Communicating reconciliation: The churches’ responsibilities in an increasingly secular society

Never before has the theme of reconciliation been referred to so often as one of the priorities of our times. And no wonder, when one realizes the depth and magnitude of the consequences of massive violations of human rights, inter-communal conflicts, and hot and cold wars that have plagued our world over the last decades leaving in their wake broken bodies, broken minds, and broken relationships. Today’s needs for reconciliation of individuals, communities and nations are proportionate to the wounds caused by the violence that has ravaged their societies. The 20th century has probably witnessed the worst atrocities perpetrated in human history, and the seeds of evil are far from being eradicated.

If the horrors of the past are not to be repeated, if the deadly cycles of retributive violence are to be broken, we are called to address some complex questions: How to deal with the legacy of the past when it leaves wounds in people’s souls that time cannot erase? How to heal the pain of so many men, women and children traumatized to the very depth of their beings by the violence perpetrated against them by other human beings? How to re-create right relationships within and between communities that have been profoundly divided and which continue to feel fear, resentment or hatred against each other? How to change the political and economic conditions that have permitted these tragedies to happen?

Working for reconciliation means striving for radical transformation which will allow broken communities and divided nations to re-learn how to live together in peace and mutual trust. Reconciliation requires long and difficult processes involving all aspects of life, and cannot be reduced to celebratory events, no matter how symbolic they might be. The experiences of people who have been struggling to address the challenges highlighted above tell us that the essential elements to be taken into account in any process of reconciliation are truth, justice, forgiveness and repentance.

It is commonplace to say that there is no Reconciliation without Truth, no Reconciliation without Justice, and no Reconciliation without Forgiveness and Repentance. According to the context, priority is given to one or another aspect: post-apartheid South Africa stressed the primacy of truth; in post-military dictatorships in Latin America’s democracies priority has been given to justice; churches and religious bodies are readily inclined to focus on forgiveness and repentance.

Without denying the positive impact which these simple and easily understandable formulas might have on public opinion, there is a risk that they convey the idea that the links are automatic: reveal the truth and you will have reconciliation; exercise justice and reconciliation will follow; forgive and repent and you will be reconciled. Our reflection, based on the experiences of people from many parts of the world, leads us to think that a genuine reconciliation process must involve all these dimensions together, not one instead of the other, not one after the other.

Then, the tough questions alluded to by Dr Villa-Vicencio come at every level of this multifaceted process, which has to follow its own path and its own rhythm in each and every society concerned. There are no models that can be exported from one context to another. To go to the heart of the matter means identifying the priority issues in each particular situation and taking a proactive role in exposing the reality. There are many experiences which can inspire new initiatives and common issues that run across the boundaries of specific stories.

Breaking the silence, restoring life-giving memories, resisting the lies

For those who have endured the dark times of conflict and repression, the need to know and to tell the truth is existential. The immediate victims, their families or survivors and society as a whole need to break the walls of silence, isolation, fear and falsehood which surround their pain.

Every healing process begins with a time of speaking, of telling one’s story, of being listened to. Communicating the victims’ stories is thus an essential means of breaking the terror imposed by the perpetrators. ‘Scream at us, and as much as you want, no one will listen to you’: this is what prisoners, raped-women, people abused by brutal violence were told by their torturers. To overcome this trauma, victims need to cry out their stories in ‘safe places’ where they feel confident that they are listened to with compassion, and are not manipulated or used for feeding sensationalist news to the media.

At a time when mass media tend to prioritize shocking images and stories which appeal to emotions rather than reason and which provoke immediate reactions rather than long-term solidarity, how can churches and Christian means of communication resist these dominant patterns and offer an alternative approach in which human experiences prevail over show-biz?

Listening to those who have suffered is not a passive exercise. It requires attitudes which encourage people to open up and which do not leave them alone after they have taken the risk of speaking and have gone though the pain of exposing their personal stories. Telling stories of suffering implies not only respect for ethical principles but also care for those who need accompaniment.

Breaking the silence calls for more than allowing individual stories to be told. Each of those testimonies reveals a part of the truth every victim carries within herself or himself. And these parts of truth need to be articulated together into a broader story that must be told to the whole of society as a way of publicly acknowledging the pain and damages suffered by the victims, and making people aware of calamities which should never be repeated again.

The experience of the various Truth Commissions which have been set up in different parts of the world over the past decade, precisely to provide this historical clarification, shows that this is a difficult and risky task. Not everybody wants the truth to be told, in particular those who have something to hide, either because they were directly involved in the spreading of violence or because they chose to close their eyes.

‘How to avoid being destroyed by our memories?’ History is filled with examples of the destructive role ‘poisoned memories’ can play in triggering the violence against those labelled as ‘enemies’. Recent tragedies – the genocide in Rwanda is a case in point – have made us rediscover the disastrous role media can play when they are in the hands of unscrupulous and biased ‘communicators’. We know too well that media can become the worst enemy of reconciliation when they deliberately attempt to awaken racism or xenophobia, to exacerbate religious or ethnic extremism.

Could churches be courageous enough to speak out and condemn publicly such messages, to call for the silencing of these voices of hatred and insist that ‘the right to freedom of expression finds its limits in the most fundamental right for all: the right to live’ ? Allowing the truth to be told, seeking the public’s disclosure of the truth, speaking out the truth in a context of distorted information, is a costly commitment. Many Christians have taken such risk and, in some cases, have paid with their lives. The stories of these ‘martyrs of truth’ should be shared as inspiring examples.

Righting the wrongs, re-creating right relationships

As much as they refuse to forget, people whose lives have been shattered by crimes and violence cry out for justice. In most cases, the first spontaneous cry is for revenge, and unless they see that the perpetrators are called to account publicly for their crimes, the cycle of violence and counter-violence is perpetuated. Moreover, the denial of justice which accompanies the granting – de jure or de facto – of impunity undermines the very foundation of the rule of law and the principles of human rights.

A new consciousness of the unacceptable is emerging and the idea of international justice is making its way forward. The recent case of General Pinochet as well as the project to set up an International Criminal Court represent historical turning points in the struggle against impunity. This growing awareness results from the courageous and determined struggles of victims and their families, in which the churches have played a significant role in many parts of the world.

The churches can help to educate public opinion and can accompany the search for justice by stressing the ethical dimensions of legal justice as a means of contributing to reconciliation in areas such as:

∑ restoring the dignity of the victims and recognizing the humanity of the perpetrators by affirming their responsibility;
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∑ interposing the authority of law between the victim and the violator and disciplining the ‘imperious desire of revenge’;
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∑ affirming the principle of equity and equality of all in front of the law; and
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∑ making a distinction between individual and collective guilt.
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If legal justice is essential to lasting peace within and between societies and nations, it is not the end. For Christians, legal justice is a stage on the way to the more fundamental goal of reconciliation which is to re-create right relationships amongst people. Beyond the system of criminal justice, the need to promote a ‘restorative justice’ is emerging in many parts of the world. The main focus is in restoring the dignity of the victims and perpetrators alike through efforts of mediation and accompaniment; promoting their rehabilitation into society; and building inclusive communities. In this area the churches have not only a specific mission to fulfil but also significant expertise.

Forgiveness and repentance

In most Christian circles, forgiveness and repentance are considered key requirements for reconciliation. In most cases, pastors and church leaders insist on the urgency of forgiveness in order to come to terms with the past as if the capacity to forgive was something that ‘good Christians’ should be ready to offer easily. History proves that it is not that simple!

What to say? There is no easy answer. The first message should probably be aimed at helping people understand that forgiveness and repentance are probably the most difficult and the most ‘extra-ordinary’ transforming experiences people can go though. The stories of women and men who carry with them the anguish of this soul-searching question of forgiveness can help us to understand how difficult it is for human beings to cross the border of their own pain, of their own shame and to look at the ‘other’ with transformed eyes and heart. These stories say that forgiveness and forgetting never go together. They show that ‘an act of forgiveness must be understood as a complex process of ‘unlocking’ painful bondages, of mutual liberation’ .

The role of the churches in accompanying these journeys of pain and hope, in communicating God’s love for all his creatures as the source of all forgiveness and all liberation, is vital. It is at the very centre of Christian self-understanding of the mission of the Church to work for the reconciliation of individuals with their neighbours, of societies with one another and of humankind with God.

Yet the responses of the churches often seem hesitant and inadequate, and the concept of reconciliation itself is subjected to ambiguous theological interpretations. In many situations of conflict, the call for forgiveness and reconciliation which comes from some churches may sound like a call for resigned acceptance, as a way of deflecting the victims’ cry for truth and justice. ‘They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying “Peace, Peace” when there is no peace’ (Jer. 6:14).

Reading the signs of hope

Believers and societies facing the enormous challenges of reconciliation look to the churches and faith communities for moral and spiritual guidance, and practical commitment. Communicating a message of reconciliation consists first of all in communicating the liberating vision of God’s plan for God’s people as captured beautifully by the Psalmist:

‘Mercy and truth are met together

Righteousness and peace have kissed each other’

(Psalm 85)

The churches can contribute to the reading of the signs of hope by highlighting many inspiring initiatives from different contexts: the courageous actions undertaken by women to rebuild relationships at the community level and to keep the spark of justice and truth alive; the experiences of organizations who are trying to learn the lessons from the work of Truth commissions (in South Africa, Guatemala and El Salvador, for example); and the struggles for justice that contribute to raising awareness about the need to create instruments for international justice.

The messages of reconciliation that churches must provide have firstly to be addressed to the people who are directly concerned by the need for reconciliation. How can the churches move beyond their own circles of listeners and reach broader audiences, specially among the communities shattered by violence which might be beyond their traditional followers?

At a time when our societies are not only increasingly secularized but also more and more dependent on patterns imposed by a globalized communication system, the first challenge for churches is to learn how to be more proactive in setting an agenda that responds to the needs of the people and is not merely dictated by the market. It is an agenda that underlines and respects the complexities of any reconciliation process and does not reduce it to simplistic ideas and shocking images disconnected from history.

The second challenge is to be creative in using the tools of the new communication technology to spread the message of reconciliation more widely and more efficiently, and in learning to co-operate further with the secular media.

Finally, in our secularized and globalized world, the churches are more aware than ever before that processes of reconciliation require the participation and input of all people of goodwill. Building alliances with civil society, promoting inter-religious co-operation so that religious faith ceases to be used to legitimate or aggravate conflicts, promoting moral and spiritual foundations for the efforts to reconciliation are all fundamental and urgent tasks to undertake at every level. From the congregational to the national or international structures the same attitude should prevail, no matter the risks, in resisting the internal and external pressures for ‘cheapening’ the message and thus weakening the commitment.

Working for reconciliation is a costly way of life!

Geneviève Jacques, member of the French Reformed Church, joined the WCC in 1996, as part of the International relations Team with the responsibility of developing a programme on Impunity and Reconciliation. She became Director of the Cluster on Relations in 1999. She has been involved in the ecumenical movement for many years, in the areas of Human Rights and Justice issues, particularly through the work of the French ecumenical organization CIMADE, where she served as General Secretary from 1988 to 1996.