Is Peace Possible? The Role of the Arts in Creating Peace Within Ourselves and Our Communities

We live at one of the most deeply divided and conflicted times in our nation’s history, increasingly at odds and frustrated with those who think or live differently from us, as tensions rise over pressing issues like global warming and immigration.  In the midst of our heightened anger and distrust – is peace possible?  This is an urgent theme we will be tackling this year at Lumunos, both through in-person and online programs.

In short, yes, we believe peace is possible, but not without a whole lot of practice within ourselves and in the world around us.  While our Becoming Neighbors programs focus on building bridges of understanding and peace in local communities, this series of bi-monthly zoom sessions will focus on how we can build peace from within ourselves and how that internal peace can radiate out to the communities, congregations, and workplaces in our own backyards.

Each session will include a few diverse guest speakers to speak on this theme, as well as time for participants to share and reflect in small groups.  It is our hope that participants leave inspired to practice peace within themselves and to partner with us into the future through our Becoming Neighbors programs.

We held our first Is Peace Possible Lumzoom session in February, focused on What We Can All Learn from the Buddhist Monk’s Cross Country Walk for Peace.  We were  joined by special guest speakers Rev. John Dorhauer, former president of the United Church of Christ and current pastor of First Congregational church in Dekalb, and Buddhist monk Bhante Rahula Ingira from the Blue Lotus Temple in Woodstock, IL.

In our April session, we were thrilled to be joined by authors and former Faith at Work staff Marjory Bankson and Jean Milliken to share on the Gifts of Vulnerability and the Legacy of Faith at Work.

For our July 8th Lumzoom, we will be joined by gifted artists Todd Drake (NYC and NC) and Charlie Branda (Chicago) to discuss the crucial role of the arts in creating peace within ourselves and our communities.