What do peacemakers look like in a troubled land? What should the response of the church be in a highly volatile political environment we are in? We Christians claim that Jesus is our King, so what should our response be since we purport to follow the Prince of Peace? Should we leave peacebuilding issues to politicians and civil society?
Zimbabwe desperately needs peacemakers. Our dark history of pre and post election violence and subsequent impunity challenges today’s church for action. Many a time the church has acted more like an ambulance which only attends to an accident scene and makes no effort to warn road users of possible road hazards should they ignore traffic regulations. Many in the church have distanced themselves from day to day political developments in the country pursuing a philosophy that politics is worldly. BUT before and after every election we have seen pastors visiting the victims of political violence in hospitals, political detainees in prisons and burying the dead most of whom would have been killed in well orchestrated brutal attacks, hence the need for the church’s involvement in social and economic development of the nation.
What is Peace?
Peace in the Old Testament is ‘Shalom’ which means ‘everything is in order’ or ‘everything is all-right.’ Peace and reconciliation are twin-brothers we cannot be a peaceful country where there is no forgiveness and reconciliation. Corazon Aquino, former President of the Philippines, said: “Reconciliation should be accompanied by justice, otherwise it will not last. While we all hope for peace it shouldn’t be peace at any cost but peace based on principle, on justice.” Peace is not the absence of violence but the presence of justice. Scripture has it on correct record: “… be at peace with everyone.” Hebrews 12:14.
Peace is like a referee or umpire they control the game, see to it that rules are being followed and see that there’s no foul play. Therefore the church should be more of a referee, guiding the nation in understanding where the nation ought to go, while warning leaders and the nation as a whole when they get tempted to steal, beat, maim or kill. AND the people have an obligation to listen: disobeying God through his mouthpiece the Priest is tantamount to death. Like Moses the church needs to confront the powers that be with the message of peace and to also affirm that they are the instruments of peace. Exodus 5:1 “After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Let my people go….” Peacemakers today have a voice and it should continue to ring ‘Thus says the Lord.’
So, Peacemaking becomes a vital pillar in the role of the church in peacebuilding. Peacemaking is more than just bringing spiritual reconciliation between man and God. Peacemakers actively work to reconcile hostile factions so that communities and the country at large may know the blessing of peace. The church needs to be a united front in peacemaking because past experiences have taught us that the devil that we mention in baptisms, in our masses and in communions is a cunning folk that will use some in the church to perpetuate violence. While some sections of the church will always be part of the broader civil society in the fight for human rights and peace, another bandwagon will be preaching ‘Prosperity Gospel’ or the ‘Rolls Royce’ Gospel every time they grab a microphone at the expense of their homeless, hopeless and jobless followers. Materialism in the church and the rise of self-proclaimed prophets in ‘miracle’ movements has killed the work ethic in Zimbabwe. Of critical essence, time to reflect on common grass-root issues in such churches is never available.
What is the role of the church?
The central task of churches and church communities consists in providing long-term counsel to victims of violence in a spirit of solidarity. Victims are those most affected by violence and are also those most vulnerable. Churches should ensure that individual voices of victims are heard, and that their collective voices are heard in the political debate.
Churches must also enable critical support for offenders, aiming to strengthen the willingness for reconciliation within society. The need exists for balanced religious interpretation of the experience of violence, refusing to amplify its nature or to demonize offenders. There must be no pseudo-religious arguments which turn legitimacy to violence or superficial rhetoric about reconciliation which fails to express the actual causes and impact of violence. Failure to analyze, to be self critical and to lack balance will make the churches more of the problem than the solution. The apostolic mission of the churches is to enable individuals and society to talk about violence, guilt, failure, and weakness in the context of forgiveness and reconciliation. Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser said: “Reconciliation requires changes of heart and spirit, as well as social and economic change. It requires symbolic as well as practical action.”
What is the road-map to a peaceful Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe needs to make a clean break with its history of violence and resolutely walk the road of peace. Firstly, to succeed, the church needs to harness her energy in mobilizing for unity within the church, a united church is the most powerful association in the world. A united church can bring down any dictatorship. Secondly, the church ought to have a national ‘strategic peace-building campaign’ which targets everyone.
The church should also have regular engagements with political leaders at all levels. One key target is the grass-root party zealots who toyi-toyis in our streets upsetting everyone and the party lunatics who force-marches people to rallies against their will. May God help us!
Power must no longer be defended by the bullet, but must be allowed to change through the ballot. Every time there is a peaceful, non-violent transfer of power from one president or one party to another, Africa is progressing further down the road to a political maturity and stability. The lay Christian, engaged in the democratic struggle according to the spirit of the Gospel, is the sign of a church which participates in the promotion of the rule of law. Finally no Jesus, no peace, Know Jesus, Know Peace!
By Lt Sydney Barson