Places of Conflict and Broken Relationships

John Dawson, Healing America’s Wounds.
Ventura, CA: Regal, 1994. pp. 117-118, 135-136. Reprinted by permission.

• Race to Race (Native American vs. European American)
• Class to Class (Homeless Person vs Holders of Home Equity)
• Culture to Culture (Immigrant vs. Native Born)
• Gender to Gender (Working Woman vs. Male Hierarchy)
• Vocation to Vocation (Police Department vs. Civil Rights Advocates)
• Institution to Institution (Auto Industry Management vs. Organized Labor)
• Region to Region (Westside vs. South Central Los Angeles)
• Governed to Government (College-age Youth vs. Vietnam Era Government)
• Religion to Religion (Muslim vs. Christian)
• Denomination to Denomination (Protestant vs. Catholic)
• Enterprise to Enterprise (Monopoly vs. Small Business)
• Ideology to Ideology (Leftist vs. Rightist Political Parties)
• Nationality to Nationality (Americans vs. Cubans)
• Generation to Generation (’60s Youth vs. Parents)
• Family to Family (Neighbor vs. Neighbor)

My friends and I have a dream. We call it the International Reconciliation Coalition. Chapters have begun to form worldwide, dealing with conflict in a Christian way. We believe in confession, repentance, reconciliation and restitution. Let’s define these terms:

Confession: Stating the truth, acknowledgement of the unjust or hurtful actions of myself or my people group toward other persons or categories of persons. (The main theme of this book because it is the place to begin and we have neglected it.)

Repentance: Turning from unloving to loving actions.

Reconciliation: Expressing and receiving forgiveness, and pursuing intimate fellowship with previous enemies.

Restitution: Attempting to restore that which has been damaged or destroyed, and seeking justice wherever we have power to act or to influence those in authority to act