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Presbyterian Moderator Dr John Dixon has welcomed the recognition that the Declaration agreed by the two Governments last week has made of the concept of reconciliation. 'This is spiritual and religious language and it forcibly reminds us that the issues before us are indeed wider than merely political or indeed military and security.'
Giving his reaction to the Declaration in this morning's BBC Sunday Sequence programme on Radio Ulster, the Moderator was speaking from Brazil where he is currently visiting overseas personnel and partner churches of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
'I feel maybe a little challenged and humbled that those who are not directly speaking on behalf of the church are calling the nation to recognise spiritual realities. It may be an admission, and I hope it is only acknowledging our humble fallibility, that we have not done as much in the whole area of reconciliation or living out the gospel as we ought to have. I would trust that this prompt from, as it were, outside, would be the catalyst to get us to sit up, take note and become the people of God, distinctively different, living lives that reflect the grace of God that we profess to have received.
'The message needs to go out that those of us who profess to be vertically reconciled to the living God must take on board the obligation we have horizontally to be committed to the ministry of divine reconciliation. I don't believe you can have one without the other.'
The Moderator welcomed the decision to keep searching for an answer and urged everyone to encourage our political leaders to keep talking.
'I would take the opportunity to remind God's people to consider the issues prayerfully before the God who loves all the people in these islands and indeed at this Easter time we remember sent his son to die for them and to grasp the opportunity to bring the sovereign God into the centre of our thinking, speaking and acting with regard to finding a solution, which I think is ultimately spiritual, to the divisions among us.'
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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