Is Peace Possible? The Gifts of Vulnerability and the Legacy of Faith at Work

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.

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, Marikay Abuzuiater, Mayor of Greensboro, NC and Buddhist monk Bhante Rahula Ingira from the Blue Lotus Temple in Woodstock, IL.

We are happy to share that the theme of our next Is Peace Possible Lumzoom series will be focused on the Gifts of Vulnerability and the Legacy of Faith at Work. Many of you know that Lumunos has a 100 year history, and was previously known as Faith at Work.  Our founder Sam Shoemaker was instrumental in helping to start Alcoholics Anonymous. Throughout our remarkable history, we have always used the gift of vulnerability to help build understanding, trust, and cooperation between people of difference in order to bring about healing and peace to our lives and communities.

For our next Lumzoom, we are thrilled to have former Faith at Work staff and authors, Marjory Bankson and Jean Milliken join us to discuss how peace is possible when we risk giving and receiving vulnerability in our lives and communities.  Both will share not only from their own experience and education in life, but from witnessing the transformative exchange of vulnerability amongst small groups for so many years at Faith at Work.

Each session includes 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.

Future sessions will be held on the second Wednesdays of June, August, October, and December.