For many Christians, Zen contemplation becomes a way of living their faith. In our time, overcoming dualistic thought becomes a matterof to be or not to be. It connects all men realising and experiencing that unity which dissolves all alienness, and which must become the impetus for a resposible, optimistic life in a new consciousness. "Life from the Middle" ("Leben aus der Mitte") is the name of the programme for Zen contemplation in the Diocese of Essen, Germany. The Pallottine Father Johannes Kopp, born 1927, ordained 1963, belongs to the first generation of Christian Zenteachers. In 1985 he received his teaching qualification from Koun Yamada Roshi in Kamakura, Japan. He sees the rapport between Zen Buddhism and Christianity as a challenge and inspiration for the path towards community, which is the most precious potential for peace on Earth.