We run our website the way we wished the whole internet worked: we provide high quality original content with no ads. We are funded solely by your direct support. Please consider supporting this project.

Blessed are the Peacemakers
We recently watched a show on Frontline (PBS) called The Interrupters. This two hour long documentary follows several “Interrupters” as they attempt to peacefully resolve conflict in their oftentimes violent neighborhoods in Chicago. The group of Interrupters is a mix of the young and the not-so-young, women and men, single and married. They represent multiple different races and cultures. All of them come from very difficult backgrounds and circumstances–between them, they’ve spent hundreds of years in prison for drug offenses, burglary, murder, and many other types of crimes. Most are ex-gang members. Some have been Interrupters for years and others were released from prison more recently and are just starting their journeys as Interrupters. All of them have found new life and new purpose in their role as Interrupters.
Too often, we’re told that the only way to confront violence is with more violence. One quick look at any online news source these days will show that this premise is usually the default option at all levels of society. This documentary may challenge you to think differently. You can watch the documentary online here.
*Disclaimer: There are two versions available to watch online, the “Graphic Language” version and the “Broadcast” version. Neither is appropriate for young children, due to language and violence. The “Graphic Language” version would probably get an R rating, and the “Broadcast” version would probably get a PG-13 rating.
Category: General
Tags: Non-Violence, Peacemaking
Related Reading

The “Third Way”: Seeing God’s Beauty in the Depth of Scripture’s Violent Portraits of God
A publishing house recently sent me an advance copy of a book written by a well known scholar on the topic of the non-violent God revealed in Jesus, asking me to endorse it. (Publishing protocol stipulates that endorsers not critique a book before it’s released, so I will not mention the name of the author…

Blessing the Soldiers of ISIS
In light of the overwhelming response to Greg’s post about loving the soldiers of ISIS, we thought we would explore Jesus’ teaching on this topic further. The following is an excerpt from Myth of a Christian Religion. The perspective below stands in contrast to the perspectives exhibited by many Christians, one being the recent article…

ISIS, Islam & Jesus
http://youtu.be/7W5NWWFFJMg?list=PLB5r2P47beqLlY3wM6VKjwEEofXAZ4lX5 Our friend Bruxy taught a series at The Meeting House titled ISIS, Islam & Jesus that we wanted to share with you. This is episode one, and you can find the whole series by clicking here. If you believe in redemptive violence, you’ll be challenged by what he has to say.

Responding to Critics On A Pacifist View of the Syrian Crisis
On September 3rd, I wrote a post entitled What I – a Pacifist – Would Say to Obama About the Syrian Crisis in response to a number of questions I was getting, and judging from the “shares” and Twitter activity, this essay seems to have struck a chord. Not surprisingly, it also generated some criticism, for…

A Non-Violent Creation
A biblical teaching that we often overlook regarding the centrality of non-violence concerns God’s original vision of creation. We have grown so accustomed to the violence we experience as a part of nature that we don’t even question whether it is supposed to be the way it is. However when we see God’s vision for…

Is Non-Violence a Key to Christian Discipleship?
For the first three centuries of the church, Christians understood that forgoing the use of violence and expressing God’s self-sacrificial love was central to discipleship. However, this mindset changed after the Church acquired power in the fourth century. Entire theological systems have been developed to support the use of coercive power. However, contrary to that…