The Rev. William “Mac” Bigelow left the Quiet Side of Mount Desert Island last month to spend two weeks in the Middle East as part of an international delegation. The pastor of the United Church of Christ in Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor joined 10 others as part of a Christian Peacemaker Team. The organization supports people of faith “willing to take some of the same risks soldiers take,” he said shortly after he returned, “but instead of taking guns into combat, they go with the tools of nonviolence and a willingness to accompany those at risk of violence” to offer a protective buffer. Bigelow, 54, participated in more than a dozen meetings with Israelis and Palestinians in visits to Jerusalem, Bethlehem Hebron, and Tuwani, a small Israeli settlement in Palestinian territory. He said he saw firsthand the power of nonviolence. “For me as a person of faith, it was very inspiring to discover that simply your presence as a third party, and simply being present, standing in the midst of the conflict … without any weapons can reduce the violence,” Bigelow said. For information, visit www.cpt.org.