Do you ever get goosebumps when something happens that indicates the feeling of God smiling on you? On the corner of Michigan Ave (the Magnificent Mile piece) just above the Chicago River this guy was “randomly” playing Great is Thy Faithfulness!Continue Reading
One of my greatest joys in my work is the human connection with my Muslim friends. During prayers in the mosque recently, this cute girl wanted to crawl on daddy’s back. Don’t kids do that in any culture? I received permission from Dad to show this. We laughed from deepContinue Reading
A powerful morning with stories of reconciliation featuring keynote speakers, Slobodan Petrovic and Ahmet Shala, ethnic Serb and Albanian sharing their journey of loving one another in spite of the history of conflict between their people. Kaniz chided me today saying I need to get more Muslims to come outContinue Reading
Momentum is building and the chorus of those committed to (and working for) peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is growing. But the voice of those who want to silence any possibility of peace is simultaneously getting louder. The specter of more violence, and the loss of life also seems veryContinue Reading
My story on “Blessed Are the Peacemakers” was on the radio this morning! Woooohooo. KOMO news radio. Here is the link. Also have a nice crisp rough draft of the story. It’s looking good. We are nearing the finish line. Help us tell this story! http://www.gofundme.com/VisualPeacemakingContinue Reading
A Local Church Pastor
“Through personal storytelling, biblical preaching, and literally getting us out of the church and into a mosque, Andy walked alongside our church with the question, “Compelled by God’s love, what does it mean to love our Muslim neighbor?” Wise, gentle, and prophetic, Andy doesn’t just talk about peacemaking–he lives it.”Website
Lay Church Leader
“Andy spent a weekend at our church recently speaking about his bridge building relationships with Muslims. This approach resonates in contrast with so much media attention to extremists. It was a new message for a lot of our members, but they seemed willing to listen and be open because of Andy’s gentle and non-threatening presence. Now we can discuss this topic more freely and see our Muslim neighbors in a new light, building friendships as God leads.”
Professor of Reconciliation Studies
“We recognize you as an agent of change for reconciliation and an influential community leader. We’d like to invite you to influence the next generation of community leaders here at Seattle Pacific University.”
Pastor
“Andy Larsen recently gave a presentation and engaged our congregation around the question, “Who is our neighbor?” His knowledge and experience as a bridge-builder and peacemaker was evident as he encouraged us to look outside our normal circles of friendships. Andy is well-suited for this ministry as he travels effortlessly between Muslim and Christian communities and invites us to do the same.”
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