Ben's Story: War, Peace, and the Call to Follow Jesus

Iraq War veteran Benjamin Peters reflects on war, peace and the call to follow Jesus. Use this set of 6 videos and PDF lessons with your church's high school Sunday School class.

Taped at Mennonite Church USA Convention, July 2015.

• Chapter 1 - Why I Enlisted Iraq War veteran Benjamin Peters explains his motivation for enlisting in the Marines in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks on the U.S.
• Chapter 2 - Boot Camp Iraq War veteran Benjamin Peters describes how boot camp shaped him into the image of the United States Marines, and how this caused him to reflect on Jesus’ call to love the enemy.
• Chapter 3 - The Impact of War Iraq War veteran Benjamin Peters describes his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and the impact this has had on his family.
• Chapter 4 - The Bible and War Iraq War veteran Benjamin Peters reflects on biblical passages that seem to bless war and urges us to think deeply about the competing identities of nation and faith community.
• Chapter 5 - Is Violence Redemptive? Iraq War veteran Benjamin Peters examines the seductive narrative in our culture that violence can fix things, and invites us to live by Jesus’ call to love the enemy.
• Chapter 6 - Killing Haunts You Iraq War veteran Benjamin Peters explains how his role in armed drone missions during the war may have made him responsible for thousands of deaths, a reality that continues to haunt him.

(6 sessions)