Encountering Silence
Jim Forest: Silence, Protest, and Radical Love (Part One)
September 22, 2020
Part 1 of our conversation with returning guest Jim Forest: noted author, biographer, peacemaker, and friend.
Returning Guest Jim Forest is a noted author, biographer, photographer, peacemaker, and friend. He is the author of numerous books, including most recently Writing Straight with Crooked Lines: A Memoir. Some of his previous titles include The Ladder of the Beatitudes, Loving Our Enemies: Reflections on the Hardest Commandment, and Praying with Icons. He has written several biographies, including All Is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day, Living with Wisdom: A Life of Thomas Merton and At Play in the Lions' Den: A Biography and Memoir of Daniel Berrigan. Musician Joan Baez writes of Jim’s latest book, “Jim, my brother in nonviolent arms, writes beautifully about his dedication to truth, love, and activism.” Jim Forest serves as the International Secretary of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship. And he lives in Alkmaar, the Netherlands with his wife Nancy. Dorothy Day used to say, 'Hope is a duty, not an option.' It's an obligation. — Jim Forest Cassidy Hall says this of her friendship with Jim and Nancy, "I got to meet Jim a few years ago when we crossed paths at Voices for Peace in Toronto and then we reconnected in The Netherlands. He and Nancy graciously hosted me — they housed me, fed me, and most importantly nurtured me spiritually. His humble, gentle, and kind presence makes any guest in his company feel like one of his dear friends." By "his dear friends," Cassidy is alluding to the remarkable relationships that Jim has nurtured over the years, with some of the most significant spiritual leaders and activists of our time — people such as Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Daniel Berrigan, Henri Nouwen, and Thich Nhat Hanh. In his words and the witness of his life, Jim Forest reveals the power of relationship in all activist-oriented work. This is part one of a two-part episode. Our next episode will feature the conclusion of this interview. When you say the same things every Sunday, it becomes silence... Far from being infinitely boring, it becomes infinitely alive. — Jim Forest Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Jim Forest, Writing Straight with Crooked Lines: A Memoir Jim Forest, The Ladder of the Beatitudes Jim Forest, Praying with Icons Jim Forest, Road to Emmaus Jim Forest, Living with Wisdom: A Life of Thomas Merton Jim Forest, All is Grace:  A Biography of Dorothy Day Jim Forest, At Play in the Lion’s Den: A Biography and Memoir of Daniel Berrigan Jim Forest, The Root of War is Fear: Thomas Merton’s Advice to Peacemakers Jim Forest, Saint George and the Dragon Jim Forest, Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins Jim Forest, Silent as a Stone: Mother Maria of Paris and the Trash Can Rescue Joan Baez, And A Voice to Sing With: A Memoir Thomas Merton, Essential Writings Thomas Merton, The Literary Essays Dorothy Day, Loaves and Fishes Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out Daniel Berrigan, Essential Writings Thich Nhat Hanh, Essential Writings Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago Franz Jägerstätter, Letters and Writings from Prison Terence Malick, A Hidden Life Visit Jim and Nancy Forest’s website www.jimandnancyforest.com. Protest alone will not keep you going. — Jim Forest Episode 112 : Silence, Protest, and Radical Love: A Conversation with Jim Forest (Part One) Hosted by: Cassidy Hall With: Carl McColman and Kevin Johnson Guest: Jim Forest Special Guest: Nancy Forest-Flier Date Recorded: September 10, 2020