Reconciliation
The Church’s Responsibility in Areas of Brokenness
How does the church respond to areas of brokenness and devastation around the world? On Friday evening at the Lausanne Four Congress, speakers shared heartfelt challenges from DRC, Burundi, Palestine and Ukraine.
Daniel Kyungu Tchikala - Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
As bishop with the 1st Community of the Church of Christ, Dr Daniel Kyungu Tchikala serves the Democratic Republic of Congo with his academic experience and passion for Christ.
I have been interested in the area of reconciliation in the issue of disability after I lived in a war zone for many years. It was an opportunity for God to teach me in those hard conditions how to love and to help us have joy.
People with disabilities represent 15% of the world’s population but people with disability are the most excluded people in the world. In all organisations even in the church. I’m wondering what is the responsibility in the church in the area of disability. When I got paralysis, a pastor came to see my parents and told them, “If your child has got disability it is because he is a witch, he must have taken part in witchcraft. He has been punished with disability.”
I was 11 years old without capacity to defend myself. In my country 96% of people with a disability are living in inhuman and degrading conditions. Many of them are killed because they are accused of being witches. What is the responsibility of the church? I think for me, the church must stand up, must use love, forgiveness, joy, truth through the Holy Spirit to change the world.
Statistics show that people with disabilities are not welcome in the church.
They are excluded from the gospel and God’s mission. It means that the church has been influenced by the world’s perspectives on the disability. For the world, disability is a weakness but God showed us weakness is not a threat, it is an opportunity to show His power because it is in our weakness that God came and made us His beloved children.
The church cannot be influenced by the world. It is our responsibility to influence the world through our model of peace, our model of love, our model of forgiveness who is Jesus Christ himself.
Emmanuel Ndikumana - Burundi
Emmanuel Ndikumana is currently the Lausanne Movement Regional Director for Francophone Africa and founder of Partners Trust International, now PTI Church, which seeks to promote transformational leadership in Burundi.
In terms of who we are and our history it is so similar to Rwanda.
Burundi has experienced a lot of conflict and ethnic violence between the two main ethnic tribes Hutus and Tutsis. Our country is predominantly Christian but that has not stopped us from experiencing conflicting and violence between tribes with killings of hundreds and thousands of people.
We cannot say this side is the perpetrator and this side is the victim. We are both perpetrators and victims.
One of the most challenging things is to ask a victim to forgive. At the same time, we have come to learn that forgiveness is the way our God chooses to heal the wounds of the hurting world. The world prefers retributive justice. Forgiveness is God’s chosen means to liberate the victim and the perpetrator form the devastating consequences of violence.
We need the perspective of being the citizens of heaven and yet citizens of our countries.
What would Jesus do in this case should be our constant question. Jesus never responded to evil with evil or violence with violence. He willing chose to love his enemy and to forgive his persecutors. This is beyond our understanding and against our sinful human nature. It is foolishness to the world.
Rula Khoury Mansour - Israel
Christian lawyer and theologian Rula Khoury Mansour is the founder and director of the Nazareth Center for Peace Studies. She has dedicated her career to peacebuilding around the world.
I am Palestinian Christian. The name Khoury means “priest.” I belong to the Palestinian people who became refugees in their own land in 1948 and after that became second class citizens. When I was a law student, God was showing me a way to become a bridge. After I finished at law school, I became a public prosecutor. I served all people. Jews, Palestinian Christians and Palestinian Muslims. But I soon realised that our conflict ran deeper than the legal system could address. I wanted to understand how Christ’s teaching on truth forgiveness and justice can bring healing into our broken lives. I started a peace ministry called Nazareth House Centre for peace studies.
We are committed to transforming hearts and minds and promoting forgiveness: justice beyond revenge, love beyond hatred and inclusion beyond exclusion.
This conflict is not about land borders and ancient conflicts, it is about ordinary people. They hope for dignity, and a place to call home. Sadly this kind of conflict is dominated by hatred and revenge, coming from both sides. But there is another way to look at this problem.
Reconciliation is the key. It is a divine mandate. It is a process that moves us from a divided past to a shared future. We need to search for truth, forgiveness, justice and healing..
We need to move from truth owning to truth telling. We need to listen to the other’s perspective. Moving beyond narrative victimhood and anger. After that we have forgiveness and that is the best part. Forgiveness is a powerful choice.
Forgiveness enthrones justice – It creates healing and truth telling.
Without justice peace is hollow. Without forgiveness justice becomes another weapon in the fight.
Lasting peace requires addressing systemic injustices root causes of conflict and ensuring a just resolution for all. Restorative justice heals by restoring dignity, holding wrongdoers accountable and repairing what’s broken
Building a Shared future - After addressing root causes and seeking a just solution comes the need to reconcile past suffering with present realities. Apologies, reparations and raising awareness are essential for healing and change. Reconciliation is essential for a shared future. Dialogue must acknowledge suffering.
People are suffering. I am speaking on behalf of the church in the Middle East. Be with us. We refugees to lose hope. Will you be able to achieve shared truth with us. Would you be willing to join in creating spaces for forgiveness? Will you advocate for ending the war and bringing about a just solution for all parties?
Ivan Ruston - Ukraine
People are coming to faith in Ukraine even in the midst of a devastating conflict.
Ivan Rusyn is the President and Professor of Missions at the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS) and an ordained minister in the Ukrainian Evangelical Church. He has become actively involved in relief efforts since the start of the war in Ukraine.
I am from Ukraine, and was leading an evangelical seminary. Thank you for opening your countries, your homes and hearts to my fellow citizens who are refugees.
Pease making is a hard word for me because we are in the middle of a full scale war. If you want to understand what is happening, please be aware, this is not a situation, a crisis or an incident, it is unprovoked full scale war. It is about identity culture, faith and language. This is the reason why we fight. This is an existential threat to my country and my family. Along with thousands of Ukrainians we are trying to proclaim compassion and truth in Ukraine. The only weapon that hasn’t been used against us is the nuclear bomb
The war has changed how I understand God and his word, Compassion is to suffer with people suffer. It is to have the same scars. Incarnation means presence – a ministry of presence. It is impossible to demonstrate compassion without being present. A hug is a symbol of compassion and the church is giving a hug to Ukraine
We are learning what true peace making is about. It is not cheap; it is expensive. When we are invited to forgive, we say, “Show me your scars.” Scars make you authentic.
My apartment is in an area which is known for its atrocities. Where do I see God? I heard His voice when volunteers say, “How can I help?” Jesus is present in Ukraine through the ordinary people.
Reconciliation does not come easily. Peace is married to truth and the middle name of truth is justice.
In Ukraine, we pray for justice and peace. We believe that one day peace and truth will kiss each other. Churches are growing, people are coming to faith. I see a bright future for Ukraine if the church will fulfil its mission.