From early on in my life I knew I was called to a Road Less Traveled. This is kind of a prayer I whisper today to myself. Thank goodness there are those naps along the way. “Lord, set me a path by the side of the road. I pray thisContinue Reading
About 11 months ago I took this trip to Sunrise on Mt. Rainier to remember Dad, with his old pack, ice axe, ashes and climbing rope. This mountain and these trails were, and remain, some of our family’s favorite places. One of my sisters and I summited Rainier, following inContinue Reading
For more on Soulful Photography including tips and perspectives go here. Tip #5: Touch the Ground. Breathe. It’s getting harder for me to voluntarily touch the ground as I lose flexibility and get older. I remember Mom telling me a few years ago when she was still with us andContinue Reading
Got one of those “8 years ago today” messages in Facebook today. Wow wow wow. It was the week I met Safi Kaskas and Mark Braverman at a week long conference in Denver. It was June 2011. So much has happened since then. A lot of Arabic coffee with my Muslim friendsContinue Reading
Was just reflecting (I know we do that a lot in the contemplative journey) on a twist from one of our facilitator’s talk on journaling. It’s this–sometimes its true that I don’t know what I think until I read what I say but other times I don’t know how IContinue 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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