I teach a course on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution at Servants University. Something I’ve taught for years is that, in a conflict resolution, the stronger party has the moral obligation to initiate reconciliation by going to the weaker party to initiate a peace process that will lead to lasting peace. I was listening to an interview with Nelson Mandela and heard him mention that same principle. It’s always exciting to be validated by a hero. I think it’s worth listening.
In a conflict, the stronger party should initiate the reconciliation process. Righteousness–being in the right, is also a part of strength. The person on the right also should take the first step and work to sustain the reconciliation. That mean I cannot think or say the following things:
“I’m on the right, he hurt me, he needs to come to me and apologize so that we could make peace.” Or,
“I’m the boss, he is my employee, I have power over him and can fire him anytime. He is the one who needs to come and beg me to forgive him. Besides, he did something to hurt me.”
Instead, I have the responsibility –being the one who sees more clearly — to humble myself and go and seek to make peace with him. To him whom much is given, much is required. If I’ve been given the gift to be on the right or to be powerful, I have the responsibility to take the first step towards peace. And not only the first step, but to pay the price for peacemaking if that is within my power to do so.
Jesus Christ also taught a similar principle when he said, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” First, it’s the other person who has something against this worshiper. Second, this worshiper who is offering something to God seems to be the more righteous person of the two. He is cited as being at the altar to worship God while the other person is somewhere else, not at the altar as well. Yet, it is this righteous person that Jesus commands to stop the act of worship and go and pursue reconciliation. On Jesus’ list of important things to do, reconciliation ranks higher than worship.
In fact, Jesus’ life was an embodiment of this. God a more righteous person in the person of Jesus was chasing after sinners to seek reconciliation with them and restore them to a place of fellowship and peace. According to Christian theology, God initiated reconciliation, paid the price for it and went chasing after sinners who didn’t even care about a more powerful and more righteous God who had the power to crush them.
Nelson Mandela applies this same principle. Take a listen to what Nelson Mandela says.
