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What's Going On? (Pt.2)

Part two of Understanding the conflict in Israel.

Defining our Terms As we jump into the deep end of the pool on understanding the current events, it’s important to define terms. Terrorism. State. Religion. History. Identity. All these pillars help to frame the conflict in Israel, and MUST be agreed on before we can have a rational conversation. If you’re still with me, let’s jump in the water. There’s nothing to be afraid of. The water is just…

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#andy #braner #islam #Israel #middle east #palestine

The World is Burning, What is going on?

October 7, 2023, one of the saddest days in our world’s history. Before reading this, I invite you to think. This is going to be hard. The analysis of the current situation in Israel isn’t a binary problem. Black hats and white hats, the good guys versus the bad guys, is an extremely complicated, nuanced problem containing real stories, real history, real conflict, and real humans. First, the…

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#andy #braner #christian #current events #Israel #jew #muslim #palestine

Life on Capitol Hill

What a wild ride it’s been! Who would have thought, a small town kid from Arkansas would have the opportunity to come to America’s Capitol City and work with some of the most powerful people in the world? For the last six years I’ve been in Washington D.C. working on Capitol Hill. The most recent, a role as the Chief of Staff to a sitting member of United States House of Representatives. While…

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#andy braner #Democrats #faith #politics #Republicans #washington d.c.

The City on a Hill

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16

I’ve spoken of the Shining City all my political life.…

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Religion and Politics Don't Mix?

Religion and Politics Don’t Mix?

If you want to get in a conversation filled with conflict, all you have to do is talk about religion and politics.

So I guess I’ll do both.

Not for the sake of conflict.

But for the idea that we can engage in some of the hardest discussions in our world today, and not be afraid.

We don’t have to be afraid of voicing opinion in America.

We don’t have to agree on all things.

We…

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Learning to Love Another

Being In Washington DC not only gives me a front row seat to America’s political system, but it’s also a preferred seat to the see the entire world. A gentle stroll down Massachusetts Avenue can be like walking through a global wonderland.

Often, in the work I’m involved, we host ambassadors from countries all over the world. Last week we saw the ambassador from Mexico, Iraq, and Armenia. In…

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No Fear

Good friends are hard to find. As the old adage goes, “If you want a friend in Washington DC, go buy a dog.” And I’ve seen that to be true more than once up on Capitol Hill.

One of my closest friends in Washington is a former diplomat, Israeli/American, who grew up in Bosnia. He’s such a fun human to hang out with, and as we discuss global events, and politics, for the last three years we’ve…

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Until They Pull Me From my Horse

(taken from April 20, 1019)

One thing you can count on in Washington DC is this – There’s always a war brewing. The actors may change names and faces, but the principle is always the same – the war is at hand.

And, I don’t mean a literal war with bombs, planes, and troops (although there are certainly occasions that to be true); but rather, there’s always a war brewing for ideas..

Wheth…

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The Theology of Suffering

I’ve been to Jerusalem 30 times in the last decade, and one of my favorite places to visit is the Basilica of Agony located at the bottom of the Mount of Olives long thought to be the place called the Garden of Gethsemane.

Each time I go, I spend significant time meditating on the pain Jesus went through as he prayed through the evening saying, “Father, if it be your will, let this cup pass…

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#christian #politics #religion

The Abundance of Jesus

As the sun goes down over the Lincoln Memorial and the sky turns bright blue with the winds of spring time blowing in the summer humidity, there are many evenings where the reflecting pool outside the Washington Mall sits still and reminds me of the summer lakes I used to know growing up in the South.

On these still evenings, I’ll often take a long walk and sometimes just stop to reflect. I…

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#faith #politics #washington d.c.

Egypt Comes to Washington

President Al-Sisi and President Trump in the Oval Office Washington D.C.

I’ve been traveling in and out of the Middle East for the last two decades now. I’ve seen economic prosperity, religious plurality, and a many countries with a culture of hospitality that rivals that of my own Southern American upbringing. Even in the face of the harshest critics, I’ve actually walked the road to learn…

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You can Be in Washington DC

It’s crazy to think, School is about ready to start up again.

It seems like just yesterday kids were running out of the last class, and moms were happy to have the kids home for the summer. But as the months wore on, the kids got bored, and moms and dads are ready to get back in the rhythm of the fall school schedule.

Many of our friends are heading back to University. They’ve got their classes…

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Leaders Born? Leaders Mentored?

The debate between nature and nurture is one that is inexplicably complicated. Are we who we are because we have the genetic code, personality, and built in skills that allow us to do what we do? Or are we a compilation of experiences leading us to have opportunity leading us to who we become?

As the President of The KIVU Gap Year, I can answer only by own experience and with the thousands of…

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Experience a Decade of Global Travel

It’s been ten years providing students with a global travel experience with The KIVU Gap Year. We have taken students to India, China, The Philippines, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Chile, Bolivia, Guatemala, Germany, and England. We have domestic programs all over America, and our goal is to help prepare students with a host of internships and relationships in their field…

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What are you doing next Semester?

Anybody who enters University today knows the thrill of the first day of class. Freshman experience a new environment, new freedoms, and what feels like the beginning of a new life. But talk with Sophomores, and you get a very different story.

Something happens between the Freshman and Sophomore year with many students today. They find the University to be mundane, almost job like. Unsure of…

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Working with Tomorrows Leaders

Leadership is one of those catchy sensational words used by almost every youth organization in existence. Every one working with today’s student population wants to boast of “making the next generation of leaders.” But what does that mean today? Have we used the word leadership as a marketing ploy? Or, are there ways to quantify leadership and help students understand what it means to lead in…

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In a Competitive Market Place, How do You Stand Out?

Ten years ago The KIVU Gap Year began with a clear vision. The mission was to help today’s high school and early University students see the world, increase their cultural awareness, and prepare them for a lifelong vocation.

Over the last ten years, we’ve seen our students enter University with focus, intention, and the ability to master concepts many of their peers don’t understand for years.

T…

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