All the religions of the world have the capacity to preach and practice peace as seen in the lives of Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther King Jr, Thich- Nhat Hahn etc., to mention a few prominent figures in the area of religious peacebuilding. However this small article will focus on how Christianity as a religion and Christian Theology in particular should be a source of peace in the public square, living towards God’s goal of shalom for all creation (right relations and well being in a wholesome way).
Christian theology is grounded in a reconciling God who calls us to be reconcilers. God is a forgiving God who calls us to forgive. The most positive image in Christian faith is that we are all created in the image of God. Peacemaking is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ. St. Paul often calls God the “God of peace,” (Rom 15:21, Rom 16:20, Phil 4:9, I Thess 5:23). Each of the first six of Jesus’ beatitudes prepares for and builds to the seventh beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt 5:9). Paul proclaims: “while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son . . .” (Rom 5:10). In Acts, Luke sums up the ministry of Jesus as: “preaching peace” (Acts 10:36).
John Chrysostom, an early church father challenges believers “to assume a stance of forgiveness towards others who have injured them for the sake of their own forgiveness by God” as mentioned in the gospel of Matthew 6:12. According to Chrysostom, “to have human soul” necessarily implies a readiness for forgiveness. An Orthodox Christian theologian by name Stanley Harakas also writes that “asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness is necessary in any peacemaking/reconciliation dialogues, where memories of injustice and experienced abuse are often nurtured in the process of cultivating self-identity.”
We Naga’s have been seeking God, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ for over a century now and yet true and lasting forgiveness and reconciliation amongst ourselves and our communities seem like a far fetched dream many times. We all know that the task of forgiveness is very difficult and it is equally difficult to acknowledge wrong doing so as to ask for forgiveness when we have been hurt or when we have hurt others. But as Bible believing Christians we are called to pursue peace, to be peacemakers, to offer forgiveness and receive healing which has been freely offered to us by grace when Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice of himself on the Cross of Calvary to purchase our redemption and forgiveness for our sins.
While we should acknowledge the fact that the pursuit of peace or that the task of being a peacemaker maybe be daunting and longterm peacemaking a very difficult process, it is not impossible for us to find healing individually and collectively by offering forgiveness and accepting the forgiveness offered to us in grace – by God as well as by our fellow brothers and sisters. The cost that involves in pursuing this peace is to offer and to accept forgiveness when given the opportunity instead of holding on to painful grudges that continues to keep us in bondage of hatred and bitterness towards our own brothers and sisters.
The longing of every Naga people to find healing and reconciliation with one another should be strong enough to reverberate across boundaries that we have created in the form of tribalism, clanism, differences in socio-economic status, gender discrimination etc. Martin Luther, the great Protestant reformer in his expositions on the book of Romans writes: “the way of peace, of the heart is found in God alone.” While we as Christians know that our lasting solution to peace can only be established through the grace of God (Grace means unmerited/undeserving favor of God), the human side of the equation requires persistence and long-term commitment to the goal of mutual forgiveness and reconciliation.
Keeping in mind the teaching of Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:7) every Christian who calls himself/herself a disciple of Jesus Christ should remind himself/herself that it is indeed the task of every believer of the gospel to be a peacemaker in their homes, in their churches and in their communities. Martin Luther further mentioned that “pursuing whatever makes for peace is a part of working out our progress in salvation.”
The vocation of peacemaking or peacebuilding then is not just for the select few who study International Relations, Conflict Transformation/Resolution/Management, Peace Studies, Gandhian Studies etc. Peacebuilders/Peacemakers are not just Human Rights Activists, Religious Leaders or some selected individuals from intellectual and political arena etc., but peacemaking, however tedious, slow and a painful journey it may turn out to be, is indeed a great task that every Christian is called to do in whatever capacity we can. May we all find the heart and the courage to pursue Peace in our homes and in our communities as Christmas approaches and as we prepare to celebrate yet another Christmas!
Christian theology is grounded in a reconciling God who calls us to be reconcilers. God is a forgiving God who calls us to forgive. The most positive image in Christian faith is that we are all created in the image of God. Peacemaking is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ. St. Paul often calls God the “God of peace,” (Rom 15:21, Rom 16:20, Phil 4:9, I Thess 5:23). Each of the first six of Jesus’ beatitudes prepares for and builds to the seventh beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt 5:9). Paul proclaims: “while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son . . .” (Rom 5:10). In Acts, Luke sums up the ministry of Jesus as: “preaching peace” (Acts 10:36).
John Chrysostom, an early church father challenges believers “to assume a stance of forgiveness towards others who have injured them for the sake of their own forgiveness by God” as mentioned in the gospel of Matthew 6:12. According to Chrysostom, “to have human soul” necessarily implies a readiness for forgiveness. An Orthodox Christian theologian by name Stanley Harakas also writes that “asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness is necessary in any peacemaking/reconciliation dialogues, where memories of injustice and experienced abuse are often nurtured in the process of cultivating self-identity.”
We Naga’s have been seeking God, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ for over a century now and yet true and lasting forgiveness and reconciliation amongst ourselves and our communities seem like a far fetched dream many times. We all know that the task of forgiveness is very difficult and it is equally difficult to acknowledge wrong doing so as to ask for forgiveness when we have been hurt or when we have hurt others. But as Bible believing Christians we are called to pursue peace, to be peacemakers, to offer forgiveness and receive healing which has been freely offered to us by grace when Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice of himself on the Cross of Calvary to purchase our redemption and forgiveness for our sins.
While we should acknowledge the fact that the pursuit of peace or that the task of being a peacemaker maybe be daunting and longterm peacemaking a very difficult process, it is not impossible for us to find healing individually and collectively by offering forgiveness and accepting the forgiveness offered to us in grace – by God as well as by our fellow brothers and sisters. The cost that involves in pursuing this peace is to offer and to accept forgiveness when given the opportunity instead of holding on to painful grudges that continues to keep us in bondage of hatred and bitterness towards our own brothers and sisters.
The longing of every Naga people to find healing and reconciliation with one another should be strong enough to reverberate across boundaries that we have created in the form of tribalism, clanism, differences in socio-economic status, gender discrimination etc. Martin Luther, the great Protestant reformer in his expositions on the book of Romans writes: “the way of peace, of the heart is found in God alone.” While we as Christians know that our lasting solution to peace can only be established through the grace of God (Grace means unmerited/undeserving favor of God), the human side of the equation requires persistence and long-term commitment to the goal of mutual forgiveness and reconciliation.
Keeping in mind the teaching of Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:7) every Christian who calls himself/herself a disciple of Jesus Christ should remind himself/herself that it is indeed the task of every believer of the gospel to be a peacemaker in their homes, in their churches and in their communities. Martin Luther further mentioned that “pursuing whatever makes for peace is a part of working out our progress in salvation.”
The vocation of peacemaking or peacebuilding then is not just for the select few who study International Relations, Conflict Transformation/Resolution/Management, Peace Studies, Gandhian Studies etc. Peacebuilders/Peacemakers are not just Human Rights Activists, Religious Leaders or some selected individuals from intellectual and political arena etc., but peacemaking, however tedious, slow and a painful journey it may turn out to be, is indeed a great task that every Christian is called to do in whatever capacity we can. May we all find the heart and the courage to pursue Peace in our homes and in our communities as Christmas approaches and as we prepare to celebrate yet another Christmas!
Bokali Mughavi, Dimapur
(The writer is a graduate of Boston University’s School of Theology, USA in the area of Religion and Conflict Transformation)
