Peacemaking from the Inside Out

How is nonviolence a contemplative path for peacemaking? In July’s “We Conspire” series, learn from Amplify Peace’s Lisa Jernigan and Julie Bean as they invite us into a peacemaking journey of ego-disarming, humbling listening, and compassionate resistance to injustice.    

For Amplify Peace President and CEO Lisa Jernigan, “Peacemaking is fundamentally internal work. We can’t be peacemakers unless we’ve gone inside into our heart and soul and done our own hard work with the Divine.” Jernigan emphasizes that this inward journey is crucial for disarming the ego, the primary barrier to admitting fault and engaging in empathetic dialogue. The process of peacemaking involves a willingness to grapple with personal biases, unresolved trauma, and fears, creating a sacred space for wrestling with the Divine. By acknowledging and addressing internal forms of violence, whether words or attitudes, individuals can begin to disarm external violence through love, compassion, and a non-reactionary posture.  

Executive Director Julie Bean highlights the limitations of seeking a one-size fits all “script” for navigating difficult conversations. Instead, she underscores the transformative power of proximity to people and immersive encounters. Face-to-face interactions and shared stories foster profound empathy and transformational moments. Bean believes these experiences strengthen our “peacemaking muscles” which can then be applied to all facets of life, fostering community transformation and changing how the church engages with the world.   

In a world grappling with division and discord, Amplify Peace emerges as a beacon of hope, a global movement dedicated to fostering peace and transformation through the teachings of Jesus. Founded by women, the organization actively educates, immerses, trains, and launches peacemakers to build united communities. At its core, Amplify Peace champions the idea that genuine peace begins within each individual, flowing outward to families, communities, and ultimately, the world. [1]  

A profound personal transformation propelled Jernigan into years of listening, learning, and extensive travel to regions deeply impacted by conflict, including Jordan during the Syrian refugee crisis, Iraq after ISIS, and Lebanon and Sudan. She listened to countless stories in refugee camps, witnessing firsthand the human cost of violence and injustice. This immersive experience solidified a deep conviction: “Once you see, you can’t unsee.”   

The need for peacemakers became undeniable to Jernigan. Unable to find an existing organization that fully resonated with her emerging understanding, she felt called to create something new. Amplify Peace was born from this conviction and a deliberate effort to “amplify voices of women, as our teachers and guides, along with those who have been silenced and marginalized.”  

A series of “beautiful, non-coincidental, God events,” as Jernigan describes them, led her to meeting Julie Bean. Bean’s own journey, from a non-Christian upbringing to a demanding corporate career, was also marked by transformative encounters. Her experiences speaking at international conferences, engaging with underground churches and Christian communities in closed countries, sparked a similar wrestling within her. She began questioning the cultural influences on her own faith perspective, feeling a profound pull toward a wider path.  

Bean felt an undeniable alignment with Amplify Peace’s mission. A subsequent corporate divestiture served as a clear sign, and nine months later, Bean joined Jernigan at Amplify Peace. Both women attest that these seemingly serendipitous connections were divine appointments, bringing together two individuals with unique skills and a shared passion for the movement.  

Amplify Peace’s approach is guided by its seven principles of peacemaking, born from Jernigan’s own experiences and observations. The principles include seeing the humanity in others (Imago Dei), listening to understand, allowing empathy to lead to action, practicing peacemaking personally, fostering curiosity, disrupting unjust systems, and living differently. “Our work is not telling people,” Jernigan clarifies. “It’s helping people discover where they can apply these principles to their own life by asking God questions like, ‘What do you want me to know? What do you see that I don’t see?’ And then giving space to sit and hold that in contemplative way.”   

Amplify Peace leads local and global “Immersive Encounters” that are designed to be disruptive, and to challenge participants’ preconceived notions and belief systems. Using Richard Rohr’s framework of “order, disorder, and reorder,” Jernigan explains that trips to places such as Israel-Palestine and Cape Town, South Africa, intentionally create “disorder” by exposing participants to narratives that might contradict their existing understanding. For instance, in Israel-Palestine, participants engage with both Jewish and Muslim families, experiencing diverse perspectives firsthand. This discomfort is an invitation to lean into contemplation. The “reorder” involves discovering how to live differently, empowered with newfound understanding and a commitment to action.  

Bean shares that these immersive encounters have consistently led to “I had no idea” moments for participants, whether traveling internationally or engaging with local communities, such as Native American reservations or the US-Mexico border. These experiences highlight the stark difference between information gained from secondary sources and the transformative power of direct engagement with marginalized voices.  

As Bean aptly summarizes, “One thing Lisa often says is that Amplify Peace is about, ‘How do we come alongside and help people care about other people?’” This simple yet profound mission, rooted in deep spiritual practice and courageous engagement, offers a powerful nonviolent antidote to a world yearning for unity and healing.  

Reference:   
[1] https://amplifypeace.com Accessed June 17, 2025  

Reflect with Us  
How might you slow down enough to notice where ego, fear, or bias shape your reactions? Consider where you’re being invited into deeper listening—with God, yourself, or others. What stories might challenge your assumptions and expand your empathy? Share your reflection with us.     
   

“We Conspire” is a series from the Center for Action and Contemplation featuring wisdom and stories from the growing Christian contemplative movement. Sign up for the monthly email series and receive a free invitation to practice each month.