No matter the outcome, no matter who wins - we refuse to hate. We will choose love, no matter what. Here’s why.

The parallels between the United States and Bosnia, a deeply divided post-war society, are many and alarming. Living in Bosnia and learning from and working with Bosnian peacemakers has given me a different vantage point to reflect about the challenges and divisions in the United States, now more than ever. I’m continuing to learn from local peace activists about how Bosnians think about group dynamics, the challenges that each ethnic and religious group face in Bosnia, and how they deal with the past in constructive ways to move together toward a better, shared future.

So, what are some things that Bosnians are teaching me that might be relevant to what’s happening in the States?

A friend recently told me, “Rather than Bosnia becoming more like America, America is becoming a lot more like Bosnia.” Bosnians look onto the vicious exchanges between political parties in the U.S. with a certain amount of grief. Although many feel that the West has made a lot of harmful mistakes in the Balkan region, they strongly prefer American leadership in the world to an autocratic Russian or Chinese influence. While we grieve and become frustrated about social fragmentation in the U.S. and rhetoric that dehumanizes people, our Bosnian friends often remind us of what is so great about America and why its ideals, although imperfectly enacted, are desperately needed in the world today.

The news has been full of debate about what it means to be a good citizen and leader. Accusations of racism and nationalism are leveled against some, while accusations of hating America are leveled against others. 

I have to ask this question because sometimes I think that we can equate criticism or accountability with hatred and not love. But when we love someone we want to see them at their best and living up to the values they proclaim. We want them to thrive, and we want them to live in light of whom God has created and called them to be, which can often mean holding them accountable to the principles and standards they have professed or proclaimed a desire to uphold. 

On Saturday a gunman with anti-Semitic views opened fire at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, killing 11 and wounding 4. In tragic irony, this happened on the very same day the world observes International Religious Freedom Day. Today we stand in solidarity with this community and mourn their losses with them.

Emotions run high and reasonable discourse runs low when the subjects of the travel ban or immigration come up. But whether you protest or praise particular policies, one thing is undebatable: both Muslims and Mexicans/Latinos face blatant discrimination in Trump’s America. Why is this the case, and how should Republican and Democrat followers of Jesus respond?

Today the Supreme Court has issued a ruling upholding President Trump’s travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries. As peacemakers, we are deeply disturbed by the anti-Muslim sentiment that has surrounded this travel ban and the ways that prejudice and discrimination have increased in our nation’s rhetoric. We will continue to stand alongside our Muslim and refugee neighbors to work for a country that upholds its own highest ideals.

When I heard about the First Annual Black American Muslim Conference, I knew I had to attend.  As a white evangelical Christian, I wanted to hear this group's stories and stand in solidarity with them against the blatant racism and anti-Muslim sentiment that buffets their lives. Since Peace Catalyst focuses on Christian-Muslim peacemaking, it seemed like a practical way to be good neighbors and to live out our calling as peacemakers.