By John Dear Last summer, after Congressman John Lewis died, I posted a photo on social media of me and John from a memorable afternoon we spent together in his congressional office. It was 26 years ago. We had talked for a while, and then filmed a formal conversation on nonviolence. Needless to say, it...

“One is called to live nonviolently,” Daniel Berrigan once wrote, “even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the United States around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better.”   In some...

As we process through Lent toward Holy Week, it may be helpful to recall Jesus’ testimony in court before Pontius Pilate, the representative of the Roman Empire. For me, these words sum up the Christian life of peace and nonviolence: My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this...

By John Dear August 6, 2021 Recently, a peace activist friend told me about visiting a physical therapist to help with some issues. They got talking, one thing led to another, and the woman therapist told an unusual story. Years ago, she spent her junior year in college in Hiroshima, Japan. She stayed with a...