Justice, peace and reconciliation still relevant today

Luke the evangelist proclaims that, immediately after Jesus’ birth, a host of angels traversed the skies in song and jubilation: "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to all people of good will" (Lk 2:14). Jesus Christ was born into a world sharply divided along political, religious, economic, ethnic, family and even recreational lines.

The Jews were colonised by the Romans. While some groups like the Herodians collaborated with the oppressors, others, notably the Zealots, resisted and plotted rebellion.

On the religious front, the Pharisees and Sadducees were bitter rivals. St Paul once cleverly exploited those differences to further his cause by asserting that he was "a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees" (Acts 23: 6). The Pharisees at the meeting immediately declared him innocent and demanded his release.

When St Luke wrote that the world needed reconciliation and peace during Jesus’ time, he was addressing a felt need in the real world.

EVENING PRAYERS

The Christmas season begins on December 24 with evening prayers or vespers and ends on the Sunday after January 6. It focuses on the incarnation, or God becoming human, also known as “the Word became flesh (John 1:14)”. This is one of the tenets of Christianity as professed in the Apostles’ Creed.

The incarnation, meant to bring reconciliation and peace among humans, has generated controversies and deep divisions between Christians throughout the ages.

It was interpreted to mean that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly human, which seems paradoxical. Some early believers did not understand how this was possible. One school of thought, called Docetism, interpreted it to imply that Jesus Christ was simply God in the guise of a human being.

The opposing school held that Jesus was a human being so full of the Holy Spirit that God adopted him as his son. This is known as adoptionism.

St Augustine, the African theologian born in Tagaste, Numidia, (in present-day Algeria) expounds on the incarnation by professing that when Justice looked down from heaven, Truth sprang from the earth. The cumulative result of the dynamics of this unique mystery is reconciliation and peace among humans (Augustine of Hippo, Homily, 185).

GOOD WILL

Drawing on the Lucan motif of people of good will, St Augustine urges human beings to embrace the incarnation celebrated at Christmas, or the Nativity, in which Justice looks down from heaven, to promote peace on earth.

The Christmas message encompassing justice, truth, reconciliation and peace that was valid in Jesus’ time remains relevant today.

On the political front, this time last year, Kenyans and foreigners had their hearts in their mouths, not knowing what would follow in the event of the swearing in of the "People’s President". This time round, with the “handshake”, the political climate is different. One hopes and prays that there is a genuine fund of good will, like that celebrated by the angels on the first Christmas, as our leaders make deals and arrangements in matters of governance.

JUSTICE AND TRUTH

The Christmas message of justice, truth, reconciliation and peace applies to individuals and institutions, including the Church. The Church in Kenya is undergoing trial and tribulation as it agonises over the recent killing of Fr Cosmas Omboto Ondari of the Mill Hill Missionary Society in Cameroon, and that of Fr John Njoroge Muhia of the Archdiocese of Nairobi murdered in Kinoo, Kiambu County.

The atmosphere is like a throwback to the divisions, hatred and conspiracies surrounding the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot. It is the kind of milieu that is crying out truth, justice, reconciliation and peace.

Wishing You a Peaceful Christmas and a Prosperous 2019.

 Fr Lawrence Njoroge lectures in development studies and ethics at JKUAT, where he is the Catholic Chaplain.