Vol. IV, Iss. 6 - July 2006
The latest from Student Leadership University

"Peace" makes the Top Ten list as far as prayer concerns go today. Just this past week, I was speaking at a Christian day camp for pre-school and elementary school children, and when prayer time came, I asked for the prayer concerns that the children before me had on their hearts and minds. Yes, they gave their usual requests for family members who were ill (and even dogs and a sick goldfish!), but one young girl in 1st grade raised her hand and gave a simple but profound request: "that the fighting across the world stops so everybody can have peace." Of all the prayer requests she could have voiced, peace was the most important to her that day.

I wonder how many adults bother to think about peace, how even fewer people really desire peace, and how even fewer take the time to pray for peace. It's a blessing and a curse that most people are physically removed from the area of war - a blessing because they themselves are safely removed from the war zone, but a curse because they think that war doesn't affect them at all. More often than not, we are Selfish with our prayers, praying only for our concerns, the things that bug us, our immediate problems, and our most pressing needs. As a result, we often neglect prayer concerns that don't immediately involve us, and at the very least, concerns including homelessness, world hunger, the environment, suffering across the globe, and war often get pushed to the side.

As leaders, we must develop a genuine concern and a detailed vision for these marginalized prayers. That means that we need to be passionate about praying for concerns such as peace in the midst of war! What can help us towards these ends?
1) Imagination. Dare to think BIG and to dream BIG! Just like our featured biblical quote of the month, the prophet Isaiah dared to dream about a day when nations would de-arm and remove war from their list of requirements and preparations. Isaiah dreamt of a day when nations would literally transform their swords into plowshares and turn their weapons of war into useful tools. It was a dream that envisioned and imagined a peaceful future, a future in which peace was a factor, not war. The first step to praying for peace is developing the imagination, the creativity, and the future-tense thinking to envision a world of peace.

2) Initiative. We must begin to develop a heart for peace, and we need to care about peace enough to want to see it become a reality. Initiative involves counting the cost of the work before you, and taking the first steps towards realizing those goals. With an imaginative and creative set of goals established, take the initiative by beginning to work towards them. Keep in mind that working for peace is NEVER easy -- it is much easier to have War than to have Peace. As we have seen, peace requires your imagination, and it also requires your initiative. To be sure, Isaiah's vision of turning swords into plowshares was no easy task. But that didn't stop him from envisioning peace. Have the courage to take the first steps towards peace. It's a long journey, but it's worth it for the goal.

3) Integrity. To be a person of integrity means to be whole and full; intact. We must be people of peace ourselves as we seek to pray for peace and work towards it. Again, this is no easy task. To be a person of peace means being committed to living peacefully at all times in your personal life. This includes practicing peace in all of your relationships with family, friends, and foes. It is certainly easier - much easier! - to discard peace for the easier solutions of violence and conflict. But the practice of faithful Christian discipleship demands that we be transformed by the power of Christ to those who value peace and aim to live peaceably in every possible way.

One of the strongest factors of the conflict there is that of extremism. We tend to think of extremists as those who take radical actions such as blowing buildings up or kamikaze type fighters who have a mission from which they cannot be deterred, even if it means losing their lives. Certainly, that does represent a type of extremist. However, there are also extremists out there that aren't as radical - they just simply refuse to hear the requests and opinions of the "other" side, refuse to change their views, their demands, and their positions, and will go to war to defend their own positions. The Middle East conflict that involves Hezbollah, Israeli factions, and Palestinian factions is by no standards a simple conflict, but much of the tension can be centered around claims to land. One group claims a land, the other group claims a same land, and they refuse to back down, leading to war. When you add religion, belief, and the differences that come with varying faith systems, it escalates the level of the conflict very quickly.

If we're not careful, we can also be led towards a certain type of extremism. It's easy to be so caught up in our own pride that we fail to listen to other people and what they have to say, and it's easy to think that we ourselves are the only ones who have a right opinion. Often when we think like that, it comes out in the way we talk with other people. We will seem prideful, arrogant, self-centered, hateful, and unwilling to listen to any opinion but ours. Sadly, we do this with our families, with our classmates, our co-workers, our churches, and our congregations. The end result is a type of extremism that shuts out other people, creates conflict between groups, and a situation that can easily escalate towards violence.

Remember that God's kingdom is one of peace. What can we do to try to live as a peaceful people? How can we begin to listen to what other people have to say, instead of trying to always convince others that what we say is the only thing that matters? Remember one of the main lessons of SLU - Seek first to understand, before seeking to be understood. How does that apply to your behavior as a person who has been called to peace through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how can that transform the ways you live and act? We'd like to hear from you! Thoughts on the Middle East? On War? On Peace? On Conflict Resolution? On anything we've said here in The Edge? Send me an e-mail! No matter what your opinion is, we want to hear from you, and we look forward to listening.

I have loved the idea of Student Leadership University from the day I heard about it. I have gotten to go on the first three SLU trips and am excited about the 401 trip next year! I have enjoyed being able to go and hear excellent speakers, travel to new places, plus see things I wouldn't normally get to see. SLU 301 was one of the best trips I have ever been on! I have met so many great friends while at SLU too. It is great to go on a trip with two hundred other kids all seeking to learn more about God and leadership. I can't wait to meet up with my friends again on the 401 trip next year!

The speakers at SLU are always exciting to hear. We got to hear from HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Sir Nicholas Soames, Dr. Jay Strack, and many others. I really enjoyed listening to each speaker as they shared about their lives and things they have learned. Dr. Bob Reccord shared a quote with us and encouraged us to use it as a prayer for our lives. It was about having the strength to go anywhere God leads us just as long as He stays with us. Things will change or be taken away from us in life but we always have God right beside us even when things are hard. I went to Nicaragua on a mission trip not long ago and shared the prayer with some Nicaraguans in church one night. I told them it had spoken to my heart and I wanted to share with others that God is always with us.

Student Leadership University has many great trips planned for young people where you can sightsee and learn. I have gotten to visit the Royal Automobile Club in England , a place not many people get to go see. I love to travel and see new things which made SLU a perfect trip for me. Jay Strack makes sure we enjoy ourselves and still learn about leadership.  Student Leadership University has been a wonderful experience for me to learn from other leaders. I think when I'm older I'll come back with SLU as a chaperone because I know how much it has changed my life. Student Leadership University is an amazing experience and I hope more teenagers will go on these trips. I know they will learn and enjoy themselves as much as have with SLU.

Katie B. is a graduate of SLU. Every month, we feature the story of an SLU graduate whose life has been impacted by SLU in significant ways. Have an SLU story? Send it to us at edge@studentleadership.net