I have not been doing a great job of remembering to tell you all that this year 25 Days for Peace is actually a “cooperative blogging experiment” that has 6 different people with 6 different personalities each creating something from their own perspective about Peace.  It has been awesome to get to read the posts that come in each day, and I feel like I have gotten to know more about each person participating.  In fact, I want to take this time to introduce you to each person currently participating!

Luke is a man of God, a husband, and a father.  I met Luke through our shared past together as employees of Youth for Christ in Northwest Ohio.  Every week, Luke reaches out to struggling teens and challenges them to consider who Christ could be to them.  As a minister of the gospel, he is willing to engage students where they are, and stand by their side as the struggle to grow.  Luke and I often don’t agree on a lot of things, but when our disagreements turn particularly passionate, Luke has always been the one to reopen the door of relationship between us.  I can remember several times where he has apologized (not for what he believes) but for how he pursued the argument.  I would often find myself apologizing in return because I knew I was out of line as well.  Luke sought to bring peace to our relationship, without compromising his positions.  I am glad to call him a friend.

I don’t know that I have ever actually met Beth in person (although I suspect we may have found ourselves at some events together unaware of each other).  When I put out an open invitation to participate in this project, she was the only one who responded without a direct invitation from me.  While I don’t know much about her in a personal way, I have gotten to know about her heart for Nicaragua, and her plans to serve there as a missionary when God’s timing allows it.  I must admit that I was a bit worried having an unknown quantity join the group, but I have been greatly surprised by what she has added!  Beth, it has been a pleasure to begin to get to know you and your heart for the “least of these”.

Amanda is someone I became aware of through Dayspring, where we both attended church growing up.  Amanda (perhaps unknowingly) is actually one of the original inspirations of the whole 25 Days for Peace project.   She has participated in a few “create something everyday” challenges and I found myself checking them out when she would post them on Facebook.  She has since moved on to schooling and internships, but when I reached out to her about this project, she responded right away and was a great provider of knowledge.   She has just finished a LONG internship in Columbus, where she was serving a church while raising support to stay.  It has been awesome to read her thoughts everyday, and she gives me hope that there are still christian leaders who will be serving when the current generation moves on!

Carla has an incredible story, and an incredibly caring heart.  Dayspring brought us together, and through the pain of a personal life experience she felt God’s call to start “Vulnerability Ministries”  where she coaches and encourages women in all life circumstances.  She has even written a book!   She has always encouraged me to continue writing, and at some point our “friendly church acquaintance” relationship became more of a friendship then I could have ever expected.  Through adventures in Nicaragua and my only attempt at acting, it has been an interesting ride, and I’m glad to say it isn’t over yet!

Last but certainly not least is my friend Sarah.  I have been blessed to have the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua to work with an organization called Nicaragua Resource Network, and Sarah is a volunteer leader of NRN.  Our paths cross as I occasionally get to edit videos for them, and I’ll never forget my meeting with her one late summer afternoon as we talked about a video for the fall.  This woman has heart.  To hear her tell stories of those she loves in Nicaragua, of the way her life has been changed by those she has met there…it was an incredibly powerful experience.  There were many moments in the stories that she couldn’t communicate with words what she was trying to say, but her presence and spirit told you more than words could communicate.  I’ll never forget that afternoon.

I have touched on each of these people not just because they are a part of this project of creating daily, but because they are all people who pursue peace.  When I invited them, they were already pursuing it.  Whether serving ministries, or churches, or NGO’s, they have all been pursuing peace, often at great personal cost.  I didn’t mention the tears I have shared with some of them, the exhaustion I have shared through overnight ministry, the times I have worshiped with them, or the fact that each of them has had to struggle to find financial support for what they are doing.

I wanted to acknowledge their pursuit of peace, and show you just the tiniest glimpse of what I see when I think about each of them.  How can one guy be so lucky to have met such fine people?

25 Days for Peace is a cooperative blogging experiment between myself and five other artists, designed to explore the facets of peace, particularly centered around this season intended to experience the peace of Christ. Visit this page to see the other contributions to this journey, and like it to join with us in exploring what peace means.