Meet Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is hard to come by when working for peace for almost two years! After the horrors of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 – me and my team at Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) began working around the clock… Praying, learning, educating, advocating for peace and an end to the war between Israel and Hamas. We believe in peace and security for all people in the Holy Land. Where does our resilience come from? I often say despair is the luxury of the privileged! We are inspired by our faith in God, the one who we follow, the Prince of Peace, who gives us our strength.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

People often say peace in the Middle East is impossible, as Israelis and Palestinians have been fighting for thousands of years! But that is not true. In fact, Arabs and Jews have lived side-by-side in peace for much of the past two thousand years. We work with Christians and all people to learn about the history of Jewish people in Israel and Palestinian Arabs who have been in the Holy Land since the time of Christ. Our work isn’t easy, but it is rewarding! We work so that all people can be safe and secure, and the children of the Holy Land can grow up in peace and with hope for a future.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Resilience can be hard to find on some days! The Bible says suffering leads to perseverance. Our faith gives us hope – and we hold onto the possibility for peace as we walk alongside those who are suffering. God did not say we would not have trouble in the world – but he promised to never leave us and to be with us when things are hard. We hope that people will know – whatever their background or beliefs – that they are not alone.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

A book that greatly influenced me on the journey is written by a fellow Coloradian – Philip Yancey. He wrote a book called “Disappointment with God” that talks about his own struggles when there is so much pain and hardship in the world. That book encouraged me greatly in my own life – when I have experienced pain and challenges.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cmep.org
• Instagram: @ChurchesforMEP
• Facebook: @ChurchesforMEP
• Linkedin: @MaeEliseCannon
• Twitter: @ChurchesforMEP
• Youtube: @ChurchesforMEP

Image Credits

@ChurchesforMEP