“Christians who, by their action or inaction, add to the brokenness of the world, seriously undermine our witness to the gospel of peace.”
-The Cape Town Call To Action, 2011
Christ's Peace in Ethnic Conflict
Ethnic diversity is the gift and plan of God in creation. It has been spoiled by human sin and pride, resulting in confusion, strife, violence and war among nations.
We fail to respect the ethnic identity of others and ignore the deep wounds that such long-term disrespect causes.
We acknowledge with grief and shame the complicity of Christians in some of the most destructive contexts of ethnic violence and oppression, and the lamentable silence of large parts of the Church when such conflicts take place.
If the gospel is not deeply rooted in the context, challenging and transforming worldviews and systems of injustice, then, when the evil day comes, Christian allegiance is discarded like an unwanted cloak and people revert to unregenerated loyalties and actions.
We long for the day when the Church will be the world's most visibly shining model of ethnic reconciliation and its most active advocate for conflict resolution.
- from the Cape Town Commitment, 2011
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Photo credit: Lisa Lee