The Church as Reconciling Community. by Dr. Rick Love

Transcription

1 The Church as Reconciling Community by Dr. Rick Love

2 The Church as Reconciling Community: Reflections on the Comprehensive and Multi-Dimensional Nature of Peacemaking by Rick Love, Ph.D Consultant for Christian-Muslim Relations, Vineyard, USA President, Peace Catalyst International A paper presented for the Society of Vineyard Scholars The Kingdom and Ecclesiology: Learning From, Learning With, Learning As The Church April 26-28, 2012 Minneapolis, MN, USA I rejoice that the Vineyard affirms reconciling communities as one of its values! 1 That is why I have written this paper, and that is why I am attending this conference. However, I know it is much easier to confess this as a value on our websites and brochures than it is to embody it in practice. In reality we are often peace-breakers. Some of us are by nature peace-fakers, and yet we are a community that longs to be peacemakers. 2 What does it mean biblically and practically for the church to be a reconciling community? First, a word about methodology. I will examine the terms and verses related to the concept of reconciliation and not just do isolated word studies. For example, reconciliation is an important theme in the New Testament, 3 but the word reconciliation and its cognates occur only fifteen times. 4 By contrast, the word peace and its cognates occur approximately one hundred times. 5 The command to love your enemy has no lexical connection with either of these terms but has a profound connection with the concept of reconciliation. Because of the strong semantic overlap between the terms reconciliation and peace, and because of the greater frequency of the term peace, I will often use the two terms interchangeably, though I tend to use the word peace or peacemaking more often. Next, I need to define what I do and do not mean by peacemaking and how it relates to reconciling communities. First, peacemaking is not peacekeeping. Peacekeepers sweep important issues under the carpet so that no conflict manifests itself. This often happens in families. This also happens between alienated ethnic groups and countries. Peacekeepers separate two parties in order to avoid conflict and thereby keep the peace. But peacekeeping is not peacemaking; it is peace-faking. True peace is not just the absence of conflict but the presence of harmony. Because of this, peacemakers are sometimes peace-disturbers! The Prince of Peace certainly disturbed the peace of the Pharisees more than once. And Martin Luther King, Jr. had to do a lot of peace-disturbing in the peacemaking effort we call the Civil Rights Movement.

3 2 Second, peacemaking is not peace-achieving. We are commanded to pursue peace and blessed to be peacemakers. But this does not mean we will be successful in our efforts. Paul the apostle makes this clear in Romans 12:18, If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. The condition, if it is possible, acknowledges that it is not always possible to make peace. Peacemaking is resolving conflict and restoring harmony. Note the two aspects to peacemaking. Through repentance, forgiveness and restitution we resolve our conflicts. Through trust-building actions and practical investments of love we restore harmony. Thus, in most cases, peacemaking and reconciliation are synonymous. However, there are some noteworthy differences between peacemaking and reconciliation. Reconciliation involves two parties overcoming their alienation and restoring their broken relationship. By contrast, peacemaking can be carried out by only one party. Peacemakers can make the first steps toward reconciliation with others, even if the other party does not respond. So, while the goal of all peacemaking is reconciliation, an individual s peacemaking efforts can be resisted or rejected by the other party. For example, in a marriage, one spouse can pursue peace (with no guarantee of reconciliation) through unilateral loving acts. The same is true in larger social conflicts. My organization, Peace Catalyst International, challenges followers of Christ to take the first steps to breaking down barriers between Christians and Muslims. The verse mentioned previously, Romans 12:18, also affirms this proactive emphasis on peacemaking: If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Reconciliation isn t always possible because it involves two parties. But the responsibility for taking steps toward peace always rests on Christ s disciples. We are repeatedly commanded to take the initiative in pursuing peace. 6 This paper is an attempt to spell out in a fairly detailed and comprehensive manner what it means to become a reconciling community in practice. To do this I will seek to outline the breadth and depth of God s work of peace in the world around four foundation stones and eight practices (see the diagram below). 7 The four foundation stones teach that peacemakers are blessed to represent the God of peace, pursue the peace of God, and share the gospel of peace. The eight practices of peacemaking exhort us to pray for peace and give practical ways we can proactively pursue peace with everyone. As a Vineyard scholar I have one other distinctive purpose. I hope to demonstrate the vital relationship between peacemaking and the kingdom. When God s peace breaks into this present evil age, we experience a foretaste of the kingdom.

4 3 The Four Foundation Stones of Peacemaking 1. The God of Peace. The Bible portrays God as the God of peace (or a comparable title) at least ten times 8 No other title for God is used as frequently in Scripture (Swartley 2006: ). Think about how significant this is. We often put titles on business cards to describe who we are and to give credibility. For example, one of my titles is Consultant for Christian-Muslim Relations. If God were handing out business cards it would say, Yahweh: God of Peace. God s calling card is peace! In a world battered by violence and war, we need to reminded of this important title. Miroslav Volf rightly notes: Violence is not human destiny because the God of peace is the beginning and the end of human history (Volf 1996:305). 2. The Peace of God (Shalom). Shalom is the Hebrew term most often translated as peace in the Hebrew Scriptures. However, the meaning of shalom greatly transcends the English word peace. Shalom speaks of peace with God, as well as social harmony, welfare, health, prosperity, and human flourishing. 9 A quick review of the 250 or so occurrences of shalom highlights its multi-dimensional nature. Shalom is peace on steroids! As Nicholas Wolterstorff says, To dwell in shalom is to enjoy living before God, to enjoy living in one s physical surroundings, to enjoy living with one s fellows, to enjoy life with oneself (1983:70). The comprehensive nature of shalom can be illustrated by Jeremiah s exhortation to the Jews in Babylon in Jeremiah 29:7. I have underlined the various ways shalom is translated below to give a sense of its breadth of meaning.

5 4 Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare. (New American Standard Bible) Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (New International Version) Also do good things for the city where I sent you as captives. Pray to the LORD for the city where you are living, because if good things happen in the city, good things will happen to you also. (New Century Version) Also work for the success of the city I have sent you to, Pray to the Lord for that city, If it succeeds, you too will enjoy success. (New International Readers Version English) Babylon epitomizes evil in Scripture. But even in the context of the evil empire, God commands the Jewish exiles to pursue and pray for God s comprehensive shalom. Along with these commands is a promise: as they work for the welfare (peace and prosperity) of the city, they too will experience welfare (shalom). The importance of God s peace purposes can be vividly illustrated by examining the connection between shalom and messianic prophecy. God sent prophets to proclaim a glorious future when the Messiah would usher in an amazing reign of peace. His end game is world peace. Both Micah and Zechariah predicted a future ruler whose reign would be characterized by shalom. But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you one will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. And this one will be our peace [shalom]. (Micah 5:2-5, New American Standard) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah 9:9-10; see also Isaiah 9:6-7) Isaiah also portrays the coming kingdom of peace as a restoration of God s original creation purposes. Even when the word shalom is not used, Isaiah pictures a future that is perfectly non-violent, innocent and harmonious, a world under God s reign. In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up

6 5 sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:2-4; See also Micah 4:1-3) The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9) Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD. (Isaiah 65: 17, 25) One of the greatest promises of God s peace (shalom) in the Hebrew Scriptures is found in Isaiah 52:7, How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, Your God reigns! (Isaiah 52:7 NASB). Isaiah speaks of the good news of a coming kingdom. This is explicit in the final phrase: Your God reigns (which is another way of talking about the kingdom of God). And how does Isaiah describe God s reign? In three ways: the reign of God is peace (shalom); the reign of God is happiness (or goodness); the reign of God is salvation. As the prominent Old Testament scholar Chris Wright notes: When God reigns there will be peace, life will be good and we will be saved (Wright 2010:183). The importance of this passage, for our understanding of what Jesus and the authors of the New Testament meant when they spoke of the kingdom, cannot be overstated. This text is quoted or clearly alluded to five times in the New Testament (Acts 10:36; Romans 10:15; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Ephesians 2:17; Ephesians 6:15). It is a fundamental informing text for kingdom theology. Therefore, Isaiah 52:7 and all the prophecies about a future kingdom of peace have present relevance for those of us who believe in the already of the kingdom. Praying for the kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven means we long for the breakthrough of peace in the present evil age. 10 Peacemaking is a work of the kingdom The Gospel of Peace. The God of peace and the peace of God are not merely footnotes in the Bible s story. They parade around in center stage. And how do we experience this God of peace and the peace of God? Through the gospel of peace. The gospel is explicitly referred to as the gospel of peace five times in the New Testament, indicating the close relationship between the gospel and peacemaking (Acts 10:36; Ephesians 2:13-17; 6:15; Colossians 1:20 and Romans 5:1).

7 6 In the history of the non-jewish church, the gospel of peace was first preached to a man of war. God supernaturally led the apostle Peter to the home of the Roman Centurion Cornelius (Acts 10). Cornelius was just the person Peter did not want to share with. Cornelius was a Gentile; he lived in the wrong place -- Caesarea (the Roman capital of the province of Judea); he was the enemy, an occupying soldier. That is why it took three God-inspired visions before Peter was willing to meet with Cornelius. What was Peter s message? You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. (Acts 10:36) In this context, the peace of the gospel certainly includes both reconciliation with God and neighbor. It was multi-dimensional. The gospel of peace breaks down barriers between Jew and Gentile and makes them one in Christ. This story demonstrates what Paul later teaches about the gospel of peace in Ephesians chapter two. 12 The comprehensive nature of the gospel of peace is described in Colossians. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:19-20). The scope of Christ s reconciliation is breathtaking! This is one of the most profound and astounding claims in Scripture. Reconciliation extends to both heavenly and earthly realities -- a promise of universal and cosmic peace. God s reconciling purpose at the cross was to restore humanity to fellowship with himself and to restore the harmony of the original creation. The disharmonies of nature and the inhumanities to humankind have begun to be put right through the peacemaking work of Jesus on the cross. 13 The final passage we will examine in this section is Galatians 3:26-28, a text that displays the peacemaking nature of the gospel without mentioning the word peace (or reconciliation). So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. The background to this passage illumines its profound social implications. Paul shows that the gospel counters the prevailing and demeaning attitude of society summarized in the prayer he used to offer up every day as a Jew: Blessed are you O Lord God, for you have not made me a Greek, you have not made me a woman, and you have not made me a slave. Persians and Greeks offered up similar prayers. 14 In other words, this passage describes Christ s reconciling purposes as they relate to the three great divisions in the ancient (and modern) world: race (Jew and Gentile), class (slave and free), gender (male and female).

8 7 The context of this passage ( all you who were baptized into Christ in verse 27) implies that it was part of a baptismal formula, underscoring its significance. Imagine how profound our baptism services would be if we reflected on the socially explosive implications of the gospel. A Vineyard in South Africa made this part of their practice. During their baptismal services they confessed: I am no longer black nor white, rich nor poor, male nor female. I am now one in Jesus Christ and his people (Venter 2004:179). Jesus breaks down divisions between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. He brings unity and equality among us all. This highlights the multidimensional peacemaking impact of the gospel. 4. God s Blessing on Peacemakers. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9 TNIV). 15 The term peacemaker combines two Greek words: peace (eirene) and to make, do or produce (poieo), implying that peacemakers step into conflict to restore harmony. Thus, the very term peacemaker implies mediation. Mediation is about helping people resolve conflict. 16 And the majority of mediation is informal between friends, family, neighbors, schoolmates, and business associates. 17 The theme of peacemaking if not the term -- pervades the Sermon on the Mount. 18 The following subjects in this famous discourse relate directly to the task of peacemaking: Anger and reconciliation (5:21-26) Not reacting violently against the one who is evil (5:38-42) 19 Loving ones enemies (5:43-48) Forgiving (6:12,14,15) Not judging others (7:1-5) Jesus use of the terms opponent (5:42); gentiles (5:47; 6:7; 6:42), enemies (5:43-44); unrighteous (5:45) and persecution (5:10,11,12,44) in the Sermon on the Mount indicate that peacemaking is not restricted to believers only. It takes place in an unbelieving world, beyond the boundaries of the Church. Thus, it relates to global challenges such as racism, terrorism, poverty and war. God proclaims blessing on people who defuse hostility and build bridges, people who resolve conflict and seek concord. Jesus also describes these peacemakers as children of God. They are called children of God because they are acting like their Father: the God of peace (Philippians 4:9 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23), who sent the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6) to bring about a world of peace (Luke 2:14). Peacemakers imitate God. God s children are peacemakers! The God of peace, the peace of God, the gospel of peace, and the blessing on peacemakers describe the four foundation stones of peacemaking. If we change the order,

9 8 we could summarize how we live this out as follows: As God s blessed children, we work for peace. We represent the God of peace. We pursue the peace of God. We share the gospel of peace. The Eight Practices of Peacemaking 1. Pray for peace. Prayer marks the hidden, behind-the-scenes work of peacemaking. Praying for peace is both commanded and modeled throughout the Scripture. 20 Paul the apostle prays for peace in every one of his letters and exhorts Timothy to fight the good fight by praying for peace: I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4) 2. Pursue peace with all. God s peacemaking plan addresses every human divide. It is multidimensional and comprehensive. Peacemaking pushes us beyond our comfort zones and outside the walls of our churches. It challenges us to live out the peaceable ways of Jesus with our neighbors and our enemies. No borders. No boundaries. Everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18) Make every effort to live in peace with everyone. (Hebrews 12:14). We have noted above what Paul teaches about peacemaking in Romans 12:18. The author of Hebrews adds a further dimension. We are commanded to make every effort toward peace with everyone, indicating intensity of effort on our part. In a world of conflict, peace doesn t just happen. It takes work Take responsibility. Lovingly Reprove. Accept Reproof. Ask for Forgiveness. Forgive Others. Peacemaking practices 3-7 are best discussed as a unit because they often organically emerge from the same text. In a few cases we will examine specific texts related to a specific practice (Love 2001; Sande 1992). We begin with the Sermon on the Mount: Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way. (Matthew 5:23-25)

10 9 This passage illustrates all five of these peacemaking practices either explicitly or implicitly. First go and be reconciled teaches that we take responsibility for broken relationships. Even if I don t have anything against my brother or sister, if he or she has something against me, I must take initiative. To go and be reconciled implies that reproof has been given and received, forgiveness requested and granted. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person s eye. (Matt 7:3-5) This text puts the emphasis on taking responsibility for our sins. We are commanded to get the log out of our own eye before anything else. But note that Jesus goes on to say that once that is done, we can remove the speck from the other person s eye (i.e., we can reprove that person). If a brother or sister sins, go and point out the fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. (Matt 18:15). This passage also either explicitly or implicitly teaches five practices of peacemaking. I am commanded to go (take responsibility) and show them their fault (reproof). If they listen to me (accept reproof), I have won them (forgiveness has been requested and granted). The immediate context of this verse (Matthew 18:16-17) especially highlights the necessity of accepting reproof. Four times in this short paragraph Jesus uses the word listen. The one who listens to life-giving reproof lives in peace with the community. 21 If a brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying I repent, you must forgive them. (Luke 17:3-4) Four of the five peacemaking practices are explicit in this passage. We are commanded to rebuke the one who sins (rebuking is the functional equivalent of reproving). If they repent (accept reproof and ask for forgiveness) we are commanded to forgive them. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ. (Ephesians 4:15) Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. (Revelation 3:19)

11 10 These two texts describe the importance of loving reproof. Revelation 3:19 describes Jesus motive in confronting the sins of the church. He rebukes and disciplines out of love. Ephesians 4:15 teaches that reproof includes speaking truth, and doing it in love. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32) Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13) In both Ephesians and Colossians Paul the apostle exhorts us to forgive one another. 22 In each text Christ s prior forgiveness becomes the motive or rationale for our forgiveness. We forgive because he first forgave us. It is hard to overstate the importance of forgiveness for peacemaking. As Miroslav Volf notes, "Revenge multiplies evil. Retributive justice contains evil...forgiveness overcomes evil with good" (Volf 2005:161). Forgiveness breaks the chain of hate (Henderson 2002). 23 Taking responsibility, lovingly reproving, accepting reproof, asking for forgiveness, and forgiving others describe the core competences of peacemaking. But there is more. Jesus pushes us beyond our communities into a broken, often angry, world. 8. Love your enemies. 24 Jesus teaching about love of enemy is at once the most radical and the most ignored command in the Bible. Many Christians think this command reflects an unrealistic and idealistic standard. Because of this, many have engaged in what could be called the hermeneutics of evasion figuring out ways to interpret it so it doesn t apply to our lives. 25 But this teaching is part of kingdom ethics in the Sermon on the Mount. We can t ignore the fact that this is Jesus command. Nor can we ignore the fact that there are thirteen explicit commands related to this topic. 26 These commands (e.g., turn the other cheek, pray for those who persecute, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you) demonstrate that loving our enemy should not be interpreted in sentimental terms. In this context, love refers to acts of kindness. We can choose to do these acts in obedience to Jesus whether we feel like it or not. As Martin Luther King, Jr. says, Like is sentimental, and it is pretty difficult to like someone bombing your home; it is pretty difficult to like somebody threatening your children; it is difficult to like congressmen who spend all of their time trying to defeat civil rights. But Jesus says love them, and love is greater than like. Love is understanding, redemptive, creative, good will for all men (Washington 1991:47).

12 11 These acts of kindness describe what some call transforming initiatives, 27 that is, they help bring deliverance from the vicious cycle of hostility and violence. Richard Hays, the prominent New Testament scholar and ethicist notes: By doing more than the oppressor requires, the disciples bear witness to another reality (the kingdom of God), a reality in which peacefulness, service, and generosity are valued above self-defense and personal rights. Thus, the prophetic nonresistance of the community may not only confound the enemy but also pose an opportunity for the enemy to be converted to the truth of God s kingdom (1996:326). One of the most powerful examples of obedience to this command has happened in my lifetime. Martin Luther King, Jr. has shown that loving one s enemies is not the impossible dream. We can love our enemies. A more recent but less well-known example can be found in Nigeria. A Christian pastor named James and a Muslim Imam named Ashafa founded the Interfaith Mediation Centre to bring about reconciliation and peace in conflict-ridden Kaduna, Nigeria. Pastor James was born in Kaduna As a teenager James joined the Christian Association of Nigeria, and at 27 became general secretary of the Youth Wing. When fighting between Christians and Muslims reached Kaduna in 1987, James became the head of a Christian militia. James used Scriptures to justify the violence. At age 32 a fight broke out between Christians and Muslims over control of a market. The Christians were outnumbered, and 20 of them were killed. James passed out and when he woke up he found that his right arm had been sliced off with a machete. Imam Ashafa comes from a long line of Muslim scholars. In 1987 when religious violence hit Kaduna, Ashafa, like James, became a militia leader. He says, We planted the seed of genocide, and we used the Scripture to do that. As a leader you create a scenario where this is the only interpretation. But Ashafa s mentor, a Sufi hermit, tried to warn the young man away from violence. In 1992, Christian militiamen stabbed the hermit to death and threw his body down a well. Ashafa s only mission became revenge: he was going to kill James. Then, one Friday during a sermon, Ashafa s imam told the story of when the Prophet Muhammad had gone to preach at Ta if, a town about 70 miles southeast of Mecca. Bleeding after being stoned and cast out of town, Muhammad was visited by an angel who asked if he d like those who mistreated him to be destroyed. Muhammad said no. The imam was talking directly to me, Ashafa said. During the sermon, he

13 12 began to cry. Next time he met James, he d forgiven him entirely. To prove it, he went to visit James s sick mother in the hospital. Slowly the pastor and imam began to work together, but James was leery. Ashafa carries the psychological mark. I carry the physical and psychological mark, he said At a Christian conference in Nigeria... a fellow pastor pulled James aside and said, in almost the same words as the Sufi hermit, You can t preach Jesus with hate in your heart. James said, That was my real turning point. I came back totally deprogrammed. For more than a decade now, James and Ashafa have traveled to Nigerian cities and to other countries where Christians and Muslims are fighting. They tell their stories of how they manipulated religious texts to get young people into the streets to shed blood. Both still adhere strictly to the scripture; they just read it more deeply and emphasize different verses. Sadly, the imam is frequently accused of being a sell-out because he associates with Christians. He identifies himself very much as a fundamentalist and sees himself as one who emulates Muhammad. Although he and Pastor James don t discuss it, he also proselytizes among Christians. I want James to die as a Muslim, and he wants me to die as a Christian. My Islam is proselytizing. It s about bringing the whole world to Islam. Such missionary zeal drives both men, infusing their struggle to rise above their history of conflict... Pastor James still believes strongly in absolute and exclusive salvation mandated by the gospel: Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. He still challenges Christians to rely on the strict and literal word, and he s still uncompromising on fundamental issues of Christianity. 28 Please note: both Pastor James and Imam Ashafa engaged in peacemaking and respectful witness! In a conflict zone, the Muslim carried out da wa (the Arabic term for Muslim outreach), while the Christian evangelized and yet they remained friends and worked together for peace. Peacemaking and evangelism are not mutually exclusive. There is a striking parallel between being a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9) and loving one s enemies. Both peacemakers and those who love their enemies are described as children of God (Matthew 5:9, 44; Luke 6:35) implying a vital connection between peacemaking and love of enemy. God s children pursue peace and love their enemies. But the command to love your enemy should not just be understood as a mere peacemaking principle, an addendum to the main things of the kingdom. In fact, it is rooted in the character of God. We are called to imitate a merciful heavenly Father who is kind to the ungrateful and wicked (Luke 6:35-36). 29

14 13 This command is also rooted in the cross. It comes from the one who modeled love of enemies. Jesus loved us and laid down his life for us, while we were enemies (Romans 5:10; cf. Col 1:21). After his enemies nailed him to the cross, he prayed, Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). In other words, responding to enemies with self-giving, sacrificial love demonstrates the gospel, highlighting the indissoluble relationship between peacemaking and the gospel. It is common in some peacemaking circles to view Jesus teaching about love of enemy as an important political strategy for social change. 30 A brief summary will show that this appears to be both good exegesis and fruitful political activism. Three basic responses to an enemy are noted: 1) Passive submission. Psychologists refer to this as the flight syndrome. We run or back off from conflict. Sometimes loving our enemy ( turning the other cheek ) is wrongly perceived as being a doormat for Jesus. 31 2) Violent opposition. This is the fight syndrome, fighting fire with fire. This is being a Rambo for Jesus. Game on! 32 3) Nonviolent resistance. This is described as the third way taught by Jesus. 33 We intentionally and aggressively resist evil in a nonviolent way. In practice it can be militant in that we are willing to put ourselves in harm s way for the sake of peace. 34 Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. are the most famous examples of this approach to their enemies. Has nonviolent resistance worked outside of India (Gandhi) and the U.S. (King)? The data is startling and indisputable. During my lifetime, nonviolent resistance has worked in countries such as South Africa, Poland, Chile, Germany, the Philippines, Liberia, Tunisia, Egypt (and this list is not complete). 35 Walter Wink concludes: In 1989 alone, thirteen nations comprising 1.7 billion people over thirtytwo percent of humanity experienced nonviolent revolutions. They succeeded beyond anyone s wildest expectations in every case but China. And they were completely peaceful (on the part of the protestors) in every case but Romania and parts of the southern U.S.S.R. If we add all the countries touched by major nonviolent actions in this century, the figure reaches almost 3 billion a staggering sixty-four percent of humanity (1998: )! I would argue that there is a fourth response to an enemy: 4) Preemptive love. 36 As noted above, the Scripture continually talks about proactive peacemaking and the priority of love. The responsibility for making peace always resides with the follower of Jesus. 37 The command to love is arguably the primary or overarching ethic of the New Testament. 38 Like the three responses above, the concept of preemptive love has both personal and political implications. The ground-breaking book, Just Peacemaking, outlines ten practices for abolishing war (Stassen 2004). The second practice in the book describes what I am calling preemptive love: Take Independent Initiatives to Reduce Threat. According to Just Peacemaking theory,

15 14 A positive theology of peace is not simply reactive, but proactive. It takes initiatives. It creates peace. It sees peace not as something to be achieved merely by refraining from war, but by taking peacemaking initiatives. Peace, like war, must be waged. It must be waged courageously, persistently, creatively, with imagination, heart, and wisdom (Stassen 2004:18). A Reconciling Community: Peace within and Peace without One of the goals of the Society of Vineyard scholars is to foster theological discourse in the Vineyard. I would add another: to serve the church through our scholarship. So I conclude this paper by briefly answering the question: How can we cultivate and embody reconciling community as a value in our movement? The short answer: we need an understanding of and training in peacemaking.39 In one sense, God s work of peacemaking can be compared to a continuum. We experience God s peace through Christ. This results in increasing healing in our own lives (peace with ourselves). Jesus then leads us to live this out with his people, and with our neighbors, and ultimately even with our enemies. 40 To be a reconciling community means that the church does peacemaking simultaneously in all five points on the peacemaking spectrum. Evangelism and all forms of witness lead people to peace with God. Counseling and prayer for inner healing helps people find peace with themselves. Most churches have specific ministries and formally appointed people to work in these two areas. But few churches have specific ministries or formallyappointed people to do peacemaking in the church, with neighbors, or with their enemies. It is assumed that the pastor or other church leaders will handle the role of peacemaker.

16 15 While church leaders do peacemaking (and some do it well), many are not trained in it and fail to provide training for their congregation. Peace Within: the Interpersonal Dimension of Peacemaking Peacemaking organizations like Resolve Church Conflict, 41 Peacemaker Ministries, 42 or Mediation Training Institute International 43 provide helpful training and practical tools to address conflict. For example, Resolve Church Conflict, led by Dr. Kenneth C. Newberger, does a profound job of showing that God s approach to making peace with us should be our approach with others. He outlines three major characteristics of the Judeo- Christian model of peacemaking: the motive is love, the goal is reconciliation, the means is mediation. Just as God made peace through a mediator, so too we need to be mediators like Jesus. Peacemaking demands a mediator or third-party to facilitate the process. 44 Peacemaker ministries, led by Ken Sande, is a prominent, evangelical peacemaking organization. They have a brilliant graphic called the slippery slope outlining twelve different possible responses to conflict. 45 They call it the slippery slope because conflict often catches us off-guard and can easily lead us down two destructive paths, which can be described in various ways: escape responses or attack responses, distancing or coercion, flight or fight. These two instinctual responses to conflict are wrong reflexes that become major obstacles to reconciliation. If we can confront and outlaw these two wrong reflexes at the beginning of the peacemaking process we will be much more successful. The Mediation Training Institute International (MTI), led by Dr. Daniel Dana likes to say at the beginning of the mediation process, There are two cardinal rules: no walk aways and no power plays (Dana 2006:48). MTI uses a mediation map which functions as a summary of their core competencies in peacemaking. They emphasize three main tasks: 1. Keep disputants engaged in the process, 2. support conciliatory gestures, 3. and W.A.I.T. (Why am I talking?)--that is, wait for the normal process of conflict resolution to take place without interruption or

17 16 imposing a solution on the two parties. 46 This excellent graphic portrays the process of mediation (or conflict resolution). Peace Without: the Social Dimension of Peacemaking 47 In his book, Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites and Other Lies You ve Been Told, Bradley R.E. Wright notes that Christians do very well ethically as compared to the rest of society. We are neighborly, forgiving and caring for the poor. Moreover, he demonstrates that general good will toward others increases with church attendance. However, Wright also admits that Christians in general and evangelicals in particular do not like people of different races, religion and sexual orientation (Wright 2010: ). Evangelicals seem to struggle most with three communities: Muslims, illegal immigrants (usually Latinos or Hispanics) and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community. Yet the commands to pursue peace with everyone, to love our neighbor and to love our enemy pushes us toward these very communities (or whatever other community your church struggles with). This is the outward or social dimension of being a reconciling community. As the Consultant for Christian-Muslim Relations in the Vineyard and as President of Peace Catalyst International my focus is on Muslims. I spend much of my time focusing on training others in peacemaking and putting on bridge-building events with Muslims. In obedience to Jesus teaching about proactively pursuing peace, Peace Catalyst International (PCI) 48 has a number of practical programs that help followers of Christ

18 17 take initiative to break down barriers between Christians and Muslims. 49 For example, we have worked with Vineyards in California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Massachusetts, and New Jersey to host a Love-Your-Neighbor Dinner. 50 Reconciling Communities and the Ministry of Reconciliation I was talking about Peace Catalyst International (PCI) at a meeting when a woman exclaimed, But if people don t come to Christ, everything else is worthless! Really? Worthless? What is the relationship between peacemaking and sharing the good news? How do reconciling communities live out the ministry of reconciliation? I have argued that peacemaking is comprehensive and multi-dimensional. It is first multidimensional. We call people to peace with God and neighbor. It is also comprehensive. The physical and spiritual dimensions of life are integrated. The good news is holistic - - about both personal reconciliation and social transformation (Katongole 2008). We share the gospel of peace and pursue the peace of God. Ideally peacemaking and sharing the good news are integrated. In practice however, peacemaking and sharing the good news don t always go together. There are times when someone is reconciled to God but fails to reconcile with his or her neighbor. People like this need further teaching and encouragement to obey all that Jesus commanded. This is one reason Peace Catalyst International has a Peacemaking Seminar. There are far too many professing followers of Christ who do not make peace with their neighbors, much less their enemies. There are other instances when making peace between neighbors enables us to effectively bear witness to Jesus. People are drawn to the goodness of the gospel when they see our lights shine in this way. They want to know about the good news of God s reconciling love in Christ. And they decide to follow Jesus. Sometimes, however, people rejoice in the peace made between them and their neighbors, but do not want to follow Jesus. In this case, the good deed of peacemaking still finds favor with God. For Jesus says, Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). The good deed of peacemaking glorifies God. That is not worthless! Conclusion I see three areas where the Vineyard can grow to embody what it means to be a reconciling community. The questions I raise will focus on where we can implement training. These three areas outlined below provide great topics for Regional and National Conferences. 1. The area of interpersonal peacemaking Which churches provide the best examples? Where are case studies to learn from? Are

19 18 Vineyard Churches finding the training they need both inside and outside the Vineyard in this area? How can we make these trainers and resources available to the whole Vineyard? 2. The area of social peacemaking or engaging the other (e.g. Muslims, illegal immigrants, The LGBT community) Which churches provide the best examples? Where are case studies to learn from? Are Vineyard Churches finding the training they need both inside and outside the Vineyard in this area? How can we make these trainers and resources available to the whole Vineyard? 3. The area of seeking the peace of the city Which churches provide the best examples? Where are case studies to learn from? Are Vineyard Churches finding the training they need both inside and outside the Vineyard in this area? How can we make these trainers and resources available to the whole Vineyard? 51 I would like to conclude by quoting a famous OT prophecy about peace. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:6-7) Jesus is the promised Prince of Peace. His kingdom will be a kingdom of shalom. His peace will be a comprehensive peace (including justice and righteousness). His peace will be multi-dimensional (peace with God, social harmony, welfare, health, prosperity, and human flourishing). His peace movement is expanding and will endure forever. God is on a mission to bring peace to earth. Contrary to popular opinion, he will be successful. For Isaiah says: The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this! Works Cited Cole, Graham A. God the Peacemaker: How Atonement Brings Shalom. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, Dana, Daniel. Conflict Resolution. Madison: McGraw- Hill, 2001.

20 19. Managing Differences. Prairie Village: MTI Publications, Furnish, Victor Paul. The Love Command in the New Testament. Nashville: Abingdon Press, Hays, Richard B. The Moral Vision of the New Testament. San Francisco: Harper, Henderson, Michael. Forgiveness: Breaking the Chain of Hate. Portland: Arnica Publishing, Inc., Katongole, Emmanuel and Rice, Chris. Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, Love, Rick. Peacemaking: A Study Guide. Pasadena: William Carey Library, The Missing Peace of Evangelical Missiology: Peacemaking and Respectful Witness. ricklove.net. 2008a. 20at%20the%20World%20Bank.pdf. Martin, Ralph P. Reconciliation: A Study of Paul's Theology. Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, Sande, Ken. The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, Stassen, Glen H. Just Peacemaking: Transforming Initiatives for Justice and Peace. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, Stassen, Glen H., and David P. Gushee. Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context. Inter- Varsity Press: Downers Grove, Stassen, Glen, ed. Just Peacemaking: Ten Practices for Abolishing War. Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, Swartley, Willard M. Covenant of Peace: The Missing Peace in New Testament Theology and Ethics. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, Tutu, Bishop Desmond. No Future Without Forgiveness Venter, Alexander. Doing Reconciliation: Racism, Reconciliation and Transformation in the Church and World. Cape Town: Vineyard International Publishing, 2004.

21 20 Volf, Miroslav. Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation. Nashville: Abingdon Press, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace. Grand Rapids: Zondfvan, Wink, Walter. Jesus and Nonviolence. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, The Powers that Be. New York: Double Day, Wolterstorff, Nicholas. Until Justice and Peace Embrace. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, Wright, Bradley R.E. Christians Are Hate- Filled Hypocrites... and Other Lies You've Been Told. Minneapolis: Bethany House, Zahnd, Brian. Unconditional? The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness. Lake Mary: Charisma House, On the Vineyard USA website, Ken Wilson does a masterful job of summarizing what it means to be a reconciling community: Jesus is reconciling people to God, to each other, and to the entire creation. He breaks down divisions between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. Therefore, Vineyard churches are committed to being communities of healing, engaged in the work of reconciliation wherever sin and evil hold sway. We also seek to be diverse communities of hope that realize the power of the cross to reconcile what has been separated by sin. This requires that we move beyond our personal preferences and engage those whom we perceive to be unlike us. We must actively work to break down barriers of race, culture, gender, social class, and ethnicity. We are convinced that the church (locally, nationally, and globally) is meant to be a diverse community precisely because Jesus is Lord over every nation, tribe, and tongue. We are not satisfied with the status quo when it does not reflect this kingdom reality. Instead, we pray eagerly for the coming of God's kingdom here and now and hope to see the reconciliation that is

22 21 evidence that the kingdom is in our midst. values 2 I have had the privilege of studying under some of the best theologians and missiologists in America. I learned many valuable lessons about hermeneutics, biblical theology, strategy, culture and contextualization. Yet no one taught me about, nor prepared me for, the challenges of peacemaking. I ve experienced much unnecessary pain because my teachers and mentors did not teach me about peacemaking. I have personally failed to reflect the peaceable ways of Jesus because I never really saw them in Scripture. I have lived with an implicit sacred/secular dichotomy because I did not know that the gospel of peace and the command to pursue peace are both part of the gospel of the kingdom. Peacemaking was something I had to learn the hard way on the job. So I have spent the last 30+ years studying and applying what the Bible says about peacemaking. 3 See Martin Diallasso (1x), sunallasso (1x), katallasso (6x), apokatallasso (3x), katallage (4x). See Matt. 5:24; Acts 7:26; Rom. 5:10f; 11:15; 1 Co. 7:11; 2 Co. 5:18ff; Eph. 2:16; Col. 1:20, See Swartley 2006:6; Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Abridged) by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, the electronic version pp ; Peace, Reconciliation in Dictionary of Paul and his letters (695) edited by Hawthorne, G. F., Martin, R. P., & Reid, D. G. (1993). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. 6 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. (Matthew 5:23-26 NIV) "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. (Matthew 18:15 NIV) "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. (Luke 17:3 NIV) Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14 NIV) 7 For those creative readers and artistic types, I would love your help in developing a better graphic that portrays these peacemaking truths. 8 But the LORD said to him, Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die. So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. (Judges 6:23-24) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)