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Christian Conference of Asia
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About CCA
Program Clusters: Special Programs:
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‘Called to Prophecy, Reconciliation and Healing: A
Theological Basis for Challenges in Post War Sri Lanka’
27 –29 May 2012, Sri Lanka
30 participants comprising pastors, women and youth leaders from
different denominations in Sri Lanka gathered together for a CCA-FMU Conference
on the theme ‘Called to Prophecy, Reconciliation and Healing: A Theological
Basis for Challenges in Post War Sri Lanka’ at Meth Arana
–Athrugiriya, Sri Lanka, from 27 – 29 May 2012.
Meth Arana, an idyllic hillside retreat centre, provided an ideal
backdrop for discussions on healing and reconciliation in the post war
struggles in Sri Lanka.
The Consultation, which was conducted in collaboration with NCC Sri
Lanka, aimed at building a solid theological basis for church ministries
focusing on the theme ‘Called to Prophesy, Reconcile and Heal’, analyzing the
role of religion in conflict situation, learning best practices in healing and
reconciliation as seen in war torn situations, and nurturing young leadership
especially in peace building process.
The Rev. Ebenezer Joseph, General Secretary of NCC Sri Lanka and Rev. Ruki Fernando facilitated the participants to discuss the contemporary
situation in Sri Lanka and the response of churches in Sri Lanka.
Rev. Francis Selvaraj (Director of Visthaar Academy of Justice and Peace
Studies in India), Rev. Dr. Vincent Rajkumar (Director of Christian Institute
for the Study of Religion and Society in India) and Rev. Jacky Manuputty
(Peace activist from the Protestant Church of Mollucus, Indonesia) shared their
reflections and experiences on how the churches and christian communities are involved
in peace movements in India and Indonesia. This helped the participants to
think of their roles as prophets, reconcilers and healers.
Some of the important observations made were that the process of reconciliation and healing was a long
one and had to start with the understanding of the trauma and pain of the
victims, helping them to reflect and reconstruct the painful memories of the
past into transformative power. They also felt the need to have a training
manual/resource materials on the theological basis of peace building (collect
and print all the sermons, bible reflections and stories on prophesying,
reconciling and healing), strengthen the programs on individual churches on
healing and reconciliation, and enhance more collective Peace initiatives at
the national level.
Perhaps the most significant outcome was the affirmation of the role of
women in war situations, both during the war and in post-war situations,
especially in healing, reconciliation and peace building, and the
need to document the experiences of women and children.
posted by communications on Wednesday, June 20, 2012 |
