A new children’s book, published by The Lion and Lamb Peace Arts Center of Bluffton University, tells a true story of violence turned to hope through the eyes of a fictional boy in 1920s Ukraine.
“Swords to Plowshares” uses the simplicity and colorful illustrations of a picture book to recount how art teacher John P. Klassen—later a Bluffton art professor—collected bullets scattered throughout his Ukrainian village, melted them down and molded them into a lead medallion. In the book, young Isaak assists Klassen with creation of the medallion, which was presented to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) workers as a token of appreciation for sending food and relief supplies to the village following the Russian civil war.
“It’s a timeless story,” says Louise Matthews, director of The Lion and Lamb. “I contend that picture books are relevant for all ages. The messages don’t go away because we’re adults.”
A book launch and reception will be held from 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at the peace arts center, located in Riley Court on campus. Books will be available for purchase and signing by author Lisa Weaver, a Bluffton native, and illustrator Amanda Huston, a 2013 graduate of the university. All proceeds will support The Lion and Lamb’s peace education mission.
Weaver was inspired to write the book after talking with Klassen’s son, Paul. “Paul mentioned that the medallion had been made from melted bullets—the very bullets that had caused so much destruction and sorrow in his father’s village,” she says.
The medallion depicts an MCC representative handing out bread to children in Ukraine as part of a North American relief effort in the region.
“It immediately struck me as a modern-day ‘swords to plowshares’ story,” adds Weaver, the daughter of Dr. J. Denny Weaver, professor emeritus of religion at Bluffton. “It is a story of peace witness through art.”
“If people are looking at ways to make the world a better place, hopefully this kind of a story will challenge us,” Matthews says. She also hopes that the picture book will encourage children to “reach out to help people who are in need.”
“Regardless of where we see ourselves in the story, there are always ways to reach out to others, and there are always ways to share gratitude.”
