Beginnings

Now, I know I am not alone in feeling the weight of these past weeks. Though it is not the kind of weight you can carry in your hands, I imagine for some it has been difficult to carry nonetheless. For me, it has shifted from a passing heaviness to a steady pressure—like a vice tightening from all sides, or the charged stillness that precipitates a storm gathering on the horizon.

Even here on the Fuller campus in Pasadena, CA, far away from any brewing tempests, I can almost feel the barometer drop. Though the skies are deceptively calm, the atmosphere hints at ominous change. Something is shifting. Yes, a storm is surely brewing.

For some, the storm’s presence has been little more than passing gusts of wind or a quick scatter of rain—the outer bands of a larger system still offshore. Disruptive, yes, but not devastating. For others, myself included, the storm has struck closer to home. Violence, both literal and symbolic, has breached what once felt like safe ground. Suddenly, the storm is no longer out there, beyond the horizon; it is here, at the threshold.

This reminds me in some ways of Mark 4:35-41, the story of the disciples on the Sea of Galilee, caught in an actual storm. The waves crashed, the wind howled, yet these were not mere novices. They were fishermen, men formed by years on the water. In that moment, all their skill and experience dissolved into terror. The storm consumed their perspective, until all they could see was their own perishing.

And then Jesus stood. With a word, He rebuked the wind and the waves. The storm stilled, the waters quieted. In this moment, the disciples were left with a different question. A different perspective on their own mortality: “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

I include the disciple’s story because I know well how easy it is for the storm to define what we see. And what we do not. Our world right now feels much the same: the winds of violence, the waves of division, the constant pressure of fear and suspicion pressing in on every side. Like the disciples, we know the storm is real. But in Philippians 2:5, Paul’s invitation reminds us that there is another way to see: “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.”

Perspective matters.

To put on the mind of Christ is to see the storm for what it is, but not to be undone by it. It is to stand steady, not because the winds cease, but because our eyes are fixed on the One who is greater than the storm itself.

Today, we are experiencing the overwhelm of a different type of turbulence. A disturbance caused not by intemperate weather, but by the rise in violence and polarization in the U.S. and across the globe. Many feel the disorientation of living in a world that seems more fractured by the day. And yet, like the disciples, Jesus invites us to see differently: to view friend and foe alike as Christ does and to discover the privilege of joining Him, and others, in this work of storm-taming.

It is in this spirit that I welcome you to the first edition of Perspectives on Peace.

For some of you, this is a continuation of our journey together through Ideos Institute, where I regularly shared my “President’s Perspective.” For others, this is your first time joining us. Yet, no matter your entry point, this is a new beginning for us all: the launch of the Fuller Center for Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation and my own transition to Fuller as Executive Director.

The name of this newsletter is intentional. Perspective matters. It shapes not only how we interpret the storms of our time, but also how we respond within them. Through Perspectives on Peace, I hope you will find encouragement, challenge, and companionship as we seek together to embody Christ’s reconciling presence in a fractured world.

A new beginning.

Already, glimpses of that presence are shining through. In September, the Center hosted its first event: Peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pastor James and Riziki Byensi, founders of Rebuilders Ministry, told their story of choosing reconciliation in a part of the African continent devastated by a decades’ long war. Their testimony reminded us that peace is not an abstract concept—it is an embodied state that resides within the people of God; a state that replaces fear with forgiveness, despair with courage, and destruction with rebuilding. Fuller faculty—Professors Alexia Salvatierra, Sebastian Kim, and Mary Glenn—joined the Byensi’s, reminding us that peace is never solitary but always communal. You can find more about this event, including a replay link, here.

From the beginning, our mission at the Center has been clear: to equip the Church to speak boldly on behalf of peace, to practice reconciliation in divided spaces, and to share Christ’s hope and healing with those wounded by conflict. In the months and years to come, you’ll see opportunities to join us in this pursuit: through events, workshops, webinars, retreats, and eventually a digital journal. We also have plans to launch a Certificate in Peacebuilding for those seeking deeper training and formation.

In the coming months you will have access to a free course, hosted on Fuller Equip. This resource will help explore why our name includes both peacebuilding AND conflict transformation, and why neither is complete without the other. At the heart of it lies a simple truth: Peace without conflict transformation cannot stand; conflict transformation without peace cannot endure. Only together do they form the foundation of lasting change.

While you wait for these opportunities, there are meaningful ways you can begin to walk with us now:

• Ensure future Perspectives on Peace get delivered directly to your inbox, so you don’t miss out on future resources and news of upcoming events.
• Forward this to a friend and invite them to subscribe.
• Follow the Center on social media for updates and additional content.

Though it is a familiar refrain, peace is not the silence of conflict’s end, nor the calm in the middle of a raging storm. Rather, it is the presence of Christ’s reconciling love, made visible through God’s people. My prayer is that this newsletter will always serve as a reminder that you are not alone in the storm. Together, with our eyes fixed on Christ, we can see differently, live faithfully, and bear witness to a peace that endures even as the storms rage on.