By PETER SMITH

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — The Rev. David Peck knows firsthand how divided and violence-wracked communities can be destroyed by repeated devastation.

In his previous work as the Anglican Church’s international development representative, Peck saw during his travels in Africa how religious groups could be part of the problem – but also part of the solution.

Today, Peck is a pastor in the heart of Pennsylvania — a state that is the epicenter of a bitterly contested presidential campaign that has stoked deep anxiety, conflict among family and friends, and even fears of election-related violence.

Opposing groups can find reconciliation by drawing on shared spiritual traditions, Peck said. It may be a shared belief in mercy or recognition of the human dignity of all.

He realized “how people lack the resources to creatively apply their faith in a conflicted political landscape,” said Peck, rector of historic St. James Episcopal Church.