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Importance of Justice, Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Peacemaking
There are three things that are viewed as essential to establishing peace in the world:
- Justice
- Forgiveness
- Reconciliation
These are seen as key to ensuring that peace in any area of the world is effective and long-lasting. It is for this reason that Christians believe they are important, alongside their following of the teachings of Jesus and the Bible.
Justice: Many areas of the world that are affected by conflict also have high levels of injustices occurring. Conversely, where there is peace, quite often you will find high levels of justice. This clearly indicates that there is a link between justice and peace, so Christians seek to promote justice in order to bring peace about.
Read more about the Christian view of justice by clicking here.
Forgiveness: This is central to the gospel as Christians believe that the reason Jesus died was so that they could find forgiveness for their sins. It is important to Christians who promote peace as without forgiveness it's not possible to move forward in a positive way. Forgiving people, letting go of anger and hurt, can allow people to get along better.
Read more about the Christian view of forgiveness by clicking here.
Reconciliation: After forgiveness, comes reconciliation. This is where two or more parties might meet and discuss the offence, before deciding to put their differences behind them and work or co-exist together peacefully.
You can read about the reconciliation which occurred between the South African people after the abolition of apartheid by clicking here.
Pax Christi is a Catholic organisation that works to promote justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation across the world. In doing so, they aim to bring peace wherever they work. You can find out more about their work by clicking here.