Abstract
At the conclusion of the TRC, Desmond Tutu stated that the Commission’s task was to promote, not to achieve, reconci- liation. Reconciliation, he maintained, is the responsibility of all South Africans, and expressed the hope that the Christian churches would be in the forefront of this healing process. This article explores how the Christian church can be in the forefront of binding up the wounds, facilitating the healing pro- cess, and living as a people and a sign of hope. The answers it seeks to offer fall under three interrelated themes, namely the church’s: • spirituality of reconciliation; • ministry and mission of reconciliation; and • resources for its ministry and mission of reconciliation. Cultivating a spirituality of reconciliation would mean making reconciliation a lifestyle, rather than a series of strategies, pro- grammes or initiatives, yet remaining concrete, practical, mea- surable and accountable. The church’s mission is primarily to proclaim the good news of God’s Kingdom that is already here, but not yet fully here and therefore still to come. This proclamation is the message of reconciliation between God, others and the self, and anticipates the unity of all creation in Jesus Christ. The resources given to the church to fulfil this apostolic ministry include prophecy, evangelism, pastoral care and teaching, as well as its liturgical and sacramental life, its ministry of pre- sence, its people and its commitment to social justice.
Highlights
It is important to remind us all that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is expected to promote, not to achieve reconciliation
Reconciliation has to be the responsibility of all South Africans, a national project – and we hope that the churches and other faith communities will be in the forefront of this healing process which is possibly going to go on for decades. (Desmond Tutu, 1998.)
The overcrowded conditions in South African prisons, the high recidivism rate of 87%, and the crime-university effect prison sentences have on juveniles in particular, has brought about a realisation for the need of an alternative system to prison sentences, i.e. that of diversion, where the judiciary are offered an alternative to prison sentences for juvenile offenders
Summary
It is important to remind us all that the TRC is expected to promote, not to achieve reconciliation. The churches were at the forefront of the struggle for freedom and justice and goodness They helped to get us here and continue their good work through being agents of unity and reconciliation, assisting to rehabilitate the moral quality of our society and promoting ubuntu, persuading their members to be ready to forgive, and persuading the beneficiaries of apartheid to be ready to give reparation and assist in the process of transformation for their own sakes, for the sake of their children and for the sake of the future of this rainbow nation. Each of these areas could be subjects for further theological reflection, academic research and practical outworking in the church and in the world
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
