Jerry Zehr - The Peacemakers Path: Multifaith Reflections to Deepen Your Spirituality

Praise for The Peacemakers Path

In Pastor Zehrs gorgeous engagement with the fundamental elements of the worlds faith traditions we learn how close we all are in our efforts to honor and love God and each other. We owe a debt to Pastor Zehr for providing this road map to spiritual intimacy among the varied religions of our world.

Rabbi Steve Gutow, Visiting Scholar at NYUs Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and co-director of the Religious Leadership and Civic Engagement Project

I thank God for the way Jerry Zehr has brought together spiritually inspiring quotations from ten different religious traditions along with many superb illustrations of spiritual truths. If you want to grow deeper spiritually and wider in compassion for all people, I encourage you to ponder the meditations in this book.

Dr. Kent Millard, president of United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio

In this illuminating and spiritually rich book, we are inspired to examine how our shared and common values can transcend differences, divides, and stereotyped thresholds; and together contribute to our collective peace and goodwill as enlightened beings and blessed peacemakers.

Kanwal Prakash KP Singh, artist, author, interfaith leader, public speaker

Few books offer such a rich and easily understood examination of the complexity of some of the basic components of the worlds major religions and spiritual belief systems. This book accomplishes this, and also provides an informed and practical set of tools to promote peace and a deepened understanding, respect, and common ground between individuals with assumed diverse faiths.

Lawrence H. Gerstein, PhD, George & Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Psychology-Counseling and Director, Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Ball State University

Jerry Zehr has produced a book that can promote better understanding of various religions and, thus, contribute to peacemaking in our fractured era. Readers may be surprised at the areas of commonality and have their appreciation for other faiths expanded.

Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, author of The Witness of Religion in an Age of Fear and Unity as Prophetic Witness

The spirit of Jerry Zehr shines throughout this book. Thoughtful, insightful, and immediately and immensely helpful. Youll revisit this book time and again.

Phil Gulley, author of If the Church Were Christian

At a time when our divisions seem to tear us apart, this book offers the secret to the unity and peace we need.

Rob Fuquay, senior pastor, St. Lukes United Methodist Church and author of The God We Can Know; Which Way, Lord?: Exploring Your Lifes Purpose in the Journeys of Paul; A New Reformation; and The Passion Play: Living the Story of Christs Last Days

Illuminating and enlightening, The Peacemakers Path is an outstanding gem. A beacon of hope where pluralism and religious diversity are sometimes seen as a threat to any singular claim of divine truth. The book is a wonderful introduction to the worlds religions with a very pragmatic and accessible format.

Charlie Wiles, executive director, Center for Interfaith Cooperation

Jerry Zehr has brought together immensely powerful insights from the worlds great religions that demonstrate that, while we differ in some important religious practices and particulars of theology, we are all children of the Divine, called to live in love and community with each other. I commend this book to every Christian who wishes to live in the way and spirit of Christ.

The Rev. Dr. Dick Hamm, former General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada

A trove of wisdom, ancient and modern, to enrich personal meditation and communal worship experiences. This book embodies the passion and the vision of a caring and sensitive pastor and a seasoned and respected civic and interfaith leader.

Dr. Dennis C. Sasso, senior rabbi, Congregation Beth-El Zedeck

Jerry Zehr

Broadleaf Books

Minneapolis

THE PEACEMAKERS PATH

Multifaith Reflections to Deepen Your Spirituality

Copyright 2021 Jerry Zehr. Printed by Broadleaf Books, an imprint of 1517 Media. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Email or write to Permissions, Broadleaf Books, PO Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are from THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are from The Living Bible copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Cover image: Shutterstock

Cover design: Olga Grlic

Print ISBN: 978-1-5064-6912-6

eBook ISBN: 978-1-5064-6913-3

While the author and 1517 Media have confirmed that all references to website addresses (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing, URLs may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared.

I dedicate this book to Rabbi Dennis Sasso, K. P. Singh, and the late Dr. Shahid Athar, who were doing interfaith work in Indianapolis long before I came there. They have been beacons of light for me and have helped our country value its diversity of faiths.

No peace among the nations without peace among the religions.

No peace among the religions without dialogue between the religions.

Hans Kng, Islam: Past, Present and Future

The world is in a state of turmoil and transition. People are painfully divided politically, religiously, and culturally. Many people use their religious beliefs to justify separation and even acts of cruelty against others. However, there is a commonality in our faith traditions that can help us turn away from polarization and re-create a greater sense of community in which our differences are honored. One immediate problem is that we do not understand the actual beliefs and scriptures of others. As Hans Kng, a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author, states, No peace among the nations without peace among the religions. This book is intended to help people come to a better understanding of different faiths as part of our journey to find unity and common bonds of humanity. I hope this book will help you find inner peace and will help you find your role in bringing peace to our world.