What does reconciliation and peacemaking mean? "To restore to friendship, harmony, or communion" is how Webster's Dictionary first defines "reconcile." Peacemaking is described as "making peace by reconciling parties at variance." What is implied with these definitions is the state of brokenness. Communion, and thus community, is not present and there is a lack of wholeness or unity. This brings up the need "to restore."

The purpose of this theme is its relationship to the calendar year of the Christian church. In the Sunday-to-Sunday remembering of the life of Christian faith, we have already gone past the initial celebration of Pentecost (at the end of May). The story in Acts about the giving of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church has already taken place. Now we are further into the story of the early days and life of the Christian community.

As the Christian church began to exist and flourish as house churches, disagreements, dissension, misunderstandings, and inappropriate/harmful behavior took place. The Letters of Paul and the other Epistles remind us that what happened so very long ago is not too different from our own actions today.

What does that mean for us? It means that human nature is still the same. It means that we always carry with us the potential for both the positive as well as the negative directions for the present as well as for the future. But most of all, it reminds us that we are never perfect. The beautiful word "harmony" lingers in our minds and in our souls as something that we are constantly seeking to achieve. Reconciliation is a state that Christ, that the power of Spirit achieves for us. But, we have to be at the point where we will accept the gift of restoration. It is difficult to grasp, this harmony.

We hope that this issue of EcuMiniNet™ Online! fosters some consciousness-raising thoughts for your own spiritual and faith-response journey. As Christians it is our understanding that harmony and reconciliation coincide through the gift of faith. God's love and mercy is what both restores as well as unites. Living out that kind of love empowers us to be truly at one with each other as well as with the Holy.

Blessings for you and your journey toward wholeness,

Janine C. Hagan, Editor-in-Chief

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