Ken Newell
Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Northern Ireland
  

Friday 3 September 2004 is a day that few of us will ever forget. In the town of Beslan in North Ossetia Russian troops stormed the school where Chechen separatists had been holding hundreds of hostages. On Thursday many children were freed, but when the military attack came on Friday, more than 400 people were injured. It is reported that at least 100 bodies have been found inside the school. Six bodies lay covered with white sheets near the school gates. As parents filed past they lifted the sheets to see whether their children were underneath. The sight of a father stooping over a body and lifting the sheet to see if he recognized the face of his child is an image I will not forget for a long time.

Thirty-two years ago, on Friday 21 July 1972, I was in Belfast doing some messages for my family. We were leaving the next day for Indonesia. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland had asked my wife Val and me to serve as teachers with the Christian Evangelical Church of Timor.

That afternoon 21 bombs were detonated in the city in 65 minutes. My car was 150 meters from the Oxford Street Bus Station when one of the bombs went off. It killed nine innocent people and injured 130 others who were simply waiting to go home by bus. Only the courageous work done in our city�s hospitals prevented the death toll rising higher.

I remember praying in my car: �Lord, why is this happening? Should I be leaving Belfast tomorrow when this place in erupting in violence?�. Then my prayer changed: �Lord, if and when I come back here, would you help me to do something about it.�

Since 1976 I�ve been trying, along with my congregation in Belfast, to live out this prayer and to make a difference in our country. Since 1968, over 3700 people have died and 40,000 have been injured. There are many Christians, as well as non-Christians, who are investing their lives in the work of conflict-resolution and peace-making.

People who have undergone personal change often initiate social change

It is my sincere belief that changed people can help to change difficult situations. I was born in north Belfast in 1943. Growing up was a very happy experience for me. I had lots of friends - all of them Protestants. That didn�t seem unusual at the time, although Belfast had a population that was 60% Protestant and 40% Catholic. This reflected the religious balance of Northern Ireland as a whole. But the two communities generally remained apart, as they still do today.

Most of our neighbours were also Unionists. They valued their British heritage and citizenship; most catholic people were Nationalist and longed for a United Ireland.

I was �unionist� before I could spell the word. At Election time the big lorry arrived bedecked in the red, white and blue colours of the British Union Jack flag. The candidate for Member of Parliament would wave at us and give the thumbs up sign. Our community knew how he wanted us to vote.

At the approach of the 12th of July celebrations of the victory of the Protestant King William of Orange over the Catholic King James 1 in 1690, we would search our neighbourhood for wood to build huge bonfires. But there was a darker side to the celebrations. The older boys would teach the younger ones anti-catholic songs and put a figure of the Pope on top of the bonfire and cheer when it burst into flames. We didn�t know any catholics, but we didn�t like them or Nationalists. They were the enemy, and we had to hold on to our heritage and not let them take it from us.

These powerful community rituals planted in us an �enemy-consciousness�, unchallenged by the church or our educational system. The result was that we lived in separate worlds emotionally, culturally, politically and spiritually. I was 18 before I developed a real friendship with a catholic at University; I was 25 before I entered a Catholic Church; I was 29 before I formed a meaningful friendship with a Catholic priest.

These friendships have helped me to change. Today I am a different person from the one who was ordained in 1968. From those changes has come a strong commitment to reconciliation. Over the last 21 years Fr Gerry Reynolds of Clonard Monastery in west Belfast has been a very close personal and family friend. My congregation, Fitzroy Presbyterian Church, works on many peace and reconciliation initiatives in Belfast with Clonard Monastery. In 1999 Fitzroy and Clonard were awarded the Pox Christi International Peace Prize for �grass-roots peace-building in Belfast�.

People who experience change often initiate change. Here are few examples from the Churches: in 1965 the Rev Ray Dave, a Presbyterian Minister, founded the Cornmeal Community of Reconciliation in Ball castle; in 1970 Father Michael Hurley, a Catholic priest, founded the Irish School of Ecumenics. Today it runs courses on �Education for Reconciliation� in Castlewellan, Lurgan, Portstewart, Dungannon, Limavady, Ballycastle, Carrickfergus, Enniskillen, Newry, Tandragee and in three venues in Belfast; in 1974, the Rev Cecil Kerr, a Church of Ireland Minister, founded the Christian Renewal Centre in Rostrevor; in 1983 the Rev Sam Burch, a Methodist Minister, founded the Cornerstone Community in West Belfast.

These initiatives bring together Protestant and Catholic Christians; some of them live together in these communities as models of a new future for our province. They also organize numerous projects to influence the wider community. All of these initiatives are the product of Christians who have gone through a process of personal change; they have gone on to pioneer change within their own communities.

The voice of the churches is still very clear

The birth of �the Troubles� of Northern Ireland in 1968 was very closely associated with agitation for social and political reform. Ireland had been divided in 1921 into two distinct nations with a clearly defined border. The north became dominated for 50 years by one political group, the Ulster Unionist Party. Under its control, the catholic minority felt repressed, alienated and discriminated against.

In 1968 the Civil Right Movement called for equal rights; when catholics opposed a Protestant parade in Londonderry rioting broke out in the Bogside in the summer of 1969. The British Government sent in troops to restore order. In December 1969 the Irish Republican Army split into an Official and a Provisional wing. The Northern Brigade rejected politics in favour of a return to an armed struggle. The �Provos� emerged and remained active until its Ceasefire in August 1994.

Interment without Trial was introduced in 1971. But as a result of allegations of torture, a European Court found Britain guilty of inhuman and degrading treatment.

On 30th January 1972 the First Battalion of the Parachute Regiment of the British Army shot dead 13 men during a Civil Rights march in Londonderry. This action, known as Bloody Sunday, provoked more violence and unrest. The British Prime Minister Edward Heath lost confidence in the Unionist Government and introduced Direct Rule from Westminster, London, in March 1972.

In June 1972 the IRA called a cease-fire and some of its leaders met British Government ministers. But two weeks later the ceasefire was over; on 21 July Belfast experienced Bloody Friday when 21 bombs exploded in the city in 65 minutes. I�ve already mentioned that I was 150 metres from one of the explosions. Over the next 32 years over 3700 people died, bombs wrecked many towns, and the community became deeply polarized.

From the beginning the voices of the Churches spoke out strongly against the violence; they highlighted the most fundamental of all human rights � the right to life. They condemned the brutality of the illegally armed groups on both sides of the conflict. The Catholic Church often criticized the actions of the British Army and local Security Forces; they called for greater social justice and peace; the Protestant Churches called for Law and Order to be restored.

Both Catholic and Protestant Churches had to bury large numbers of the victims of the violence; they came very close to their people as pastors. Some of the funeral services were occasions when clergy made impassioned pleas for the violence to end and for a return to the sanctity of human life.

Slowly the Churches began to act much more in harmony: they urged that all the difficult social and political problems should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and democratic politics. They also stressed the need for community reconciliation.

But some within the churches realized that it was not enough simply to condemn violence; they have to go further. They were convinced that the time had come to engage in direct dialogue with �the hard men� and their shadowy organizations.

In 1990 I was part of a group of Protestant and Catholic clergy who engaged directly with some of the leaders of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA. At the same time, we also engaged with senior figures within loyalist paramilitary organizations. By 1993 we were convinced that some within these organizations wanted to bring the violence to and end and engage in democratic politics. Our hopes were not disappointed.

At a time when very few believed that a ceasefire was even on the horizon, the sun broke through our Province�s normally cloudy sky. The IRA Ceasefire of 1994 was announced. �It�s Over� was the simple headline in the Belfast Telegraph Newspaper. Excitement rippled through the country. I remember the statement issued on Wednesday 31 August at 11.00 am: �The IRA have decided as of midnight, 31 August, there will be a complete cessation of military operations. All our units have been instructed accordingly.�

This was a key moment! It unlocked the door to a decade of political movement, increased community peace and initiatives towards political partnership. Progress has been far from perfect, but it has been far better than anything we had tasted in 36 years. It opened the door to the first ever political agreement between the communities in N. Ireland � the Good Friday Agreement signed on 10th April 1998.

The heart of the Agreement is political partnership and community reconciliation. The language spoken for so long by the churches found a political expression that might lead us into a brighter future.

But political agreement does not mean community reconciliation. Our people are now more polarized than ever as a result of 30 years of conflict and carnage. Today the voices of the churches continue to stress the need for �building bridges�.

My own Church, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, adopted in June 1994 an outstanding Peace Vocation Statement. Allow me to quote from it:

WE, MEMBERS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND,

called by God, in the grace of Jesus Christ,

and the power of the Holy Spirit,

to live in faith, hope and love,

as children of our heavenly Father,

and witnesses to God's Kingdom ,

publicly acknowledge our vocation to peace,

which is both the gift and mission placed on us by God.

WE BELIEVE that the same evangelical faith in Jesus Christ,

which emboldens us to pray to God as our heavenly Father,

challenges us to develop radically new attitudes and relationships with our neighbours in Ireland.

WE AFFIRM that to be Christian peacemakers in our own situation:

We must grasp more clearly the distinctive teaching of our Lord

which challenges the general practice of our world,

and breaks the vicious cycle of matching injury with injury,

hate with hate, ignorance with ignorance.

We must therefore be prepared to meet and talk together:

with those in our own church with whom we have disagreements;

with those from churches whose practices and beliefs differ from our own;

with those from whom we are politically divided.

WE AFFIRM that to be Christian peacemakers in our own situation:

we must recognise the responsibility given by God to government,

and to those who serve the cause of law and order,

so as to encourage well-doing, correct evil-doers, and protect the innocent.

We must therefore reject violence;

seek ways to advance justice and promote the welfare of the needy;

affirm that in democratic societies all citizens are called

to share in these responsibilities;

and encourage all efforts to establish new structures of consent

and participation.

WE AFFIRM that to be Christian peacemakers in our own situation:

We must be initiators of programmes of action

which will contribute to peace in our community.

We must therefore provide resources and encouragement to

enable congregations to move forward at the local level in

the field of inter-community relations.

WE UNDERSTAND peacemaking to be an affirmation

and accommodation of diversity,

and that our particular history in this land of divided communities

and recurring violence,

of mutual suspicion, fear and injury,

makes it imperative that we reassert the Church's own proper calling

to seek peace, and the things that make for peace in our day.

The Christian Voice is still heard clearly in our country. It is a voice that challenges our people to live the Gospel of Christ in a situation where division remains deep and ancient animosities are still strong. But through the persistent love of God and the tough determination of good people our future will be much better than our past. After a long bitter winter our summer is coming.

The feet of the churches still move very slowly

It is estimated that only 10% of the Protestant churches in Northern Ireland have an active interest in promoting peace and reconciliation initiatives locally. In the first three years of one denomination�s excellent �Preparing Youth for Peace� programme, only 5% of 555 congregations decided to get involved. It is a very important beginning, but also indicates how slow progress can be.

The goal of the programme is �To assist and facilitate young people to engage with the issues related to living as a Christian in a divided society, so that in their local congregation and in the church at large, this is seen as an integral part of authentic Christian living.�

It is evident that after 400 years of conflict, division and mistrust there is still a lot of resistance to change even within the churches. What are the reasons for this? I can only give some insight into my own denomination.

Peace-making is not central to the Gospel of Jesus Christ: the Gospel is about saving people from their sins and preparing them to go to heaven. Community reconciliation therefore has very little to do with being a Christian.

Special peace-making initiatives are not necessary: if people are converted they will automatically start loving their neighbours on a personal level. So it is better to evangelize people than to set up opportunities for them to meet as cross-community groups.

Peace-making can only be done by minimizing theological differences: some do not want to blur the differences between the Protestant and Catholic churches; other Protestants do not believe that the Catholic Church is a Christian Church.

Peace-making is controversial: in Northern Ireland many ministers and congregations are not prepared to take the risk of upsetting �hard-line� members. They may be sympathetic to peace-making, but are not prepared to take the risk.

Peace-making is time-consuming: it is very hard for some ministers to do all the jobs that are asked of them. They therefore feel that, though they are sympathetic, they do not have the time to get involved in long-term projects for peace.

Given all these hesitations and objections still in the minds of many sincere Christians in N. Ireland, it is not surprising that progress is slow and the Church drags her feet. But what can we do?

We must rediscover the centrality of peace-making within the life, teaching, example, and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And we must raise our voices loud within the Churches in asking the big questions:

If peace-making is not central to the Gospel, why did Jesus say

�Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God�

(St Matthew 5:9).

If peace-making is not a priority for Christian character, why did Jesus say,

�If you are offering your gift at the altar

and there remember that your brother has something against you,

leave your gift there in front of the altar.

First go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift�

(St Matthew 5:23-24).

If peace-making and community-reconciliation have little to do

with being a Christian, why did Jesus say:

�You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.

But I tell you: Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you,

that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

If you love only those who love you, what reward will you get?

Are not even the tax-collectors doing that?

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect�

(St Matthew 5:43-48)

If peace-making initiatives are not necessary

because conversion will change people�s hearts,

why is there still so much animosity, suspicion and distance in Northern Ireland

even among those who claim to have been saved?

These are just a few of the big questions we need to raise because we fervently believe the Gospel of Christ is relevant to changing people and changing divided communities.

But the theologians of our churches need to come alongside all who are committed to the ministry of peace-making. They need to help us understand even more fully the relationship between the Gospel and reconciliation at every level in the community.

Progress in Northern Ireland is slow and real peace may take three of four generations to achieve. It is not something that we can reach on our own. We need the Presence of the Risen Christ to encourage us when we despair, to refresh us when we are tired and to surprise us when we think, as we sometimes do, that there will always be division and hatred and conflict in Ireland as there always has been.

But Christ�s cross restores our determination to love as he did; his resurrection shakes the historical scepticism of centuries; and his Holy Spirit caresses our weary souls with peace and reenergizes our hearts with a passion for the reconciliation that is God�s will. As St Paul puts is so simply, forcefully and beautifully,

�God�s plan, which he will complete when the time is right,

is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth,

with Christ as head�

(Ephesians 1:10).