QP-2FSIJkUtls1kxp-2BPM6ELNF4Ll1vUUh6h1QWUblv9u2op6dwGoJB-2Fb-2F-2BhCOlFcGS3IqDHK6rgQ4SHkG-2BfJKZ-2BIPDMvUGykjIpKhynHOEGoIuZYr2rzcJ5O-2FeUPEcgeZHDhWCbY2hBIu-2Fcde6mt5El5Rw4l9LvULNk2FfmO8iBTVKDKhv59DsQFmRHJWL1RxFF8m-2B8po-3D) [Kurdish PKK Militants Burn Weapons in Landmark Step to End Decades-long Turkey Conflict.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKy3TtZJUNBApOSK1-2FQMe4GmjH6Sn82m2Z26cVxFKEevqfHDakOtjcMYKfADw43-2Bw-2FFGlRBAtacRz1HjuAGixQYohc7oQA-2B-2BKre1DZkirlA9bfwo_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqmKH8m6U5E56n2G6rZG-2FaBYrp7EYe3HFS4N-2BfoEHq7k6vALYR4IIytMUvVFFzQSZ-2BwAvpUYDxSPJ27i5S4-2F1LzkxDqsG1CJG-2FxKxnes9SBa58nMqkl6LcMrwGC6a-2F7TeGnPmqGxsCgONvgMpnyvKHxva-2BrKiCenNKBF0AXSlzjtlTt2SMJnd6N1B3F2dW63PQjT62Po5zLBB-2Bz-2BI8jh-2F4to-3D) [*CNN*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKy3TtZJUNBApOSK1-2FQMe4GmjH6Sn82m2Z26cVxFKEevqfHDakOtjcMYKfADw43-2Bw-2FFGlRBAtacRz1HjuAGixQYohc7oQA-2B-2BKre1DZkirlA9W0T6_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqnydKlEnv07lHzHY7ZwZsdHcEfIrbe38pBqqJskK4wRlBvWQ7741tZq3Ua3pbefnQCeOl3E7S2PinyvsloK4-2FaAX1Gt-2F9UxOoCYR9aokDMHJEFcNPw2ApKfzzsQKpMvy3cpEIa9Nz2v9t8MS9ACE746RKAu3xehQQDNXbI4O-2B16M-2FooeAlgYeZRnUojiQCj6-2FPOqF0TMx9Wwp32HGo0JwnQ-3D) [Jailed PKK Leader Ocalan Says Armed Struggle With Turkey is Over.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHdMwa3Sk61QJHbe9zIocxvJ9zm9hIHI6FCfcM3z2Usfko1cRyCHxGdcBZuu7gBRprVAZLjPAcYcdimFn7XUvQOiaZezHOnjWlsBJbSZOAiffK4rqdNOr02djaPokxC5Kw09vjnfqxT-2BGA3xjACmp6YS7Ml-2Blbv9QOuKnKOh14MfCErQVy41XcVdfQwbQJAXzQ-3D-3DFhrn_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqmUI6pq3iXSf9G5pcnjb5OpksP67Ar48uFDAmkWgYDfdn9pLgYqF2CB1ZUSTmROGCf-2B8j6juEocVcly18PdDtNXdfJCROWUYSlEku4IP7JdK-2F3zAT1cgo3FiffTjCc5N1KsNS5jN-2F-2BxlCDM5oKjHmGkfdGgxLk5Ofhv-2Fr0YJDCVk-2FwJCe5m9yvp9fcNti3QyS1RHEWWml3yMWdVtbjll1zA-3D) [*Reuters*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHdMwa3Sk61QJHbe9zIocxvJ9zm9hIHI6FCfcM3z2Usfko1cRyCHxGdcBZuu7gBRprVAZLjPAcYcdimFn7XUvQOiaZezHOnjWlsBJbSZOAiffK4rqdNOr02djaPokxC5Kw09vjnfqxT-2BGA3xjACmp6YS7Ml-2Blbv9QOuKnKOh14MfCErQVy41XcVdfQwbQJAXzQ-3D-3D-U4I_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqjNySf7SqOOxPdnbzLBnWVY9Nn4cYnTnD-2Bsdr4BxbyVyGUlMXxppyRNDzb0QOln5MMcVf8IflnxIEqSNjyEWW9WskgPxd9cWFMaGYWmhYhCqgJreJzFYVUsye58ZQJuXSB2Bgvf5VTOAWy1I-2Br4UwsTMzidWB4gI0p4jpWV-2BI0-2F8dLqCJTnznteQOdljGAJ0sUBZkIHNSCf-2BJCgMEBS1hKc-3D) [Why Has the PKK Ended Its Armed Struggle? (Video 27:20).](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ9oAs-2BmFpJ1VczB7ZcYXf2fghCrM0hvfoMRgXQExqD8SXwOqzL7suMIhVjflbnhLCEkSn-2Fjgn-2F0sg4LvrYfH9Fi06g9EStAmYBauhXSlp6D3AU-2FncBb2M7mF-2BlFBYLPag-3D-3DRI-k_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqlXCFP-2BScU7rPzwvNfqsmnuvKkHya-2FwGNjrgZokQY5-2Fmirr2CZhwMbUwx5GK0qiMC-2FiEnwU94LzMBJezfUDXv1uWz-2BEkEXxHb7OBfg-2BwWyqc-2Bqfe0AUD1GJ3fQorZc7UDgyHLGrGdW5MDLSXwmg1mvraC0WICL0hxBYNYmEPfrqQr-2BD4BDvPbaNiBPnHErtTJMrLDYNJXML331hcJJ2Vxp4-3D) [*Al Jazeera*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ9oAs-2BmFpJ1VczB7ZcYXf2fghCrM0hvfoMRgXQExqD8SXwOqzL7suMIhVjflbnhLCEkSn-2Fjgn-2F0sg4LvrYfH9Fi06g9EStAmYBauhXSlp6D3AU-2FncBb2M7mF-2BlFBYLPag-3D-3Dc09i_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqjN65qBRUVNV4r3h43TwIuV5crhOeKG2KRih10kqhyaUdovw2thfn6p7my7q3zG8BZvUbuJmV8o-2FwoIRHyWzwxRcN45adaOQ1n4-2FBlkjrNbS1438dknK2P47yZuyNszzxatXQr2PN30ea8oYC3OGdUXH2LkOSr81wNMnq6SZ4goY0xpM6dMpFYfvQwaCNPDQu1R221G-2BwHFQKjOuqZJvFK4-3D) **Applying the News Story** In the Bible, we see God repeatedly initiating peace initiatives to restore covenantal relations with people. Those efforts culminate in God's extreme self-sacrifice in the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Christ, whose example calls us to mirror God's selfless love in our own peacemaking efforts. **The Big Questions** 1. What does "peace" mean to you? 2. How does peacemaking relate to seeking and naming truth? 3. How might conflict be a catalyst for growth and positive change? 4. What does it take to build trust among people who have known only conflict and hostility? 5. How can you/your family, group or church work for peace? **Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope**Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: **1 Samuel 25:32-35** *David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today! Blessed be your good sense, and blessed be you, who kept me today from bloodguilt and from avenging myself by my own hand! For as surely as the LORD the* *God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there would not have been left to Nabal so much as one male." Then David received from her hand what she had brought him; he said to her, "Go up to your house in peace; see, I have heeded your voice, and I have granted your petition."* (For context, read [1 Samuel 25:2-35](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxFCMNoDo0nIQk1OOuVDrhcTHQlW239bMZoYHpz-2BHzir1UTU5Q16-2BMbMk6L12QN2XbGVgE_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqsoLFyTqjU-2F8ovsh4PTQzs6AejLAgL-2B-2FNiD5OfI2SNjXrjP67GfXaYuil8wuVSi-2BvxrgnpKewASmjL6OlfpmwgCRfJ-2FoYIyRb9DgFHCu1g7JSKxCq11TG8vNLR-2BWjhJxcALCg-2FEpOtA0mvwwTi1QbBrd-2Ft3MyPRDhutEM61aWuFygmJdtpb-2F-2BQUFOCzc2vh9KvJ67R2G0WWbEo6N0MtNG-2Fo-3D).) Abigail was married to Nabal, a wealthy rancher in Carmel, who was politically opposed to David. David sent his servants to Nabal with a message of peace, stating that he and his men had not harmed his workers or stolen anything from his large flocks, but instead provided them with 24-hour security. Then he asked Nabal for whatever provisions he could spare, but the rich man refused, insulted David, and accused him and his men of rebellion. Nabal's imprudent words jeopardized the safety of his entire household. Angry, David mobilized 400 armed men and advanced on Nabal. Knowing their ill-tempered master was not likely to apologize, his workers appealed to Abigail for help. While she had no warriors at her disposal, she lost no time in using the nonviolent resources that were available to her: food (v. 18), discretion (vv. 19-20 -- "she did not tell her husband Nabal" and she approached David "under cover of the mountain"), humility (vv. 23-24 -- "she hurried and dismounted from the donkey and fell before David on her face, bowing to the ground. She fell at his feet") and soft diplomacy, which prevented a bloodbath. Appealing to David's conscience and sense of justice, she begged him to let his wrath fall on her alone, if he felt the need to punish someone, not on her household or on the innocent shepherds who worked for them, not even on her foolish, ill-tempered husband (vv. 24-25). She accepted responsibility and asked for forgiveness, even though she had done nothing wrong. Then she asserted that God had kept David from the guilt, "grief or pangs of conscience" (v. 31) he would have felt if he had shed innocent blood in his thirst for revenge (v. 26) and expressed belief in David's honor (v. 28 -- "my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live"). While Nabal had demonized David and his followers, Abigail looked for the best in him and prophesied that God had a bright future for him (vv. 29-31). > **Questions:** What peacemaking principles can you draw from this incident? How might they apply in a current conflict of which you are aware? **Isaiah 2:4-5** *[God] shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!* (For context, read [Isaiah 2:1-5](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzx2QJeTgan651VWoqIUy9owQXJ1MrtDH-2FEFPN5ahYojwegWdONp50MBxeXcINspehGM8ZY_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqnZmhQcqB5d6iSdiptnRiNMMsc-2Ft0OBr-2FpMs0C3-2FGl16EfVwzxKOaVp2bo2gU7iyvmUBGntWs9G6NkMWQI9Qj9UWBi0ujoOfPsuHK-2F8GEX34I2tHimlH0L1KyXtQFy4Zr2TiJJxmZEvQMk5b5YxkJgSfGgkf4r-2BAY1OGVFyQcNN-2BVDhxrKhr57f6rju-2B8gYFiIUeVUbMXjJI8c-2FS9qNYs00-3D).) Isaiah prophesied that the day would come when all nations would stream to the house of God, seeking to learn to walk in the ways of God. He urged his own people to do the same! > **Questions:** What is involved in "learning war"? What needs to happen in the human heart and in a society for people to stop "learning war"? How can the people of God learn peace? And how can we teach others God's way of peace? What would be a modern equivalent of "beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks"? What would that look like, in government? In the church? In a family? **John 18:10-11** *Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?"* (For context, read [John 18:1-12](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxIZQdl9o19AaGMoRwm2CB4nmofNcgiaeU561hnA59wXTgd7WiAScktIFf-2BihpLbz-2FFDTs_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqvUPsCamPF6wgrCOqPVW8-2FJOmDyjFUA6-2BkUX020YJTi3Inn1ufSqQyc3WqoFwbxFnaCn-2BqV6RLPH1YOjhpg-2Bz7nvK-2BOEq-2B6Cs568w0gJ2L6T76Kt6G8bR2oNsEsbDnp6eifV-2Fto40a44e-2F7WVaJaMbku1j3lnzUqUt96NjJlyVPqpJbi8oUa0zb148yVwJcZxROYwcJH2bvY5Iq0L1aOzEg-3D).) In Matthew's rendition of this incident, the assailant and the victim of the attack are not named ([Matthew 26:50-52](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEE9arX6m0yHZZAbtNhYaDRwGuBiK5lgJH-2BIl1PQgz8F7IfLXUs2Hma5s0e8ofFU3zynv_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqhx6FYKiYEsGnnSiRb-2BR1lQ0Z36Pip8Ys6TOYi7D2FCv1gQ9PdQQHZhoCcTtBcoKkQ1HCHrJ18Z1AYykoHM6OcOvgh8Rk2RvvCP5kOO8ccOn4wdQjZezPvYsTImxPDwzkanN9zgE-2B-2BLVtTWNdB1CAFvoSmc7OCXCSTFjm8NrKJd1R-2Bv6Px-2FbQQzHyuqCJR55hnKNhZkHBsB4Z0gdh4d7hV0-3D)). Matthew also records Jesus' warning that "all who take the sword will die by the sword." In Luke's version, the disciples, seeing what was coming, asked the Lord if they should strike with the sword, but they didn't wait for his answer. Then Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched the wounded man's ear and healed him ([Luke 22:49-51](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxD2XRzVIiP-2Bh2Nqe6kf2V21WgE3uiCyqZ93k3c0NrTPprIyi7hZDkeI70LzPHI63W1MKS_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqneMA9PIWbn1teqwBoUOFlt1kXd4UaK2GEBY-2B0l9dTwQB10QST-2FXozhJgdBaooC-2FWp83gA9MhSIIV-2BfVFl87N9r8J-2FyVs-2FpDxjFn5-2BZZSLcgyqCE-2FNHdHKvEjG-2FmwcjsjuN6CWaFHK-2BTW8sCAV-2F8jtU9EC3yhjUMyTY5h-2F7wKoGihcORj7CW6l1UtwAi0Khd8lQeTU8L2WbusH0iEMUmYO8-3D)). > **Questions:** What motivated Peter to draw his sword and strike? Whom or what was he trying to strike, and did he hit his mark? How does the narrative change with the addition of names, and with the information that the injured person was a slave? What is required to de-escalate a volatile situation? How can we "put our swords back into their sheaths," once we have "drawn our swords"? What is the significance of Jesus' healing a man who was part of the group that came to arrest him? What does that suggest about the path Jesus' followers are to travel? How might Jesus' followers absorb and echo his words, "No more of this!" in our own day and age? **Matthew 5:9, 44-45** *[Jesus said,] "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ... But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.* (For context, read [Matthew 5:9, 38-48](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEE9arX6m0yHZZAbtNhYaDU6mEN5GA4CKyOtZdbkUIMBG64tUH0ZVTTD30l6hM90DZcnI_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqlWc-2BCSFiZTqZJGQKTbHAc3-2B3PR0ts1HTsz04eb-2Bgzf8JHdOBC9cZAIhfqBk3x9R7YGaGuGFOdn59USafT1CfMhDHrcQh4kx318NR3dAb1wzhYYzOatnH7sZsAEj97c4bOo54R67-2FsEVekIi74XVZHyXWi46H82BQVLe2tOLzKsS1Q72uV-2FEaIIxxgaJLv5XNK1fHkizGEzlUfqJoiEacck-3D).) When beauty pageant contestants are asked what they want in life, it's not uncommon to hear them speak about some personal passion, desire or career goal, and then, almost as an afterthought, to tack on, "and world peace. Definitely, world peace." One of the first questions people ask when an infant is born is, "Who does the child resemble?" We are intrigued when we spot traits in the features and mannerisms in a child that remind us of the mother or father. Jesus tells us that we can identify the children of God by their peacemaking and indiscriminate love for others, whether neighbors, family members or enemies. > **Questions:** Why are peacemakers called God's children? What is the difference between longing for peace and peacemaking? How are you engaging in peacemaking? **For Further Discussion** 1. "Before he was the pope, [Pope Francis] made sure that he was close to ordinary people on a daily basis. Instead of driving to his office as a bishop, he would take mass transit," self-described "peace warrior" Dan Buttry says. "I remember when I was a denominational executive for American Baptists, directing peace programs, I went to work by bus and usually I could tell that I was the only executive on the bus. I shared seats with hotel workers, laborers -- working people, nearly all of them. "That daily experience created a different mindset about the community around me. So many of our global leaders end up isolated from people. And that isolation isn't bridged by occasionally going out and glad-handing or showing up at a barbecue to win votes. I'm talking about actually spending time with real people. That kind of closeness changes the way you perceive the world." How might you expand your contact with people in your locale and the wider world? What have you learned by spending time with people on their turf that surprised you? 2. After completing her military service in Israel, [Rina Kedem](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKo4beS0-2FcPiLBUWU3fku2TikytugBc-2FZV5eIPhjl5xJcmxd4VVYx8gVwMHwSC1-2B1A-3D-3Dgx5__-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqk8GXoJFe-2FnS76U9SaCmJaAJfPB2hpIsOptVJLh8M-2BToEmyiDjnFA-2BHUtlmQoph-2BtJ4RTxmzJEYq6KiJ6niO5FnGtSa1r4nBTyGv-2F-2BhJt84adaxjtYfSLS2pIwU7RV4FOBZR3lo-2FzSYt-2BOtPX3N5sfeDzxraxypBggTHTD0EpNCT7Wyy549OR1ntrUxkvhHNNahUYbG6-2BHLWuo0rTQVfSDg-3D) wanted to learn more about the people of the land she had patrolled. She discovered that Palestinians, Israelis and Jordanians all rely on the same natural resources. "The environment can either be a catalyst for conflict or cooperation," she said. Kedem has developed projects with partners from across borders to ensure natural resources are available to everyone who needs them. In [*Resurrection Peacemaking: Plowsharing the Tools of War: Thirty Years with Christian Peacemaker Teams*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPOacMf8AxW-2FzUvsVx0MI14QQMJuKP6YNfXWEHn01wSyvZ1C1rX6UFniRtvgyBjbCkvB1NCuGhOeAkI2RoZZVL63tD5OEd5w7h5NsXEWQL8-2BXXF6JUqvyRKRNrubuo1xFRXpvlCCy41r1XaA94KXkmIGcsOcIDakMu0FWsZIB7JSCedec_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqtBUL-2FhUf0S4q9nRl0exwE9UPpGtTqMwcRLhZL2q2i623UiP5X5X-2F9tDMu1hWDvratYs-2FIm6fGYnnc7C-2BLgk33mfQ2BS9-2BLJAOcr7bPsVh6ewLFyYyh84ZuAZ2uPi9rAzJADfo-2FYSzqi7VpDUd0Uh0dzP62ZRjrnVLsSVHNVULd7jOx3luegXplwkwVvJQYo8gUdyx89xNca7HLlj-2BN8i2Y-3D), peace activist and farmer Clifford Kindy notes that many wars are started over scarce water. He writes: "Learning how to use water is a peace project." How might small efforts to live more sustainably enhance peacemaking efforts? 3. In [The Courageous, Vulnerable, Improbable Story of Peace](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPM3-2B7AWPD3hT3QYYVsdE4deE0gxqnLELh0-2FNEF6IsEzaCe2776UCckD-2F6su1w4iueeUV-2Bw3OFQsocsua-2Bj28VZc-3DdMVe_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqq2YvF6GEcYTXMIgTV0Q0dGpjsP4OGbjt68MFw6-2FFNOSFW0UYHR6WKnWeAS-2BT-2FQ1voRKsfybYkjKYXXwwAqmzt4Cuxf5dMAL95fx-2BWudyfMeV8CA9A8Ag6-2FY7fiX1RU8tGrGm-2Bg5Q-2FqbNL-2BLFtodWcEDxGVSJ7McxvytUe79JGGyFY79oYqlnzo-2B2yvh0SViZGhfkc2bIUFnQbJ-2FlEEUoKU-3D), Tim Nafziger writes: "When we look at something as vast as the military-industrial complex, it can be daunting in the face of so much political and economic power. And on top of all that, we have to grapple with the stories that our culture tells itself that glorify war. As Glen Guyton points out, 'Endless war has been somewhat normalized, and patriotism has become synonymous with unquestioned support of the military.'" Discuss. 4. In [Soldier Turned Peacemaker: How War Wrecked Her for Peace](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPNl1IZqydp6PWr-2FtZ-2BD6NH-2BaHPwCrlaBnHl30uzEw85oKtg518ZJXBREEopy3-2F1CCcri8-2FhGmrb46gW2GLIQy1bTiSeZFvEjS-2B-2FtIt7Atx2reD4Fk596MNiqaR75ii5OHQTutkaMKYQldfKeBOOfY4w-3DItRB_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqlSa-2F1YjrB3WkWn5VNrLw4CFRNYCb7UaweDfJAoyk6AbLGT79u9uoY62RJ0w0chixz1u-2FF9oStA0nLnLUM-2Fd0dphXpL-2BmEeN9Xmr7QpzjfvFrhVNr2pCBObmj9f8gOnetOxIX5Q1JRtouWfN3AZusF-2BtUD6V-2FpLIFUIc8i5hzz53GtZrtSC2g5PE681IVYI8J2fzfUhUQxjwnjvIVnDfrrk-3D) we learned about Diana Oestreich, who found herself fighting to save the life of an enemy combatant while serving in the army in Iraq. "But when she looked into his eyes, she saw a man with a story like hers. A man who God had made. A man who was her neighbor, whom she was supposed to love." Oestreich says she defines peacemaking as "asking people to reimagine who their enemy is by learning to see themselves in the stories of people they've been told to hate or fear. Reimagining those stories ... that's peacemaking to me." Upon her return home, Oestreich was determined that "peacemaking had to involve more than abstaining from violence. She wanted active peacemaking ... the 'active unmaking of violence.'" How is the "active unmaking of violence" different from seeking to avoid conflict? **Responding to the News** 1. To open doors for peace-building, consider adopting two areas (one local and one international) on which to focus your love and support. Take time to learn from and develop relationships with the people in each vicinity. 2. Sing together the hymn, [Make Me a Channel of Your Peace](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq193s5jIJroxdL9rDl07X5vP7gLPeKNr06hwOtJ-2ByLqesg-3D-3DLawm_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqho-2Fyd-2Fu0AUoaMksgxkUlFePy7apx38JzrIIgUeoXIl3-2BT1gHnYOGUXgyqU-2Bv8x1Go0JTa-2FT2Y8R-2FQNlXHRjD6wh7r4MfeXDhweJoNTWvvj73htZ60oDazsJ2f2mRvXHSqMN5iqED0-2B17uCaW1CWxaSQcapdlYaLvvdok8P9il9TbrsLkmwGHDDwmURfSrykiKU8qDquoM6P97kovOeHxP8-3D) or listen to Nat King Cole sing, [Ain't Gonna Study War No More](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2FzqT8g8uIYjERSQ2SBn9xI0Gi9zsFEQoQB2fpoJOiGMQ-3D-3DTk_Q_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqpy9rLQpETmtZqVk2Qsb9RUTExaktzqXkP3luvP1UiWgqKcUP9iwq1q8kPb7eElmHhII-2BZGuUa7nF1nUGesj5QfdcDdPojvak23NMrw-2BIM14u2D2w5r2azd0R7K9Jf86mjqxsQwAricUe98KtVJg7FVHNvh7sEYT-2FhEZWiTfBc-2Ba-2BTCEeeF5UWv5ckL80O44t1XXRuO2s7wOfGwXGHJrzG8-3D). 3. You can find a variety of resources on peace-building from a Mennonite perspective, including a prayer for peace written by Amy Yoder McGloughlin, at [Cost of War/](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPM3-2B7AWPD3hT3QYYVsdE4deRi9Xhgm-2FMTXX7MKFXhfKw1wuRHXrrFNl4pWUHl45bJffKovCnuERud4X4rNiTBf5-2BqLuOTasYgqhqjibB5oZoZs-d_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqvup-2BODASbve0xQeFBzpW36rlfxLRjzHuCOTOiFTE6A9XeWSODC-2BANwxO1S-2BvqIZKomXejq7gwFlcDh9nSAW0P-2F0gSX8OQaReNOqvMW2D3Kq4lP4NV8lymZs6jq-2FNhWNTZ3nFIwOvs-2FcjxCy7Woe-2FB9gxQuKqoXhSj7MbDHq2twood-2FuNdHkaiGYvRGpyZvV6sl-2BHAXnC01dDYIF1r5EKjM-3D)[Learn, Pray, Join](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPM3-2B7AWPD3hT3QYYVsdE4deRi9Xhgm-2FMTXX7MKFXhfKw1wuRHXrrFNl4pWUHl45bJffKovCnuERud4X4rNiTBf5-2BqLuOTasYgqhqjibB5oZo6oiy_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqtcs65HPAemjVb1IklnHqZjN-2BckYZUpV0WRD-2FE2dBRMzytEKkDF5NOHjt2CyNn3ObA7wngJeAspmyrkGkmYU-2FBgM8DBVQFyctmyJAY7A71-2Fnd2U7sp-2FjFY6F18KNyDJQuU-2Bh3xvW16pJsBgx3WT3fMdu9e-2B6gBK1YPwIJNt0M8gVvd7-2BsU7Ui47-2FKRwDQfQZD2HK2qrfWHWelcWi5adG3nk-3D)[.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPM3-2B7AWPD3hT3QYYVsdE4deRi9Xhgm-2FMTXX7MKFXhfKw1wuRHXrrFNl4pWUHl45bJffKovCnuERud4X4rNiTBf5-2BqLuOTasYgqhqjibB5oZoEbFW_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqsC84GdXa3Sqhznb2ZbZfmQBCV1iTi7JOasbsrffQURNKEWtH2JMxpzOmE08GrPFle7ZzOs-2B42ezdntPndfG9vucgzovynen0G-2BTeKQy-2FQyUE84z42-2F-2FuXPj2CGmq66KrBeruD22nyr8SpvX0fwmYWW3QZHjcs53kzaXf6Q0TBUHvc5WE3RlmIf9SwtZKq3Onxl9dVee3SgzfmzGUmEUpcs-3D) For the younger set, check out [22 Favorite Picture Books About Peace](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPMHte9dWYtLmu9RU-2B-2B1sjArbagzrJZ96WIG1yuFk0EuXn9LPcuu2TMJSyDpxEaJ1-2BvIRv-2FIm4KNyjanH7nSfxKc-3DNssw_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqpWxoJfu0zKoQ3DRxeWw7gcGMK0xmkAxw0WUucvUULMOThspwwdrzDpZvLoqrgEzCwdjN5dK5LK9ESYd5hm3kh2Wr-2FMFHcT7o90jQ2GA-2BdMo2D6PuXgqfP7jNxa8kxLjrXaNbtPycvbh5dosmfqaPw6uVLELl7w1DfMMofmTM705La5KM5XnCRl6-2BC1D-2BOYILKg1u49qkecj6-2F9iOZICfio-3D). 4. Seneca elder Bill Crouse created this series of videos on Native American legends about peacemakers: [Peacemakers Journey Part 1 (Video 14:55)](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2FGQhd-2B9I8dZC54pcswcgYxh9rzciLih-2B27THWcvaqF9w-3D-3DDB9Z_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqgaCeW5byovWcaF-2BIJvwvImHa8aqkjztSR-2BOjeXX8GgZvKCcYBWYP4zgydEW1gYDhrqTDAMdB0yScH2nHq9Gn94IZfWFPG7tMJYieVVxTtUyv6QptAslJuJhBNpRyF8moJWXNdRwYt-2BGr-2B3EUNFdcAc-2FtPqcgHkGDRghO6JlDf1RfzEBkrbeq-2B8eOTq2sXinlBSr9TF47EUJb-2BKXg-2FPLoLY-3D) [Attotaro - Peacemakers Journey Part 2 (Video 8:33)](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq18RsXY4fsiTfPkteizlmZfvWCQC6M4zjjqRnG3MGh0WAA-3D-3D9vWo_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqqjhDbawXDv23UDhLY-2BWpxeYDXRV2TY5plp7zuRlNL-2B3gUx3PEncOe3J8velW8vLlK-2FEAvmQsrhH-2B3uuPRWYIENeP0QADQnUab3EGh-2Fu9wxUgIUD6zluGzFiO2X2h2pzuqXUrQzy4r0hsiS2TPV1ayqsf9Dqctt84ibbIgTM2t7qn-2BzbCSvMyLtL3vqjSJ2pkRw5K-2BAOp1zvV32ksSVOb0E-3D) [Ha:yëwënta' - Peacemakers Journey Part 3 (Video 14:07)](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq18GLNkG-2FkqnUldqH55d-2Bj-2BSRRus0OlBg2pzTznYK-2FTuAw-3D-3DtErh_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqsp0iuZ-2FKnSVMeFaLQgcWBoHp-2BYTXsLsT7P-2BSaolvkF46BnAYbVG0oRNL6OCnRszacV4Zg-2Bx3kO9f6e3UY53voTioAWA2PzrcgkPSQ2SqTmHga3zK0Y9dd3QfH3NvIjpJ-2BdCRCEgSc8EJ11SGziTqSu-2BAXOVHnbxmYt8uDMliqukOPmLba-2B3vI0wyMpVUb9mc8T-2BnXiFQ3pJX7EQhjhOGOU-3D) [Ha:yëwënta' Continued & Jigöhsasë' - Peacemakers Journey Part 4 (Video 14:31)](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2F3NKUg0wal5EWqxJcFfdwC6In-2FYy1-2BUan1upp1EQvsOQ-3D-3D3SSU_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqsE5pPsjXm19-2F4n38ihKaTzZZuS3WInbkG10XtAvEDXkO6Mfn7PpRL4gGymUNNfY-2FFsMZ1OBhCLBoivhtqKuVVf12S32DHlY6BkE9RKPcAGOBHF7ckk9jnPd-2BO7xPBUxG7hEFFuDLyR25u5fUxyuA87EmkrTmfbJe1xYVIIJVTJ-2FgRn-2BVDCfl9fD87yVJiWZVfvdwtXbuDHhKJ00ZlJ5SAI-3D) [The Five Nations Accept the Message of Pea](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2BYs9DsthSVNQzHkayI7Epb6nxSXr0mOURRi03HG3yG3w-3D-3DFgwa_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqguh4wqj-2FLZCUqwZ5gyjs1o6zLLaj0ShpKrSlQDQkQndC4sR-2BqYWHpF3PUB2kfkvcWm7N9bvQg2Zae5loOht3-2BX3htnoLRgX3XoskFIIpDdKcU0OEzX7DZ9bcglyGer9vyMY6cDa85CR93O6yDM328A28Ug40lNAborYSF1BmArKnOKCBnISw3ZQP-2BdTEOAOquHToEMsEv66Ci5Qn-2BsvhnM-3D)[ce - P](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2BYs9DsthSVNQzHkayI7Epb6nxSXr0mOURRi03HG3yG3w-3D-3DqQvB_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqrGaWRFkb23kX-2B3CajyOxPzgo8TSyN4dzNMGBKNjkVdkXuu-2F-2Fwh3O2-2FTHWEOtj8zl60Jk8KGA881bQghzMgCgsn6t9d-2FdbH6kSiftYNcVxLBVFWDbXJHTBbYwp61qdj5sQ59dGEKV2AnTQhxssT9M4Yecpdvc5-2B-2BM6smOftyQoFVR2UlRz1kx9i5-2BXhfwq6611f5w7owjKdhdSai-2Bhzs87c-3D)[eacemakers Journey Part 5 (Video 13:45)](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2BYs9DsthSVNQzHkayI7Epb6nxSXr0mOURRi03HG3yG3w-3D-3Dod0Z_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqqv0RzV-2BE2V2aDGFmsVHAa-2F6AmnGanCCwkDRVKEBGxrLVjLXUAlLvlCfWV7epQIJ-2FPZ8cJHVCRhWBA3wx2GjaptQmbV0T56to9OZnYWOSae5V2b16sOQEVVunw3t6ntMnrOR-2FFjoLulhgyu3zPyZd6soIaGDpxd-2BhLRFmdaMNqgOWpLOmefjyEDxsLNFHpicHFoW05PJhfjdd0kNrSY2avA-3D) **Prayer** suggested by 1 Corinthians 7:15; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Psalm 17:4; Colossians 3:14-15; Hebrews 12:14; Psalm 34:14; Romans 14:19. Peace-bringing God, open our ears to your call to peace, so that we may avoid the ways of violence. May the peace of Christ, who unites us in his one body, crucified and risen to life for us, rule in our hearts, so that we may love one another in perfect harmony. May your Spirit empower us to pursue peace with everyone, so that all people may be built up in the knowledge of your great love for the work of your hands. Amen. **Copyright 2025 Communication Resources** [Unsubscribe From This List](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/asm/unsubscribe/?user_id=14323725&data=7N9oA1ao0kC-JqM7HjFHCB42brcqSWoFQUGPehYr9xxoMDAwdTAwMEkb5uuz4nK8nmtH1uc7POt2heKlw5VfsGqZlrJl2UzmBWtU4LTdvg8RcG3b1vFW3jMnGj0hOcNPJ7tzyDs7C72S5PkOsehJ7YRiDsJvDbJdNFA5qF7BJQtTtAM74i0ztrSJrOPLOhOosmDrn8z4h5ftcdSvIEKIRQOGG1hBKV__jwWwloh0mLbpXbUvJ1vcmbCbaNNYtU6ao421jD6fLI1k4q2c2EUyCMub8zi78di4g0dXzOiSjx54c2ixYaL3F1LQ4LRvpiwrTljSwjrsW1vW9nTC08-VT2Quyg0BeNwUhRANPeSqCofx3nA3glRvybfM7Pl66lRfi4fP1KlFkaEInaTmipsl4JZOx9swh5BzjO1JfwdYjA17kiq53smgNJeTgXneUJ7e6viyRyBYgaNk14aynIZiVy75dHOoKp8ut0jj6xd0k0n3Zcp50Un9iH8ormG1c4rQXF4TAnx3XysI9Mvfci8LR1KQgy0Sa7dS6R-JA_yMAvSurXvmnYocZ3eIkpCLOeqdAEt8nUFSCfv3C2bxq2h4Yj6_uB99HE7XYSQ_Xz4tMjowfanyuPgzfWvGfXRyvBjUe90mZGBwRWY=) <div>Dear Class Members, Our lesson this week uses news of a peace initiative taking place between the Kurds and the Turkish government to discuss how believers can follow the Prince of Peace in our own peacemaking efforts. <img alt="" src="https://www.thewiredword.com/\_img/tww\_logo\_email.jpg"/> Kurdish Militants Lay Down Arms in Peace Effort The Wired Word for the Week of July 20, 2025 In the News Last Friday, Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) insurgents began laying down their weapons in a symbolic ceremony at a mountain cave in Sulaymaniyah province in northern Iraq. In an effort to move toward peace with the Turkish government after four decades of hostilities, 30 male and female Kurdish fighters cast rifles and machine guns into a large cauldron, where they were then set ablaze. Kurdish, Turkish and Iraqi officials witnessed the event. The PKK fighters who participated stated: "We voluntarily destroy our weapons ... as a step of goodwill and determination," adding, "We will henceforth continue our struggle for freedom, democracy, and socialism through democratic politics and legal means." The PKK took up arms against Turkey in 1984, hoping to establish an independent Kurdish state in the southeast of the country. Eventually, Kurds sought autonomy and civil rights for their people within Turkey, where they make up between 15% and 20% of the population. Kurds also live in northern Syria, northern Iraq and Iran. Some 40,000 people have been killed since the conflict began. Previous peace efforts between Turkey and the PKK have ended in failure. The current peacemaking effort was nudged forward last October when hardliner and nationalist Devlet Bahceli suggested in parliament that PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned in solitary confinement on an island near Istanbul since 1999, might be granted parole if he renounced violence and disbanded the PKK. In February, Öcalan told his followers that initially the PKK had formed because "the channels of democratic politics were closed" but now that the Turkish government was signalling a change in its perspective, the movement should formally dissolve, lay down its weapons, and seek to resolve its concerns through the democratic political process. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he welcomed the "opportunity to take a historic step toward tearing down the wall of terror" when he met pro-Kurdish politicians in April. The next month the PKK announced it would disband and renounce armed opposition to the government. In June, Ocalan, flanked by other imprisoned PKK leaders, appeared in an online video for the first time in more than two decades, stating "The phase of armed struggle has ended. ... The armed struggle stage must now be voluntarily replaced by a phase of democratic politics and law." He urged Turkey's parliament to set up a commission to oversee disarmament and manage the peace process, adding, "I believe in the power of politics and social peace, not weapons." It is expected that the disarmament process will take place in stages throughout the rest of the summer. Kurds called for Turkey to end "the regime of isolation" imposed on Öcalan in prison, to release Kurdish prisoners, and to allow integration of former militants into the political system. Kurdish refugees who fled to Iraq from their villages in Turkey during the violence in the 1990s expressed hope that the peace process might end their decades-long suffering and allow them to return home. President Erdogan said in a post on X, "May Almighty God grant us success in achieving our goals on this path we walk for the security of our country, the peace of our nation, and the establishment of lasting peace in our region." "This will benefit both sides," said Abdulrahman Abbas, a resident of the town of Dukan, near where the ceremony took place. "Why should this bloodshed continue for nothing?" More on this story can be found at these links: <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPBDwBc4OYy8rok0ifiHG0oTJ9eOoTqqK-2BEa8fIQzCHb2fDVp\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqgMISrOSkBrDvxR-2FpJYx9k8Q9VtOyqrzD1SvGra1kG3QX46g4GAERRAnKKpTk7GzkUSiEbEazDB8rxxspO3l0eJxTbLSgf51pKfPThN9ZEb4PwAS5FUDgIMWd05nZpfIxKf-2BfzOixSNgqdZPzidr-2B57C8aSRscGjYomBdau-2FByBJ8pVbwMA6Rli9HrHoaQi-2FgyPeGFl1I2N4HGXdSNqhiE0-3D">Kurdish Separatist Fighters in Iraq Begin Laying Down Weapons as Part of Peace Process With Turkey. </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPBDwBc4OYy8rok0ifiHG0oTJ9eOoTqqK-2BEa8fIQzCHb2nzBU\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqqZdsHC1p3qX7s6NQ-2Fy8PCsC1OYie49fNf8NvxAsvGiY9mMdsONg-2BsixA7lK-2BF2LV9wBoPS4ICgnhy6Aqrqup8uJufef9tutcyQcpcCqwZgtstB4UoSkU3lnyWy0wJeMU0Zz3RXf-2BOUKcrLlc-2FXc2GRo6O-2FctxA-2Bgt6wYWlsUBsTZrYs18uJJbr7U95D9EoJgwPcK5MJumqYDVCb3-2BeQhaA-3D">AP News</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPN6H9bXG5FD2vf7eZP7qLxJVgrwLIkr-2FHGkrA156GJ1CRcsek-2ByRIbRtNlfJJvPLVg-3D-3D5Hgu\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqvvxRKTLNym9zY16rqMRHjyju8WTuk0lAIG4djrG6pJcD70T4U8XvQYbEN3lhMy9eXleIt-2BS4t4XjFaWkSQmsFagjoBw-2B9DYlg6mzh1-2F42Y1AypbaPLYpQUWN6nOaQ4UG2ArFozk-2FNzkk-2Fd95C04KEZu37Rh8GzJrGuzQauRVdq98D-2FLFUZoRdR5mvmG-2BzkmPmA9TY7aLtrxSgnqAx9he2U-3D">Kurdish PKK Burns Guns in Cauldron in Big Step Towards Ending Turkey Conflict. </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPN6H9bXG5FD2vf7eZP7qLxJVgrwLIkr-2FHGkrA156GJ1CRcsek-2ByRIbRtNlfJJvPLVg-3D-3DvMaE\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqi9Mit0U-2B0nyzUr2QP-2FSIJkUtls1kxp-2BPM6ELNF4Ll1vUUh6h1QWUblv9u2op6dwGoJB-2Fb-2F-2BhCOlFcGS3IqDHK6rgQ4SHkG-2BfJKZ-2BIPDMvUGykjIpKhynHOEGoIuZYr2rzcJ5O-2FeUPEcgeZHDhWCbY2hBIu-2Fcde6mt5El5Rw4l9LvULNk2FfmO8iBTVKDKhv59DsQFmRHJWL1RxFF8m-2B8po-3D">BBC</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKy3TtZJUNBApOSK1-2FQMe4GmjH6Sn82m2Z26cVxFKEevqfHDakOtjcMYKfADw43-2Bw-2FFGlRBAtacRz1HjuAGixQYohc7oQA-2B-2BKre1DZkirlA9bfwo\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqmKH8m6U5E56n2G6rZG-2FaBYrp7EYe3HFS4N-2BfoEHq7k6vALYR4IIytMUvVFFzQSZ-2BwAvpUYDxSPJ27i5S4-2F1LzkxDqsG1CJG-2FxKxnes9SBa58nMqkl6LcMrwGC6a-2F7TeGnPmqGxsCgONvgMpnyvKHxva-2BrKiCenNKBF0AXSlzjtlTt2SMJnd6N1B3F2dW63PQjT62Po5zLBB-2Bz-2BI8jh-2F4to-3D">Kurdish PKK Militants Burn Weapons in Landmark Step to End Decades-long Turkey Conflict. </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKy3TtZJUNBApOSK1-2FQMe4GmjH6Sn82m2Z26cVxFKEevqfHDakOtjcMYKfADw43-2Bw-2FFGlRBAtacRz1HjuAGixQYohc7oQA-2B-2BKre1DZkirlA9W0T6\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqnydKlEnv07lHzHY7ZwZsdHcEfIrbe38pBqqJskK4wRlBvWQ7741tZq3Ua3pbefnQCeOl3E7S2PinyvsloK4-2FaAX1Gt-2F9UxOoCYR9aokDMHJEFcNPw2ApKfzzsQKpMvy3cpEIa9Nz2v9t8MS9ACE746RKAu3xehQQDNXbI4O-2B16M-2FooeAlgYeZRnUojiQCj6-2FPOqF0TMx9Wwp32HGo0JwnQ-3D">CNN</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHdMwa3Sk61QJHbe9zIocxvJ9zm9hIHI6FCfcM3z2Usfko1cRyCHxGdcBZuu7gBRprVAZLjPAcYcdimFn7XUvQOiaZezHOnjWlsBJbSZOAiffK4rqdNOr02djaPokxC5Kw09vjnfqxT-2BGA3xjACmp6YS7Ml-2Blbv9QOuKnKOh14MfCErQVy41XcVdfQwbQJAXzQ-3D-3DFhrn\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqmUI6pq3iXSf9G5pcnjb5OpksP67Ar48uFDAmkWgYDfdn9pLgYqF2CB1ZUSTmROGCf-2B8j6juEocVcly18PdDtNXdfJCROWUYSlEku4IP7JdK-2F3zAT1cgo3FiffTjCc5N1KsNS5jN-2F-2BxlCDM5oKjHmGkfdGgxLk5Ofhv-2Fr0YJDCVk-2FwJCe5m9yvp9fcNti3QyS1RHEWWml3yMWdVtbjll1zA-3D">Jailed PKK Leader Ocalan Says Armed Struggle With Turkey is Over. </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHdMwa3Sk61QJHbe9zIocxvJ9zm9hIHI6FCfcM3z2Usfko1cRyCHxGdcBZuu7gBRprVAZLjPAcYcdimFn7XUvQOiaZezHOnjWlsBJbSZOAiffK4rqdNOr02djaPokxC5Kw09vjnfqxT-2BGA3xjACmp6YS7Ml-2Blbv9QOuKnKOh14MfCErQVy41XcVdfQwbQJAXzQ-3D-3D-U4I\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqjNySf7SqOOxPdnbzLBnWVY9Nn4cYnTnD-2Bsdr4BxbyVyGUlMXxppyRNDzb0QOln5MMcVf8IflnxIEqSNjyEWW9WskgPxd9cWFMaGYWmhYhCqgJreJzFYVUsye58ZQJuXSB2Bgvf5VTOAWy1I-2Br4UwsTMzidWB4gI0p4jpWV-2BI0-2F8dLqCJTnznteQOdljGAJ0sUBZkIHNSCf-2BJCgMEBS1hKc-3D">Reuters</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ9oAs-2BmFpJ1VczB7ZcYXf2fghCrM0hvfoMRgXQExqD8SXwOqzL7suMIhVjflbnhLCEkSn-2Fjgn-2F0sg4LvrYfH9Fi06g9EStAmYBauhXSlp6D3AU-2FncBb2M7mF-2BlFBYLPag-3D-3DRI-k\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqlXCFP-2BScU7rPzwvNfqsmnuvKkHya-2FwGNjrgZokQY5-2Fmirr2CZhwMbUwx5GK0qiMC-2FiEnwU94LzMBJezfUDXv1uWz-2BEkEXxHb7OBfg-2BwWyqc-2Bqfe0AUD1GJ3fQorZc7UDgyHLGrGdW5MDLSXwmg1mvraC0WICL0hxBYNYmEPfrqQr-2BD4BDvPbaNiBPnHErtTJMrLDYNJXML331hcJJ2Vxp4-3D">Why Has the PKK Ended Its Armed Struggle? (Video 27:20). </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJ9oAs-2BmFpJ1VczB7ZcYXf2fghCrM0hvfoMRgXQExqD8SXwOqzL7suMIhVjflbnhLCEkSn-2Fjgn-2F0sg4LvrYfH9Fi06g9EStAmYBauhXSlp6D3AU-2FncBb2M7mF-2BlFBYLPag-3D-3Dc09i\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqjN65qBRUVNV4r3h43TwIuV5crhOeKG2KRih10kqhyaUdovw2thfn6p7my7q3zG8BZvUbuJmV8o-2FwoIRHyWzwxRcN45adaOQ1n4-2FBlkjrNbS1438dknK2P47yZuyNszzxatXQr2PN30ea8oYC3OGdUXH2LkOSr81wNMnq6SZ4goY0xpM6dMpFYfvQwaCNPDQu1R221G-2BwHFQKjOuqZJvFK4-3D">Al Jazeera</a> Applying the News Story In the Bible, we see God repeatedly initiating peace initiatives to restore covenantal relations with people. Those efforts culminate in God's extreme self-sacrifice in the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Christ, whose example calls us to mirror God's selfless love in our own peacemaking efforts. The Big Questions 1. What does "peace" mean to you? 2. How does peacemaking relate to seeking and naming truth? 3. How might conflict be a catalyst for growth and positive change? 4. What does it take to build trust among people who have known only conflict and hostility? 5. How can you/your family, group or church work for peace? Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: 1 Samuel 25:32-35 David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today! Blessed be your good sense, and blessed be you, who kept me today from bloodguilt and from avenging myself by my own hand! For as surely as the LORD the God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there would not have been left to Nabal so much as one male." Then David received from her hand what she had brought him; he said to her, "Go up to your house in peace; see, I have heeded your voice, and I have granted your petition." (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxFCMNoDo0nIQk1OOuVDrhcTHQlW239bMZoYHpz-2BHzir1UTU5Q16-2BMbMk6L12QN2XbGVgE\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqsoLFyTqjU-2F8ovsh4PTQzs6AejLAgL-2B-2FNiD5OfI2SNjXrjP67GfXaYuil8wuVSi-2BvxrgnpKewASmjL6OlfpmwgCRfJ-2FoYIyRb9DgFHCu1g7JSKxCq11TG8vNLR-2BWjhJxcALCg-2FEpOtA0mvwwTi1QbBrd-2Ft3MyPRDhutEM61aWuFygmJdtpb-2F-2BQUFOCzc2vh9KvJ67R2G0WWbEo6N0MtNG-2Fo-3D">1 Samuel 25:2-35</a>.) Abigail was married to Nabal, a wealthy rancher in Carmel, who was politically opposed to David. David sent his servants to Nabal with a message of peace, stating that he and his men had not harmed his workers or stolen anything from his large flocks, but instead provided them with 24-hour security. Then he asked Nabal for whatever provisions he could spare, but the rich man refused, insulted David, and accused him and his men of rebellion. Nabal's imprudent words jeopardized the safety of his entire household. Angry, David mobilized 400 armed men and advanced on Nabal. Knowing their ill-tempered master was not likely to apologize, his workers appealed to Abigail for help. While she had no warriors at her disposal, she lost no time in using the nonviolent resources that were available to her: food (v. 18), discretion (vv. 19-20 -- "she did not tell her husband Nabal" and she approached David "under cover of the mountain"), humility (vv. 23-24 -- "she hurried and dismounted from the donkey and fell before David on her face, bowing to the ground. She fell at his feet") and soft diplomacy, which prevented a bloodbath. Appealing to David's conscience and sense of justice, she begged him to let his wrath fall on her alone, if he felt the need to punish someone, not on her household or on the innocent shepherds who worked for them, not even on her foolish, ill-tempered husband (vv. 24-25). She accepted responsibility and asked for forgiveness, even though she had done nothing wrong. Then she asserted that God had kept David from the guilt, "grief or pangs of conscience" (v. 31) he would have felt if he had shed innocent blood in his thirst for revenge (v. 26) and expressed belief in David's honor (v. 28 -- "my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live"). While Nabal had demonized David and his followers, Abigail looked for the best in him and prophesied that God had a bright future for him (vv. 29-31). <blockquote> Questions: What peacemaking principles can you draw from this incident? How might they apply in a current conflict of which you are aware? </blockquote> Isaiah 2:4-5 [God] shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD! (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzx2QJeTgan651VWoqIUy9owQXJ1MrtDH-2FEFPN5ahYojwegWdONp50MBxeXcINspehGM8ZY\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqnZmhQcqB5d6iSdiptnRiNMMsc-2Ft0OBr-2FpMs0C3-2FGl16EfVwzxKOaVp2bo2gU7iyvmUBGntWs9G6NkMWQI9Qj9UWBi0ujoOfPsuHK-2F8GEX34I2tHimlH0L1KyXtQFy4Zr2TiJJxmZEvQMk5b5YxkJgSfGgkf4r-2BAY1OGVFyQcNN-2BVDhxrKhr57f6rju-2B8gYFiIUeVUbMXjJI8c-2FS9qNYs00-3D">Isaiah 2:1-5</a>.) Isaiah prophesied that the day would come when all nations would stream to the house of God, seeking to learn to walk in the ways of God. He urged his own people to do the same! <blockquote> Questions: What is involved in "learning war"? What needs to happen in the human heart and in a society for people to stop "learning war"? How can the people of God learn peace? And how can we teach others God's way of peace? What would be a modern equivalent of "beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks"? What would that look like, in government? In the church? In a family? </blockquote> John 18:10-11 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?" (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxIZQdl9o19AaGMoRwm2CB4nmofNcgiaeU561hnA59wXTgd7WiAScktIFf-2BihpLbz-2FFDTs\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqvUPsCamPF6wgrCOqPVW8-2FJOmDyjFUA6-2BkUX020YJTi3Inn1ufSqQyc3WqoFwbxFnaCn-2BqV6RLPH1YOjhpg-2Bz7nvK-2BOEq-2B6Cs568w0gJ2L6T76Kt6G8bR2oNsEsbDnp6eifV-2Fto40a44e-2F7WVaJaMbku1j3lnzUqUt96NjJlyVPqpJbi8oUa0zb148yVwJcZxROYwcJH2bvY5Iq0L1aOzEg-3D">John 18:1-12</a>.) In Matthew's rendition of this incident, the assailant and the victim of the attack are not named (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEE9arX6m0yHZZAbtNhYaDRwGuBiK5lgJH-2BIl1PQgz8F7IfLXUs2Hma5s0e8ofFU3zynv\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqhx6FYKiYEsGnnSiRb-2BR1lQ0Z36Pip8Ys6TOYi7D2FCv1gQ9PdQQHZhoCcTtBcoKkQ1HCHrJ18Z1AYykoHM6OcOvgh8Rk2RvvCP5kOO8ccOn4wdQjZezPvYsTImxPDwzkanN9zgE-2B-2BLVtTWNdB1CAFvoSmc7OCXCSTFjm8NrKJd1R-2Bv6Px-2FbQQzHyuqCJR55hnKNhZkHBsB4Z0gdh4d7hV0-3D">Matthew 26:50-52</a>). Matthew also records Jesus' warning that "all who take the sword will die by the sword." In Luke's version, the disciples, seeing what was coming, asked the Lord if they should strike with the sword, but they didn't wait for his answer. Then Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched the wounded man's ear and healed him (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxD2XRzVIiP-2Bh2Nqe6kf2V21WgE3uiCyqZ93k3c0NrTPprIyi7hZDkeI70LzPHI63W1MKS\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqneMA9PIWbn1teqwBoUOFlt1kXd4UaK2GEBY-2B0l9dTwQB10QST-2FXozhJgdBaooC-2FWp83gA9MhSIIV-2BfVFl87N9r8J-2FyVs-2FpDxjFn5-2BZZSLcgyqCE-2FNHdHKvEjG-2FmwcjsjuN6CWaFHK-2BTW8sCAV-2F8jtU9EC3yhjUMyTY5h-2F7wKoGihcORj7CW6l1UtwAi0Khd8lQeTU8L2WbusH0iEMUmYO8-3D">Luke 22:49-51</a>). <blockquote> Questions: What motivated Peter to draw his sword and strike? Whom or what was he trying to strike, and did he hit his mark? How does the narrative change with the addition of names, and with the information that the injured person was a slave? What is required to de-escalate a volatile situation? How can we "put our swords back into their sheaths," once we have "drawn our swords"? What is the significance of Jesus' healing a man who was part of the group that came to arrest him? What does that suggest about the path Jesus' followers are to travel? How might Jesus' followers absorb and echo his words, "No more of this!" in our own day and age? </blockquote> Matthew 5:9, 44-45 [Jesus said,] "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ... But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEE9arX6m0yHZZAbtNhYaDU6mEN5GA4CKyOtZdbkUIMBG64tUH0ZVTTD30l6hM90DZcnI\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqlWc-2BCSFiZTqZJGQKTbHAc3-2B3PR0ts1HTsz04eb-2Bgzf8JHdOBC9cZAIhfqBk3x9R7YGaGuGFOdn59USafT1CfMhDHrcQh4kx318NR3dAb1wzhYYzOatnH7sZsAEj97c4bOo54R67-2FsEVekIi74XVZHyXWi46H82BQVLe2tOLzKsS1Q72uV-2FEaIIxxgaJLv5XNK1fHkizGEzlUfqJoiEacck-3D">Matthew 5:9, 38-48</a>.) When beauty pageant contestants are asked what they want in life, it's not uncommon to hear them speak about some personal passion, desire or career goal, and then, almost as an afterthought, to tack on, "and world peace. Definitely, world peace." One of the first questions people ask when an infant is born is, "Who does the child resemble?" We are intrigued when we spot traits in the features and mannerisms in a child that remind us of the mother or father. Jesus tells us that we can identify the children of God by their peacemaking and indiscriminate love for others, whether neighbors, family members or enemies. <blockquote> Questions: Why are peacemakers called God's children? What is the difference between longing for peace and peacemaking? How are you engaging in peacemaking? </blockquote> For Further Discussion 1. "Before he was the pope, [Pope Francis] made sure that he was close to ordinary people on a daily basis. Instead of driving to his office as a bishop, he would take mass transit," self-described "peace warrior" Dan Buttry says. "I remember when I was a denominational executive for American Baptists, directing peace programs, I went to work by bus and usually I could tell that I was the only executive on the bus. I shared seats with hotel workers, laborers -- working people, nearly all of them. "That daily experience created a different mindset about the community around me. So many of our global leaders end up isolated from people. And that isolation isn't bridged by occasionally going out and glad-handing or showing up at a barbecue to win votes. I'm talking about actually spending time with real people. That kind of closeness changes the way you perceive the world." How might you expand your contact with people in your locale and the wider world? What have you learned by spending time with people on their turf that surprised you? 2. After completing her military service in Israel, <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPKo4beS0-2FcPiLBUWU3fku2TikytugBc-2FZV5eIPhjl5xJcmxd4VVYx8gVwMHwSC1-2B1A-3D-3Dgx5\_\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqk8GXoJFe-2FnS76U9SaCmJaAJfPB2hpIsOptVJLh8M-2BToEmyiDjnFA-2BHUtlmQoph-2BtJ4RTxmzJEYq6KiJ6niO5FnGtSa1r4nBTyGv-2F-2BhJt84adaxjtYfSLS2pIwU7RV4FOBZR3lo-2FzSYt-2BOtPX3N5sfeDzxraxypBggTHTD0EpNCT7Wyy549OR1ntrUxkvhHNNahUYbG6-2BHLWuo0rTQVfSDg-3D">Rina Kedem</a> wanted to learn more about the people of the land she had patrolled. She discovered that Palestinians, Israelis and Jordanians all rely on the same natural resources. "The environment can either be a catalyst for conflict or cooperation," she said. Kedem has developed projects with partners from across borders to ensure natural resources are available to everyone who needs them. In <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPOacMf8AxW-2FzUvsVx0MI14QQMJuKP6YNfXWEHn01wSyvZ1C1rX6UFniRtvgyBjbCkvB1NCuGhOeAkI2RoZZVL63tD5OEd5w7h5NsXEWQL8-2BXXF6JUqvyRKRNrubuo1xFRXpvlCCy41r1XaA94KXkmIGcsOcIDakMu0FWsZIB7JSCedec\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqtBUL-2FhUf0S4q9nRl0exwE9UPpGtTqMwcRLhZL2q2i623UiP5X5X-2F9tDMu1hWDvratYs-2FIm6fGYnnc7C-2BLgk33mfQ2BS9-2BLJAOcr7bPsVh6ewLFyYyh84ZuAZ2uPi9rAzJADfo-2FYSzqi7VpDUd0Uh0dzP62ZRjrnVLsSVHNVULd7jOx3luegXplwkwVvJQYo8gUdyx89xNca7HLlj-2BN8i2Y-3D">Resurrection Peacemaking: Plowsharing the Tools of War: Thirty Years with Christian Peacemaker Teams</a>, peace activist and farmer Clifford Kindy notes that many wars are started over scarce water. He writes: "Learning how to use water is a peace project." How might small efforts to live more sustainably enhance peacemaking efforts? 3. In <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPM3-2B7AWPD3hT3QYYVsdE4deE0gxqnLELh0-2FNEF6IsEzaCe2776UCckD-2F6su1w4iueeUV-2Bw3OFQsocsua-2Bj28VZc-3DdMVe\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqq2YvF6GEcYTXMIgTV0Q0dGpjsP4OGbjt68MFw6-2FFNOSFW0UYHR6WKnWeAS-2BT-2FQ1voRKsfybYkjKYXXwwAqmzt4Cuxf5dMAL95fx-2BWudyfMeV8CA9A8Ag6-2FY7fiX1RU8tGrGm-2Bg5Q-2FqbNL-2BLFtodWcEDxGVSJ7McxvytUe79JGGyFY79oYqlnzo-2B2yvh0SViZGhfkc2bIUFnQbJ-2FlEEUoKU-3D">The Courageous, Vulnerable, Improbable Story of Peace</a>, Tim Nafziger writes: "When we look at something as vast as the military-industrial complex, it can be daunting in the face of so much political and economic power. And on top of all that, we have to grapple with the stories that our culture tells itself that glorify war. As Glen Guyton points out, 'Endless war has been somewhat normalized, and patriotism has become synonymous with unquestioned support of the military.'" Discuss. 4. In <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPNl1IZqydp6PWr-2FtZ-2BD6NH-2BaHPwCrlaBnHl30uzEw85oKtg518ZJXBREEopy3-2F1CCcri8-2FhGmrb46gW2GLIQy1bTiSeZFvEjS-2B-2FtIt7Atx2reD4Fk596MNiqaR75ii5OHQTutkaMKYQldfKeBOOfY4w-3DItRB\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqlSa-2F1YjrB3WkWn5VNrLw4CFRNYCb7UaweDfJAoyk6AbLGT79u9uoY62RJ0w0chixz1u-2FF9oStA0nLnLUM-2Fd0dphXpL-2BmEeN9Xmr7QpzjfvFrhVNr2pCBObmj9f8gOnetOxIX5Q1JRtouWfN3AZusF-2BtUD6V-2FpLIFUIc8i5hzz53GtZrtSC2g5PE681IVYI8J2fzfUhUQxjwnjvIVnDfrrk-3D">Soldier Turned Peacemaker: How War Wrecked Her for Peace</a> we learned about Diana Oestreich, who found herself fighting to save the life of an enemy combatant while serving in the army in Iraq. "But when she looked into his eyes, she saw a man with a story like hers. A man who God had made. A man who was her neighbor, whom she was supposed to love." Oestreich says she defines peacemaking as "asking people to reimagine who their enemy is by learning to see themselves in the stories of people they've been told to hate or fear. Reimagining those stories ... that's peacemaking to me." Upon her return home, Oestreich was determined that "peacemaking had to involve more than abstaining from violence. She wanted active peacemaking ... the 'active unmaking of violence.'" How is the "active unmaking of violence" different from seeking to avoid conflict? Responding to the News 1. To open doors for peace-building, consider adopting two areas (one local and one international) on which to focus your love and support. Take time to learn from and develop relationships with the people in each vicinity. 2. Sing together the hymn, <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq193s5jIJroxdL9rDl07X5vP7gLPeKNr06hwOtJ-2ByLqesg-3D-3DLawm\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqho-2Fyd-2Fu0AUoaMksgxkUlFePy7apx38JzrIIgUeoXIl3-2BT1gHnYOGUXgyqU-2Bv8x1Go0JTa-2FT2Y8R-2FQNlXHRjD6wh7r4MfeXDhweJoNTWvvj73htZ60oDazsJ2f2mRvXHSqMN5iqED0-2B17uCaW1CWxaSQcapdlYaLvvdok8P9il9TbrsLkmwGHDDwmURfSrykiKU8qDquoM6P97kovOeHxP8-3D">Make Me a Channel of Your Peace</a> or listen to Nat King Cole sing, <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2FzqT8g8uIYjERSQ2SBn9xI0Gi9zsFEQoQB2fpoJOiGMQ-3D-3DTk\_Q\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqpy9rLQpETmtZqVk2Qsb9RUTExaktzqXkP3luvP1UiWgqKcUP9iwq1q8kPb7eElmHhII-2BZGuUa7nF1nUGesj5QfdcDdPojvak23NMrw-2BIM14u2D2w5r2azd0R7K9Jf86mjqxsQwAricUe98KtVJg7FVHNvh7sEYT-2FhEZWiTfBc-2Ba-2BTCEeeF5UWv5ckL80O44t1XXRuO2s7wOfGwXGHJrzG8-3D">Ain't Gonna Study War No More</a>. 3. You can find a variety of resources on peace-building from a Mennonite perspective, including a prayer for peace written by Amy Yoder McGloughlin, at <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPM3-2B7AWPD3hT3QYYVsdE4deRi9Xhgm-2FMTXX7MKFXhfKw1wuRHXrrFNl4pWUHl45bJffKovCnuERud4X4rNiTBf5-2BqLuOTasYgqhqjibB5oZoZs-d\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqvup-2BODASbve0xQeFBzpW36rlfxLRjzHuCOTOiFTE6A9XeWSODC-2BANwxO1S-2BvqIZKomXejq7gwFlcDh9nSAW0P-2F0gSX8OQaReNOqvMW2D3Kq4lP4NV8lymZs6jq-2FNhWNTZ3nFIwOvs-2FcjxCy7Woe-2FB9gxQuKqoXhSj7MbDHq2twood-2FuNdHkaiGYvRGpyZvV6sl-2BHAXnC01dDYIF1r5EKjM-3D">Cost of War/</a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPM3-2B7AWPD3hT3QYYVsdE4deRi9Xhgm-2FMTXX7MKFXhfKw1wuRHXrrFNl4pWUHl45bJffKovCnuERud4X4rNiTBf5-2BqLuOTasYgqhqjibB5oZo6oiy\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqtcs65HPAemjVb1IklnHqZjN-2BckYZUpV0WRD-2FE2dBRMzytEKkDF5NOHjt2CyNn3ObA7wngJeAspmyrkGkmYU-2FBgM8DBVQFyctmyJAY7A71-2Fnd2U7sp-2FjFY6F18KNyDJQuU-2Bh3xvW16pJsBgx3WT3fMdu9e-2B6gBK1YPwIJNt0M8gVvd7-2BsU7Ui47-2FKRwDQfQZD2HK2qrfWHWelcWi5adG3nk-3D">Learn, Pray, Join</a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPM3-2B7AWPD3hT3QYYVsdE4deRi9Xhgm-2FMTXX7MKFXhfKw1wuRHXrrFNl4pWUHl45bJffKovCnuERud4X4rNiTBf5-2BqLuOTasYgqhqjibB5oZoEbFW\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqsC84GdXa3Sqhznb2ZbZfmQBCV1iTi7JOasbsrffQURNKEWtH2JMxpzOmE08GrPFle7ZzOs-2B42ezdntPndfG9vucgzovynen0G-2BTeKQy-2FQyUE84z42-2F-2FuXPj2CGmq66KrBeruD22nyr8SpvX0fwmYWW3QZHjcs53kzaXf6Q0TBUHvc5WE3RlmIf9SwtZKq3Onxl9dVee3SgzfmzGUmEUpcs-3D">.</a> For the younger set, check out <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPMHte9dWYtLmu9RU-2B-2B1sjArbagzrJZ96WIG1yuFk0EuXn9LPcuu2TMJSyDpxEaJ1-2BvIRv-2FIm4KNyjanH7nSfxKc-3DNssw\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqpWxoJfu0zKoQ3DRxeWw7gcGMK0xmkAxw0WUucvUULMOThspwwdrzDpZvLoqrgEzCwdjN5dK5LK9ESYd5hm3kh2Wr-2FMFHcT7o90jQ2GA-2BdMo2D6PuXgqfP7jNxa8kxLjrXaNbtPycvbh5dosmfqaPw6uVLELl7w1DfMMofmTM705La5KM5XnCRl6-2BC1D-2BOYILKg1u49qkecj6-2F9iOZICfio-3D">22 Favorite Picture Books About Peace</a>. 4. Seneca elder Bill Crouse created this series of videos on Native American legends about peacemakers: <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2FGQhd-2B9I8dZC54pcswcgYxh9rzciLih-2B27THWcvaqF9w-3D-3DDB9Z\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqgaCeW5byovWcaF-2BIJvwvImHa8aqkjztSR-2BOjeXX8GgZvKCcYBWYP4zgydEW1gYDhrqTDAMdB0yScH2nHq9Gn94IZfWFPG7tMJYieVVxTtUyv6QptAslJuJhBNpRyF8moJWXNdRwYt-2BGr-2B3EUNFdcAc-2FtPqcgHkGDRghO6JlDf1RfzEBkrbeq-2B8eOTq2sXinlBSr9TF47EUJb-2BKXg-2FPLoLY-3D">Peacemakers Journey Part 1 (Video 14:55)</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq18RsXY4fsiTfPkteizlmZfvWCQC6M4zjjqRnG3MGh0WAA-3D-3D9vWo\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqqjhDbawXDv23UDhLY-2BWpxeYDXRV2TY5plp7zuRlNL-2B3gUx3PEncOe3J8velW8vLlK-2FEAvmQsrhH-2B3uuPRWYIENeP0QADQnUab3EGh-2Fu9wxUgIUD6zluGzFiO2X2h2pzuqXUrQzy4r0hsiS2TPV1ayqsf9Dqctt84ibbIgTM2t7qn-2BzbCSvMyLtL3vqjSJ2pkRw5K-2BAOp1zvV32ksSVOb0E-3D">Attotaro - Peacemakers Journey Part 2 (Video 8:33)</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq18GLNkG-2FkqnUldqH55d-2Bj-2BSRRus0OlBg2pzTznYK-2FTuAw-3D-3DtErh\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqsp0iuZ-2FKnSVMeFaLQgcWBoHp-2BYTXsLsT7P-2BSaolvkF46BnAYbVG0oRNL6OCnRszacV4Zg-2Bx3kO9f6e3UY53voTioAWA2PzrcgkPSQ2SqTmHga3zK0Y9dd3QfH3NvIjpJ-2BdCRCEgSc8EJ11SGziTqSu-2BAXOVHnbxmYt8uDMliqukOPmLba-2B3vI0wyMpVUb9mc8T-2BnXiFQ3pJX7EQhjhOGOU-3D">Ha:yëwënta' - Peacemakers Journey Part 3 (Video 14:07)</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2F3NKUg0wal5EWqxJcFfdwC6In-2FYy1-2BUan1upp1EQvsOQ-3D-3D3SSU\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqsE5pPsjXm19-2F4n38ihKaTzZZuS3WInbkG10XtAvEDXkO6Mfn7PpRL4gGymUNNfY-2FFsMZ1OBhCLBoivhtqKuVVf12S32DHlY6BkE9RKPcAGOBHF7ckk9jnPd-2BO7xPBUxG7hEFFuDLyR25u5fUxyuA87EmkrTmfbJe1xYVIIJVTJ-2FgRn-2BVDCfl9fD87yVJiWZVfvdwtXbuDHhKJ00ZlJ5SAI-3D">Ha:yëwënta' Continued & Jigöhsasë' - Peacemakers Journey Part 4 (Video 14:31)</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2BYs9DsthSVNQzHkayI7Epb6nxSXr0mOURRi03HG3yG3w-3D-3DFgwa\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqguh4wqj-2FLZCUqwZ5gyjs1o6zLLaj0ShpKrSlQDQkQndC4sR-2BqYWHpF3PUB2kfkvcWm7N9bvQg2Zae5loOht3-2BX3htnoLRgX3XoskFIIpDdKcU0OEzX7DZ9bcglyGer9vyMY6cDa85CR93O6yDM328A28Ug40lNAborYSF1BmArKnOKCBnISw3ZQP-2BdTEOAOquHToEMsEv66Ci5Qn-2BsvhnM-3D">The Five Nations Accept the Message of Pea</a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2BYs9DsthSVNQzHkayI7Epb6nxSXr0mOURRi03HG3yG3w-3D-3DqQvB\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqrGaWRFkb23kX-2B3CajyOxPzgo8TSyN4dzNMGBKNjkVdkXuu-2F-2Fwh3O2-2FTHWEOtj8zl60Jk8KGA881bQghzMgCgsn6t9d-2FdbH6kSiftYNcVxLBVFWDbXJHTBbYwp61qdj5sQ59dGEKV2AnTQhxssT9M4Yecpdvc5-2B-2BM6smOftyQoFVR2UlRz1kx9i5-2BXhfwq6611f5w7owjKdhdSai-2Bhzs87c-3D">ce - P</a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq1-2BYs9DsthSVNQzHkayI7Epb6nxSXr0mOURRi03HG3yG3w-3D-3Dod0Z\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmV-2F8V1BMvfHeXSz3tl3R3ndtU4X2AovCgkXBHPZw4UBO-2B2EXcDQjIrQET1FVXButqqv0RzV-2BE2V2aDGFmsVHAa-2F6AmnGanCCwkDRVKEBGxrLVjLXUAlLvlCfWV7epQIJ-2FPZ8cJHVCRhWBA3wx2GjaptQmbV0T56to9OZnYWOSae5V2b16sOQEVVunw3t6ntMnrOR-2FFjoLulhgyu3zPyZd6soIaGDpxd-2BhLRFmdaMNqgOWpLOmefjyEDxsLNFHpicHFoW05PJhfjdd0kNrSY2avA-3D">eacemakers Journey Part 5 (Video 13:45)</a> Prayer suggested by 1 Corinthians 7:15; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Psalm 17:4; Colossians 3:14-15; Hebrews 12:14; Psalm 34:14; Romans 14:19. Peace-bringing God, open our ears to your call to peace, so that we may avoid the ways of violence. May the peace of Christ, who unites us in his one body, crucified and risen to life for us, rule in our hearts, so that we may love one another in perfect harmony. May your Spirit empower us to pursue peace with everyone, so that all people may be built up in the knowledge of your great love for the work of your hands. Amen. 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