Reconciliation
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your sister or brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.
First go and be reconciled to your sister or brother; then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 5:23-24 (paraphrased)
As a call, prayer and vision, reconciliation has always been a crucial concern in the work of the World Council of Churches, as much as it has been to Christian faith. "Reconciliation is the renewal of the relationship with the Triune God accomplished for us in Jesus Christ." The reality of this reconciliation is what the church proclaims to the world in word and deed. This is the vision that inspires the ecumenical movement to relentlessly strive to uphold the beauty and integrity of God's complex web of life.
The reality of the divided witness of the church in a divided world has challenged the WCC to encourage and enable the churches to heal divisions within and without. In fact, reconciliation has been the theme of some of WCC's major events and landmarks: the 7th Assembly in Canberra, the World Mission Conference in Athens in 2005, the Decade to Overcome Violence, etc., to mention a few. Whether in the Korean peninsula, South Africa, Sudan, the Balkans, Northern Ireland or elsewhere in the world, the WCC has accompanied the churches as they attempted to heal divisions and foster peace and reconciliation.
International Year of Reconciliation 2009
Against this background of engagement in promoting and effecting reconciliation, the WCC welcomes the call of the UN to observe 2009 as the International Year of Reconciliation and encourages its member churches and partners to actively participate in this global campaign.
Hearing on Reconciliation - 19 February 2009 - Listen to key contributions
Rev. Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann on reconciliation
| Title | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Rev. Kjell Magne Bondevik |  (3.41 MB) | |
| Rev. Kjell Magne Bondevik, moderator of the WCC Commission of Churches on International Affairs, spoke about the biblical basis for reconciliation, and some of his experiences of reconciliation when he was prime minister of Norway. | ||
Reconciliation is a pre-condition for lasting peace.
| Title | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi | (4.03 MB) | |
| Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi is general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. He spoke about various reconciliation efforts in troubled communities in Africa, and the challenges posed by a greed-driven global economic system. | ||
What happened in South Africa after 1994 is a refreshing departure from actions that perpetuate a cycle of violence, and a major contribution to reconciliation and healing.
| Title | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi | (3.86 MB) | |
| Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi is the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Specialized Agencies in Geneva. He spoke about the role of Roman Catholic Church in reconciliation work, from the Pope to the parish. | ||
In the long run, lasting peace cannot be imposed, but it has to be the fruit of individual and community choices.
| Title | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Rev. Dr Margaretha Hendriks-Ririmasse | (3.92 MB) | |
| Rev. Dr Margaretha Hendriks-Ririmasse - a pastor, church leader and vice-moderator of the WCC Central Committee - spoke about the role of the church in reconciliation work in Indonesia between Muslims and Christians. | ||
Peace should be made a culture, and every segment in society is responsible to uphold it and make it work.
Resources:
- Worship services (World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, February 2009):
Introduction (pdf)
Day 1: "Reconciliation and TRUTH" (pdf)
Day 2: "Reconciliation and MEMORY" (pdf)
Day 3: "Reconciliation and JUSTICE" (pdf)
Day 4: "Reconciliation and FORGIVENESS" (pdf) - Study guide: Participating in God's Mission of Reconciliation - A Resource for Churches in Situations of Conflict
- Banner: International Year of Reconciliation 2009 (pdf)
More on WCC's work on reconciliation:
- The Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace 2001 - 2010 (DOV) and its culminating event, the The International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC), Jamaica, May 2011.
- World mission conference 2005, Greece, with its focus on healing and reconciliation.
