I Am Not Your Enemy: Stories to Transform a Divided World

This book was a great read. The way the author captures the stories of people who refuse to let their pain destroy them creates a deep sense of hope. The book doesn't offer a clear path to reconciliation. It does show that better is possible through the process of knowing our pain and our hope, then finding a way to pursue a meaningful life for all people.

This is one of those books that I feel impelled to get into the hands of others. I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY.…Just the title alone moves me to reconstruct my world view. Now days what I hear people say is there will always be war and divided theologies where the spiritual becomes political. In our world we tend to drown ourselves in cynicism and wonder is there hope in mankind. WE NEED STORIES of reconciliation and love. In McRays book you will read encounters of people in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Israel / Palestine who demonstrate the strength to lay down their dirty business and seek to listen, understand, and even forgive their enemy. These stories will shake you and instill in you that yes there is hope in this broken world. In addition stories like these stir your heart and motivate you to say yes , I too can be an instrument of peace.

This book is compelling, as are the stories Michael McRay shares. Throughout the book Michael sometimes shares the etymology of certain words. For example, I learned that in Hebrew and Arabic, the words “compassion” and “womb” are the same. I think also of the etymology of the word “curate.” A curate was a person who was responsible for the spiritual welfare of his community. In this book, and with great care, Michael has beautifully curated a collection of stories- stories that help us to see others not as Other, and how to listen well.

This is a book that should be used as a text book for those studying peace studies and or generations rebuilding their memory for a healthy community

I just closed the back cover of this beautiful book, and my thought was “I want everyone to read this.” The author says that stories might be the thing that saves us, and “I Am Not Your Enemy” makes a compelling case that this might be true.If you, like me, find the politics of international conflict (Israeli / Paletsine; South Africa; Ireland) to be a bit intimidating because of the complexity, don’t let that put you off. The beauty of this book is that those complicated topics become real, immediate, and accessible when encountered through the lens of peoples’ stories. I understand a lot that I did not understand before. That alone is a gift.But the real gift is the stories themselves. I wasn’t expecting this book to become such a page-turner. McRay is amazing as an interviewer and a writer, and the stories he ushers forth are stunning. The author does something really effective where he puts himself into all of the interviews. These were conversations, after all. And his reflections (as a young, white American man) about how he is hearing and processing and drawing meaning from these stories becomes a helpful lens. He never wears out his welcome; he is a deeply compassionate shepherd and curator of other people’s stories.I’ll be recommending this book to people. I hope you’ll check it out.

I’ve often wondered how some overcome trauma to find reconciliation and restoration over retaliation. McRay answers this query through capturing stories from individuals on opposing sides of the most inhumane conflicts of recent generations. The reflection and insight intertwined in these narratives creates an understanding of how we, as individuals, can move to correct what we have wronged or failed to accept. Simultaneously, McRay illustrates a path for us to make a difference in our setting and to take steps to cross what otherwise divides us.The work is relatable, personable, intelligent, and at times both heart-wrenching and heart-warming as it brings humanity to events that once captured news headlines. I felt as though I were sitting amid the conversation and hearing the narratives first-hand. More importantly, McRay brings understanding to the difference between knowing and acknowledging, justice and reconciliation, and the power of acceptance over apology. I’ll reference and share I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY time and again for the insightful quotes, parallels to the current political and social divide, and tools for examination of my own bias.

McRay shares the extraordinary stories of people whose lives were shattered by an enemy. Many were initially trapped in rage at their enemies, and the systems of injustice, but eventually found a path forward. This book will make you rethink the conflicts between Palestinians and Israelis, the IRA and the British, and give a new window into apartheid in South Africa. These voices are fresh in their wisdom that peacework begins by listening deeply and thus "rehumanizing the enemy." This is not a simple process. The long journey includes the insight that "the language of reconciliation can be friendlier to those in power and an enemy to those who are suffering" and thus must include discussions of justice. It is hard work to change the caricatures of our enemies, but "until the narrative changes, nothing does."Michael McRay is an engaging, descriptive writer and this book reads very well. I could have devoured it quickly, but I have to confess it took me a long time to absorb it - because I needed these stories.Jane Moir Whitaker, PhD