Imagine the pain of losing a child to war, compounded by not having a safe space to express grief. This is Claudia Antonovna Ushakova’s story. Her son, a soldier in the Ukrainian army, died in combat at the...
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The John and Jane Doe family and the Ilsa and Ivan Doesky family lived at opposite ends of a fine apartment building in Solarville. Being quite well to do, they were the envy of many of their neighbors in the...
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My wife and I have led 13 groups of college students to the Middle East since 1991 as part of Eastern Mennonite University’s required cross-cultural program. During the semester-long immersive travel, we...
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Deonta Turner, Lemont Davis, Alandis Allison, Maurice Purnell and Juan Bahena Jr. I felt these five people’s deaths most deeply amid more than 500 fatal shootings this year in Chicago. Deonta Turner and...
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During a Muslim-Christian peacemaking meeting in Indonesia in 2003, Mesach Krisetya, president of Mennonite World Conference, made a speech. Seeking to dismantle negative stereotypes of Christians —...
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One cousin was already at the beach. When the other topped the dune and they spied one another, both galloped across sand and their different ages, 3 and nearly 5, arms outstretched. It was a thrill to watch,...
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Where do you locate evil? In the aftermath of the deadly white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Va., it’s easy to point to places where evil was active: evil was marching down the streets, under...
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Globally, violent conflicts are increasing, according to the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, Norway. There are more armed conflicts now than at any time since the end of the Cold War. Unfortunately, many...
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Partners of Mennonite Central Committee in Colombia continue to walk with people affected by more than 50 years of violence as new armed conflict emerges even after a peace accord. Violence among armed groups...
[read more]Staking out a middle ground in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict virtually guarantees a barrage of hostility. Angry words flew last month between staunch allies Israel and the United States over a United...
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We have done a disservice to our children in terms of relational health. We have, in a myriad of ways, taught them not how to handle conflict or to reconcile relationships, but to avoid conflict and deny its...
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So, it’s finally here. The holidays are upon us, and there’s no turning back, and no avoiding them. I don’t know about you, but while I’m looking forward to the holidays, and while I want to be able to...
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Not to take sides but to reflect the conversation, a nation argues over whether to name its presidential candidates crooks, fascists, or worse. At lunch with a denomination’s representatives, talk turns to...
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The possible signing of a peace agreement between the guerrilla group FARC and the Colombian government brought for me, as a Colombian Mennonite, a sense of hope that the path to peace is starting in my...
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Kyle Hinckley made a stir in the video-game world by successfully completing the hardest mode of Fallout 4 with zero kills. In this popular series of video games set in a post-apocalyptic United States, gamers...
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Peter saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down. . . . In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. Then he heard a voice saying, “Get up, Peter,...
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Jesus was a social justice hero. He boldly spoke out against inequality, helped the oppressed, condemned the oppressor and embraced the alienated. Like today, many were drawn to His causes and could identify...
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Have you ever found yourself unable to speak your truth in an anxious conversation? You’re not alone. We might hold back speaking because we’re afraid what someone else might think. Or perhaps we hold back...
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When did you last read 2 John? The shortest document in our New Testament begins in the typical form of a Greco-Roman letter: the sender, the receiver and the greeting. However, the greeting is specifically...
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So often we hear, “The Bible says . . .” What exactly does that mean? Especially when topics are controversial, the conversation stopper is often something like, “The Bible is clear about that.” But...
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Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit . . . until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God . . . ” —...
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In these days of church conflict I am reminded of the story of my father-in-law, Rollin, age 94 when he died. In the last few years his balance was compromised, life was confusing, and little made sense:...
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GOSHEN, Ind. — When Sam Carlson walked to work in the morning, he stepped over hundreds of tear gas canisters, stun grenades and smoke bombs. Sometimes he could feel tear gas lingering in the air. Carlson, a...
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The Mennonite Church, after being immersed in turmoil for decades, was barreling toward a potentially catastrophic showdown. With implications for unity, discipline, polity, identity and biblical...
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This is how I think about the way of the cross. Compassion, curiosity, humility and grace linked with courageous opposition to sin, injustice and evil. Jesus held these things together. That is a rare...
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