An Interview with Peacemonger James Ferrell
by Seth Adam Smith
James
Ferrell, a prolific author (The Peacegiver) and speaker, has traveled the world and
worked with numerous companies, non-profit organizations, and governments, teaching
them about ways to establish lasting peace.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” says Ferrell, “In peace conferences between war-torn nations you can get everything just right. You can observe all of the customs, meet all of their traditions, and have a beautiful array of decorations and entertainment. But there will be no peace between nations if, at the end of the day, they still hate each other when they sign their ‘peace’ treaties.”
In a one-on-one interview with Ferrell, he says that the key to resolving international conflicts is as simple as resolving the conflicts within ourselves and laying down our own personal weapons of war. Ferrell says, "If I am to be a builder of peace, I must remember to think small; peace building begins with recovery of peace in my own soul...for peace between many is simply the sum of the hearts of many who have forsworn war. My commitment to escaping from the war zone within myself helps others escape the wars that wound their souls and tear at their landscapes." Throughout the interview, Ferrell repeatedly emphasizes the need for us to personally commit to laying down “the weapons of war in our hearts.”
Ferrell further explains that in order to regain peace in our own hearts we not only have to lay down our weapons of war, but we also have to “awaken” ourselves to the reality of others – we need to see them as people with hopes, dreams, fears, and pains just as real as our own.
Opportunities to see the reality of others, and lay down our personal weapons of war, are given to us every day. In serving others, and coming to know of their personal struggles, our hearts “awaken” to them. These opportunities come, more often than not, in small and simple ways: the chance to help a sibling with his or her homework, writing someone a thank-you note, visiting the sick or depressed, or forgiving another person. In doing these things, our hearts are given opportunities to see the reality of others and this, in turn, opens up the possibility of ending conflict.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” says Ferrell, “In peace conferences between war-torn nations you can get everything just right. You can observe all of the customs, meet all of their traditions, and have a beautiful array of decorations and entertainment. But there will be no peace between nations if, at the end of the day, they still hate each other when they sign their ‘peace’ treaties.”
In a one-on-one interview with Ferrell, he says that the key to resolving international conflicts is as simple as resolving the conflicts within ourselves and laying down our own personal weapons of war. Ferrell says, "If I am to be a builder of peace, I must remember to think small; peace building begins with recovery of peace in my own soul...for peace between many is simply the sum of the hearts of many who have forsworn war. My commitment to escaping from the war zone within myself helps others escape the wars that wound their souls and tear at their landscapes." Throughout the interview, Ferrell repeatedly emphasizes the need for us to personally commit to laying down “the weapons of war in our hearts.”
Ferrell further explains that in order to regain peace in our own hearts we not only have to lay down our weapons of war, but we also have to “awaken” ourselves to the reality of others – we need to see them as people with hopes, dreams, fears, and pains just as real as our own.
Opportunities to see the reality of others, and lay down our personal weapons of war, are given to us every day. In serving others, and coming to know of their personal struggles, our hearts “awaken” to them. These opportunities come, more often than not, in small and simple ways: the chance to help a sibling with his or her homework, writing someone a thank-you note, visiting the sick or depressed, or forgiving another person. In doing these things, our hearts are given opportunities to see the reality of others and this, in turn, opens up the possibility of ending conflict.
...In order to regain peace in our own hearts we not only have to lay down our weapons of war, but we also have to “awaken” ourselves to the reality of others – we need to see them as people with hopes, dreams, fears, and pains just as real as our own.
![Picture](/uploads/6/2/5/2/6252344/4145303.jpg?380)
Ferrell
then shares a remarkable story of family friends that recovered peace
in their own hearts by forgiving someone who had wronged them. The
Goodman
family was a 14-member singing family from Sandy, Utah. For a period of
time, they traveled the world performing for a variety of audiences,
including a private performance of “I Am a Child of God” for the Pope.
After a small concert in Utah, the family was driving home in two separate cars. Steve, the father of the family, had driven ahead with the four youngest children and his wife, Claudia, had taken the rest. Steve’s car was struck by a drunk driver in a truck going 80 miles per hour in a 30 mile speed zone. The car rolled into a pasture on the other side of the road. Three of the children were pronounced dead on the scene and Steve was in critical condition for a time.
A week later, Steve was allowed to attend the funeral for his three children on a gurney, with an IV in his arm. While he was sitting there, President Monson, the prophet and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, came in. He leaned over to Steve and whispered, “Steve, let it go. Let it go.” Steve said he didn’t know what that meant until a year later.
Ferrell continues, “Going forward one year, it was Christmas Eve...it had been snowing. Steve had gone earlier to the cemetery and had dug a path from the street and then a circle around his three children's graves. And then the rest of his family came and encircled the graves and sang because singing is what they do. They were a singing family. And Steve was hit with a realization that night, and it went something like this: we have certainly suffered a tragedy. Certainly. But we’re still an eternal family. We’re still together. But there’s one this Christmas Eve who is completely and utterly alone.” Steven gathered his family around and shared the impression he had received: he felt that his family should sing to the man who had hit them in their car, the man who was now serving time in the State Penitentiary. The family agreed, saying, “Dad, that’s exactly what we should do.” In recognizing the need of another, the family was able to find a need of their own: peace.
“Can you imagine the moment?” Ferrell says, “[The man] comes and he looks through that glass; he knows who these people are. He sits down, worried what this might be. Steve sits down on the stool across from him. Claudia puts her head [on Steve’s chest] and the rest of the remaining children put their heads around their parents, and they sing because singing is what they do. And somewhere in the middle of that singing, Steve realized: it was gone.” Steve’s hatred for the man that had wronged him had left. It left because Steve had laid down his personal weapons of war and opened his heart to see the reality of another person.
In order to establish peace within and between nations, the most important thing that individuals can do is lay down their physical weapons of war, and the weapons of war within their own hearts. Doing so is the only way to establish lasting peace.
After a small concert in Utah, the family was driving home in two separate cars. Steve, the father of the family, had driven ahead with the four youngest children and his wife, Claudia, had taken the rest. Steve’s car was struck by a drunk driver in a truck going 80 miles per hour in a 30 mile speed zone. The car rolled into a pasture on the other side of the road. Three of the children were pronounced dead on the scene and Steve was in critical condition for a time.
A week later, Steve was allowed to attend the funeral for his three children on a gurney, with an IV in his arm. While he was sitting there, President Monson, the prophet and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, came in. He leaned over to Steve and whispered, “Steve, let it go. Let it go.” Steve said he didn’t know what that meant until a year later.
Ferrell continues, “Going forward one year, it was Christmas Eve...it had been snowing. Steve had gone earlier to the cemetery and had dug a path from the street and then a circle around his three children's graves. And then the rest of his family came and encircled the graves and sang because singing is what they do. They were a singing family. And Steve was hit with a realization that night, and it went something like this: we have certainly suffered a tragedy. Certainly. But we’re still an eternal family. We’re still together. But there’s one this Christmas Eve who is completely and utterly alone.” Steven gathered his family around and shared the impression he had received: he felt that his family should sing to the man who had hit them in their car, the man who was now serving time in the State Penitentiary. The family agreed, saying, “Dad, that’s exactly what we should do.” In recognizing the need of another, the family was able to find a need of their own: peace.
“Can you imagine the moment?” Ferrell says, “[The man] comes and he looks through that glass; he knows who these people are. He sits down, worried what this might be. Steve sits down on the stool across from him. Claudia puts her head [on Steve’s chest] and the rest of the remaining children put their heads around their parents, and they sing because singing is what they do. And somewhere in the middle of that singing, Steve realized: it was gone.” Steve’s hatred for the man that had wronged him had left. It left because Steve had laid down his personal weapons of war and opened his heart to see the reality of another person.
In order to establish peace within and between nations, the most important thing that individuals can do is lay down their physical weapons of war, and the weapons of war within their own hearts. Doing so is the only way to establish lasting peace.
Seth Smith was born in Alaska and raised in the American West. He currently works with the Arbinger Institute and the Anasazi Foundation. He also does a lot of film for numerous non-profit organizations.