Truth and Reconciliation

We can't deny that the world is full of hostility and division. There are political, cultural and ideological disputes and multiple ways people try to solve these conflicts.

Some groups think they should impose their view by force because it is the right one. Others will see the relativization of the truth as the way to go; the only truth we know is that no one knows the truth, and if we all recognize that, we can finally live in peace around this "truth." Others think bringing everyone together around science or fostering a one-world religion is possible.

The current reconciliation movements call not just for repentance from the past wrongdoings practiced by your ancestors - which is questionable. However, these movements see the abandonment of personal convictions to a more "ecumenical/universal" belief as the adequate fruit of repentance.

Now, please look at the biblical path to end hostility and reconcile different people's groups. First of all, we must understand that we all are born in darkness, dead in sin, enemies of God and deserving of the wrath of God (Eph 2:1-3). It doesn't matter if you are born in Canada, Brazil, China or Iran. We are all, by nature, enemies of God. No one knows the truth, and no one pursues the truth (Rm 3:9-18); we're by nature haters of the truth (light) because we love the darkness that hides our evil deeds (John 3:19).

The Bible teaches us that God made human beings in His image to reflect his character, so when we hate God and rebel against Him, the natural consequence will be the hate of everything resembling God as the main thing "human beings." In our hostility against God, we've become hostile to our fellow humans, and the natural consequence will be violence, abuse, hate, robbery, envy, and so on.

We need to realize this reality about our nature as human beings before discussing reconciliation. Wrong presuppositions will always lead to erroneous conclusions and, in consequence, wrong plans of action.

So, as Paul teaches us in Ephesians 2:13-16, Jesus, by shedding His blood on the cross, reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God, joining us together in one body, in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we have the inauguration of this new humanity built upon a new foundation of truth and joined together by the Spirit of the living God.

When, through the grace of God, we believe in Jesus, we deny ourselves, putting to death our old selves, to now follow Jesus by listening and obeying everything He taught. And we come to share in this new nature inaugurated in His resurrected body, united by faith to Jesus. And in the same way, Jesus is one with the Father; we are now in our union with Christ, reconciled to God and eternally united to Him.

Finally, once we're reconciled to God and restored in our nature to love Him, we will naturally be reconciled and love our neighbours as we seek together to live a life of holiness that glorifies our creator.

So, do you want to promote truth and reconciliation? Preach the gospel. Preach the message that will reconcile men to God. And everything else will be an overflow of the solution to humanity's most fundamental problem: sin.

Nino Marques