posted
Here is an entry that I posted today, to answer one of the peace activist on the front line of Kenya's current nation wide crisis of violence and all that comes with it. He was writing how much in his view, he considers that peace comes first, before justice. The complete discussion thread can be viewed at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistichelping/message/1950
Here's my post:
Kennedy,
Justice comes when individuals and communities "BECOME JUST". If justice does not come to life in each person from the gift of God by His eternal Covenant, then there can never be justice. I understand and agree with you, that if justice is approached as a task for humans to achieve, then there is no possible hope. It is then better to remain in the state of peace of prayer until God grants the repentence and the Faith, born of the Covenant of reconciliation!
In the Covenant, God says:
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Heb 8, 10-12
When you quote Jesus with: "Father forgive them for they don't understand whatever they are doing", you are touching upon one of the most crucial moments of His mission on earth to reconcile humans with God.
The work of redemtion that Jesus accomplished and which He offers freely to all by His Spirit, there is no other human being who could have ever accomplished it. The following passage puts in context how justice comes to life:
"For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2Cor 5,14-21
The just shall live by faith, quotes the apostles From this gift of faith, we then become just. Then peace comes from being at peace with God's justice.
You write:
"Peace begins with one individual, accepting and attaining that inner freedom, serenity or light before sending it to your enemy, and letting that inner light be shared between/amongst the fighters."
The "ACCEPTING" that you write is our receiving the gift of God by which the repentence and faith of salvation and of reconciliation are granted.
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Jn 1,12-13
"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." Col 1,13-18
The "ATTAINING" that you write about comes from the discipline to cultivate the gift of Gof so that eternal life conquers in every one's life from the mind to the body and from the heart to the soul.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2Cor 3,17-18
"...the kingdom of God is justice, peace and joy through the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men." Rm 14, 17-18
That is where I suggest to focus the service of peace leadership, where God can move freely to touch and to heal the people and the land...amen to God's Yes an us all...
...may all blessings be with us all... Benoit Couture
All prayers and any words of wisdom are greatly appreciated...thanks!
posted
Here's an addition to the mission of this thread, on this wonderful site of Radically Christian thechnology, dedicated to our Lord's glory. The following is the copy of an intervention that the Spirit prompted me to make in the Kenyan peace process between enemies who are trying to stop killing each other in the most barbaric means at their disposal. The discussion thread is at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistichelping/message/1869
Emmanuel,
Part 2 of the resolution you sent reads:
"2. Any person involved in hooliganism and theft are to be burnt alive as means of curbing this vice. This is known as mob justice and is commonly practiced here in Kenya where a victim is torched with tires till death."
How can the curbing of vices such as the one mentioned here, be achieved non-violently?
Genuine inner peace knows very well that such "mob justice" is as much the enemy of peace as the vice being treated in such a way.
Let there be punishment where punishment is needed. But let the punishment be applied for the sake of enabling Health-Education-Correction to reach all who may be concerned, case by case.
In each case, there is a lot more people involved than only the one who does get burned alive. Kenya's current problems are the case of incompatible peer pressure systems breaking loose from artificial political unity.
The road to genuine unity is now open for all to reach, So please, do get that mob justice out of the way and get on with the road of inner peace.
When it comes to the unemployed youth, how about looking for ways to engage into a volunteering effort to rebuild the lives of those affected the most, by implementing ideas such as: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A15694662
Peace be with you, Benoit
All prayers and any words of wisdom are greatly appreciated...thanks!
-------------------- ...all blessings be with us all... Benoit Couture
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