SAXTONS RIVER — Christ's Church invites you to join it in helping to make a difference toward world peace through participation in its upcoming series on peacemaking and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
The church's four-Wednesdays series, “Making a Difference in a World of Difference,” features guest peace builders from a variety of organizations and perspectives who will share their stories.
The first session, which explores the work of building peace, is set for Oct. 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Subsequent sessions are Nov. 13, and Jan. 22 and March 12, 2014.
The series is a venture of Christ's Church (www.christschurchsr.org) and The Roots of Peace program of the Massachusetts-based Brookfield Institute (www.brookfieldinstitute.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the work of peacemaking through spiritual and social healing.
Organizers said in their program announcement that they hope participants will learn about the skills and sensitivities of peacemaking, gain greater awareness and understanding of the impact of the conflict on families, and become inspired to make a difference.
According to program organizer Wanda Salter, peace is not merely the absence of conflict: “We are inviting the community to listen beyond the politics and power to learn about the lives of those who live every day in the middle of the conflict,” she said.
Although the program is free, donations are welcomed. Participants also are invited to a free soup supper at the church each day of the series at 5:30 p.m.
Salter said issues to be examined at the series define the heart of peace-building: healing of the person, the community, and the earth, and the use of dialogue rather than debate.
Excerpts from the 2006 film “Encounter Point,” about courageous peace builders in Israel and Palestine, and directed by Ronit Avni and Julia Bacha, will be shown and discussed.
Later sessions will feature the stories of those engaged in the peace process on both sides, and help participants decide how best to make a difference for themselves and others locally and globally.