I believe in religious freedom for all. I believe that no one should be fearful because of the way they pray. I believe that God’s Shalom is for all, and I believe that Jesus showed us the way to live an abundant life that brings blessing to us and those around us. As we intentionally build relationships with others, not only are we following the teachings and example of Jesus, we are making our world a safer place.

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.

From the perspective of Israelis, in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, "United States president Donald Trump is to be commended for finally correcting the painful and unjust slight and doing justice to the Jewish State. But that is only a part of the truth. There is another truth as well, and there will never be peace as long as we hang on to only part of the truth as if it were the full truth."

In Peace Catalyst International, we aspire to launch a global movement of Jesus-centered peacemaking communities. To that end, our PCI team in Raleigh has helped to catalyze a significant movement of Muslims and Christians who are moving beyond unhelpful stereotypes and are building bridges of friendship and trust.Back in the fall, however, things took a major twist for us.

During the Second World War, not a single Bulgarian Jew died in a concentration camp, largely because of the compassionate bravery of Metropolitan Kyril.