Hatreds End: A Christian Proposal to Peacemaking in a New Century
It is no secret that we live in a dark and dying world. Everywhere we look we can see the terrible
acts of hatred and violence towards each other. However as believers in Jesus Christ we are
called to maintain peace with others. As Christians we are to have forgiveness and reconciliation
towards our previous enemies. The key to remember is that we would not be able to complete
this on our own, but only through Jesus Christ. Christ is the ultimate example of forgiveness,
which is shown by his example of dying on the cross for our transgressions. “Jesus healed our
broken hearts through reconciling us to the heavenly father, but he also commissions us to the
ministry of reconciliation” (Helmick & Petersen, 2001).
John Dawson discusses how faith can help us as Christians in an effort toward healing. Dawson
describes reconciliation as a time where we can fellowship and enjoy the intimate interaction of
individuals who were once our enemies, individuals who tempted us to bitterness by hurting us
(Helmick & Petersen, 2001). He says that reconciliation is a miracle that has been made possible
to us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. “Everyone has sinned. Sin is that which
violates relationships, the selfish acts that separate us from one another and from God, however
an atonement for sin has been mediated through Jesus’ sinless life, unjust death and triumphant
resurrection” (Helmick & Petersen, 2001). In life, we all commit some form of sin. Though we
may sin differently, the sins of our peers are no better or worse than the sins we commit
ourselves. A sin is a sin.
I couldn’t agree more with Dawson’s article, clearly depicts Christian proposal to peacemaking
in the new century. He began explaining how Christians are mobilized to be reconcilers. The
Bible teaches us in Corinthians 5:18, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to
himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (Bible Gateway, 2011). Reconciliation is a
behavioral process in which we take actions to restore a relationship or create a new one
following forgiveness (Lane, Abigail, & Gooch, 2014, P. 167). He explained how the church of
Jesus Christ has always been to see people reconciled to God through the Gospel, but the main
hindrance to this end has been us. Jesus didn’t tell us to apply the cross to the other person but to
ourselves, and this will give us the power to be reconcilers.
References
Bible Gateway (2011). 2 Corinthians 5:18, New International Version
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+5%3A18
Lane, S. D., Abigail, R. A., Gooch, J. (2014). Communication in a Civil Society. Pearson
Education
Petersen, R. L., & Helmick, R. G. (2001). Forgiveness and reconciliation: religion, public policy,
