The Nonviolent Jesus

“Catholicism has something vital to learn from other religious traditions,” says Cyprian Consiglio, Sec. Gen. of Monastic Interfaith Dialogue
On today’s new episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” I speak with my friend Fr. Cyprian Consiglio, a well-known composer and musician, the former prior of the New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, Cal., and now the Sec. General of Monastic Interfaith Dialogue in Rome, a movement within the Benedictine and Cistercian orders that promotes interfaith dialogue between monastic communities of different religions.
He is the author of several books including Prayer In the Cave of the Heart: the Universal Call to Contemplation; Spirit, Soul, Body: Toward an Integral Christianity Spirituality, and most recently, Epiphanies of Nature and Grace.
“Catholicism and Christianity in general have something vital to learn from other religious traditions,” he tells John. “The world really depends on dialogue between the world religions. So many of our conflicts are based on our ignorance of other religions.”
Recently when someone criticized him for wasting his time on a peripheral issue, he responded that every day the front page news is full of horrific violence based in Muslim fundamentalism, Jewish Zionism and Christian nationalism.
"Everyone has a warped understanding of God", he says.
Nothing could be more relevant. “Evil is very gaudy, loud and colorful; building deep bonds of friendship among the religious traditions around the world is quieter and sturdier. It’s another aspect of peacemaking,” he says.
“One of the most important things we need right now is interreligious dialogue. We all need to find the next step in our maturity in the understanding of God.”
Listen in and be inspired! God bless you all!
beatitudescenter.org
https://fatherjohndear.substack.com/
johndear.org

🌻 John

Today I speak with Wamuyu Wachira from Nairobi, Kenya, Pres. of Pax Christi International
Sr. Wamũyũ, president of Pax Christi International, the official global Catholic peace movement, is a scholar, educator and peace practitioner with a PhD in Peace Studies. She serves as Senior Lecturer and Program leader in Peace and Conflict Studies at St. Paul University in Nairobi.
“Nonviolence is a way of love, compassion, mercy and peace,” she says. “Pax Christi has 120 member organizations worldwide and has been promoting peace, justice and human rights for 81 years."
"We believe peace is possible and the cycles of violence can be broken. We try to look at nonviolent ways to resolve conflict and war. We are committed to gospel nonviolence and call the Church to dedicate itself to gospel nonviolence."
“I believe the Beatitudes should be part of our DNA. If someone cuts my finger, I want them to see nonviolence flow out of it."
"We have to diffuse evil by first disarming ourselves. We have to choose daily the path of nonviolence. Don't give up!” she concludes. “You never know who sees you and is inspired by your nonviolent living.”
Listen in and be inspired! God bless you all,
🌻 Fr. John
www.paxchristi.net
beatitudescenter.org

This week I speak with my friend Dennis Kucinich, former congressman from Ohio from 1997 to 2013 who has been an outspoken voice against war.
He was perhaps the leading voice against the US war on Iraq, which killed hundreds of thousands of people. He also called for the impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
I met Dennis about a month after 9/11, when New Jersey Peace Action decided to give us their annual peacemaker awards together. We were both told to meet on a Sunday morning at a country club in New Jersey, and when we each got there around 10 am, as I recall, we were the only ones there. So, we took a long walk on the golf course, shared our stories and became friends. Later, at the luncheon, we spoke to a room full of New Jersey peace activists.
“It is possible to live a life that espouses peace?” Dennis Kucinich asks. “What is peace? It's an active presence of a capacity for reflection and alignment with love, brother and sisterhood and understanding the meaning of the golden rule."
"We are interconnected and interdependent and we are all Children of God. We are at a pivot point in the history of the US right now. Unless we stop licensing, funding and creating implements of war, we will not survive as a nation."
“War is one of the gravest offences because it takes away people's lives in a way that makes no sense. "
"War is original sin."
Kucinich spontaneously recites a poem for us:
"I have only just a minute
Only 60 seconds in it
Forced upon me, can't refuse it
Didn't seek it, didn't choose it
But isn't up to me to use it
Give account if I abuse it
Heaven help me if I lose it
Just one tiny little minute
But eternity is in it"
- Sister Lucia
Listen in and be inspired!
beatitudescenter.org
🌻, John

On today’s new episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” I speak with my friend Robert Jonas about the legendary spiritual writer Henri Nouwen, who died 30 years ago on September 26, 1996.
Henri and I corresponded regularly for many years, right up until his death. Much to my surprise, he offered steadfast support for my peacework, especially when I was in jail for my plowshares action, when he wrote me every week. I thought it would be wonderful to welcome one of his best friends, Robert Jonas, to speak about Henri’s life, teachings, and lessons.
Robert Jonas received his doctorate in education from Harvard University and has a Masters in theology from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology. He is the author/editor of The Essential Henri Nouwen, (Shambhala), as well as Henri Nouwen: Spiritual Master (Orbis) and Rebecca (Crossroad). His latest book is My Dear Far-Nearness: The Holy Trinity as Spiritual Practice (Orbis).
“Henri lived in the in-between spaces of academia and the spiritual life,” Jonas says. “He was like a spelunker: he wanted to dig down deep beneath the psyche and the soul. He was convinced that we cannot help other people unless we accept our own woundedness. "
"When we spoke, we could be honest with each other about our woundedness; we could actually name the wounds to each other… He wanted us to take responsibility for the things that are hurting us, to let the spirit come with us, to know that the spirit is with us, that we are never alone, that we are infinitely loved, that we are God’s beloved.”
Henri’s best-sellers include The Wounded Healer; Out of Solitude: Reaching Out; In the Name of Jesus; Return of the Prodigal Son; Can You Drink the Cup; Life of the Beloved; Our Greatest Gift; and The Inner Voice of Love.
Follow me on Substack https://fatherjohndear.substack.com/ and find me on FB and IG.
And check out my two Henri books, The Road to Peace and Peacework.
beatitudescenter.org
Onward in peace with the nonviolent Jesus!
🌻, John

This week I speak with my friend Fr. Greg Boyle, one of the most well known and beloved religious leaders in the world. A Jesuit priest, he has spent decades accompanying and working with young people and gang members in Los Angeles, and creating new alternatives with them.
Fr. Greg is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries and Homeboy Global Network with 300 organizations in the US and 50 outside the country.
It is the world's largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program, and former pastor of Dolores Mission Church, the poorest church in the city. Between 1988-1998, there were close to a 1000 people per year killed in that L.A. area from gang-related crime.
His books include: Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion; Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship; Creating a Culture of Tenderness: Embracing Our Kinship with All of Life; The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness; and Forgive Everyone Everything.
I ask him about his motto: “We are all unshakably good – no exceptions. We belong to each other – with no exceptions.” “We are trying to offer a model of community, being connected and relational wholeness,” Fr. Greg said. "There's no such thing as a bad person. We’re all good people, and we’re all sick trying to get well."
"Gang violence is all about a lethal absence of hope."
So we’re trying to nurture a movement where people invest in each other and with folks on the margins.
Fr. Boyle tells me about the four things Jesus took seriously, and what the gang members have taught him about God's unconditional love.
Greg said so many amazing things: “We've lost our confidence in love and the God of love is hoping we will regain that. It's important to find the larger love that animates you. It's always about going forward. Love is always the next thing to do, one loving foot in front of the next."
"The point of the love of God is to disarm us and lead us to be peacemakers.”
Listen in, be inspired, and share the podcast with your friends.
Onward in peace with the nonviolent Jesus!
🌻, Fr. John
www.homeboyindustries.org
beatitudescenter.org