Welcome to Our Blog and News Page
Stay connected with the latest updates from Presbyterian Peace Fellowship! Our blog and news page is your go-to source for stories of activism, reflections on social justice, and insights into our ongoing efforts to promote peace and nonviolence.
Whether you're a long-time supporter or new to PPF, we invite you to explore our posts, share your thoughts, and join the conversation. Together, we can build a more just and peaceful world, one story at a time.
On the Anniversary of 9/11, Reflecting on Interfaith Work from 22 Years Ago
Most of us alsosimply welcomed the concerns and compassion showered upon us by persons from aroundthe world, with messages of solidarity and comfort, not so much because we were Americansbut because we were simply human. And that was good enough.
I have a secret
My seatmate, Mary, was no exception as she said to me, “I need to confess. I have only told 2 other people about this. Last year - I bought a gun...
Standing in the right place
It’s hard to know where to start. The forces of voter suppression have been playing a “long game” for generations but their efforts have really ramped up after the 2020 election.
If you are interested in gun violence prevention: start somewhere.
We continued the conversation with our group. Someone said that gun buyback programs don’t work. Someone else said, yes, they do work. In the face of a cultural view that gun buybacks don’t work, we decided to give it a try. We were all jammed in my office and we thought of the words from Isaiah: swords into plowshares. Someone asked, how about Guns to Gardens?
Organize, Learn and Organize Again: Lessons from the GVP Movement:
It was Sandy Hook. I had children close to that age. It was a life-changing moment for me. For weeks after Sandy Hook, I was heartbroken. Finally, I said to myself, well I can be heartbroken or I can do something about it.
Nonviolent resistance is the only thing that will ultimately save Ukraine
So rather than saying, "Nonviolent resistance is also good and worth supporting" I am of the opinion that nonviolent resistance is the only thing that will ultimately save Ukraine. I believe there is much more nonviolent resistance happening than we here in this country know about, and even the corporate media that loves to beat the drums of war has reported on some of it.
We Don’t Build Peace by Avoiding Tension
The work of peace-making that Dr. King was calling us towards all those years ago is coming to fruition in the modern movement to abolish the prison industrial complex.
We are all those disciples who come to Jesus worn out by the scarcity mindset we’ve inherited from capitalism, and Jesus calls us to try a new way - God’s way - a way of abundance.
The Third Displacement
Reflecting on the situations families are facing in trying to seek justice under the law, this pastor asked, “Is the law just the strong hand of the rich?”It seems like the answer is yes. The IPC keeps pushing for peace with justice, and keeps accompanying the victims and survivors of violence. Our role is to keep listening, keep learning, and keep walking alongside the IPC as they raise these questions.
Guns2Gardens: Become a disarming congregation
Holding space for grief and trauma is why we are asking churches to become disarming congregations. We want to end gun violence and to do so involves more than just taking guns out of homes. Churches can be agents of transformation for not just the gun as it is disarmed and turned into a garden tool, but also for people.
Leaving with more questions
When people have experienced violence or committed acts of violence, what is justice? We have heard it several times, "without justice, we can't have peace."
Violence in Afghanistan not inevitable
The crisis in Afghanistan right now as the United States pulls out after two decades of war is only inevitable (as President Biden has said it is) if we think war is inevitable. The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship condemns military action by any party to a conflict, holding it to be usually counter-productive and always contrary to the Christian gospel.