Is reconciliation possible in a broken world?
Martin McGuiness and Ian Paisley were sworn enemies, divided by history, ideology and years of bloodshed. It was an impossible pipe dream to imagine that the former IRA chief of staff and the hardline Unionist firebrand politician could ever come together to work for peace in Northern Ireland. With so much hatred and violence, with so many lives lost, reconciliation seemed totally out of reach. Until it wasn’t.
The story goes that the two men could find nothing to say to one another until one got out his wallet to show off a photo of his grandchildren. Grandfatherly pride built a bridge, and the two men were soon sharing anecdotes and proud moments from their family’s lives. One then turned to the other and said, “We need to fix this for them”. The rest, as they say, is history. They found their common humanity and discovered, to their surprise, that they liked each other. The press dubbed them the ‘Chuckle Brothers’ for their ability to make each other laugh, though some in the communities of both men accused them of betrayal. Reconciliation requires the courage to take risks and leave the comfort of our own echo chambers behind.
God calls us to be peacemakers and reconcilers
The consequences of not reaching out across the chasms that divide us have been starkly visible since the horrors of 7 October 2023 and their devastating aftermath. The cost of not seeing others as human, as made in the image of God, has resulted in death, sexual violence, hostage-taking, starvation and what is now internationally recognised as genocide.
Here in the UK, we are many miles away from this awful war, and we may feel helpless in its shadow. But we cannot ignore that God calls each of us to be peacemakers and reconcilers. As St Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:18, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”. Reconciliation is needed in our national life, local communities, churches and families. Each step we take towards one another contributes to healthier, more cohesive communities that, in turn, will contribute to a healthier, more cohesive world.
This too may all seem like a pipe dream. Until it isn’t. Who would once have believed that Germany, the UK and the USA would become allies? Who would have thought it possible for Desmond Tutu to have set up his Truth and Reconciliation Commission and for Nelson Mandela not only to walk free but to go on to become President of South Africa?
Small acts of reconciliation, global repercussions
As division, misunderstanding and fear continue to spread their insidious tentacles throughout the world, God’s call to each of us to be a reconciling presence echoes round the globe. Every small act of reconciliation – trying to see the world through another’s eyes, attentively listening to someone with whom you disagree, making new friends outside of your tribe – can all contributes to healing the fractures of our broken world.
As Embrace prepares to join the Community of the Cross of Nails in December, we are pledging ourselves to join with others around the world to play our part in:
Healing the wounds of history
Learning to live with difference and celebrating diversity
Building a culture of justice and peace
A new resource to help us talk about Israel and Palestine
As part of our commitment to these principles we have just launched Gracious Dialogue: A Guide to Listening and Speaking Well About Israel and Palestine. This four-week course for churches encourages participants to look at scripture and history through the eyes of someone with a different perspective and understanding. Using passages from the Letter to the Romans and seminal moments of history, from the Balfour Declaration to the present day, Gracious Dialogue opens a conversation that we pray will play its part in helping all of us understand the perspective of those with whom we disagree.
Romans also reminds us of something that we all have in common: “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As we mark the second anniversary of intensified conflict and violence in the Middle East, Paul’s words are as true today as they were 2,000 years ago.
Our common humanity and sinfulness call us all to take the risk of joining the journey of reconciliation, not as a process that we can define but as a way to live our lives.
Gracious Dialogue
Gracious Dialogue: A Guide to Listening and Speaking Well About Israel and Palestine is now available to purchase. This 4-week introductory resource is designed to help churches and small groups navigate difficult questions and help people see through another’s eyes.