Aug. 24, 2009 issue
Forgiveness story
By Helmut Isaak Burns Lake, B.C.I would like to correct a report from the Mennonite World Conference assembly. At the July 19 service, I led Jonoine, the Ayoreo who killed my missionary brother Kornelius Isaak, onto the stage. This was not the son of the man who killed my brother, but the same man. Yet it was not a murder. I told Jonoine:
“Fifty years you were a courageous young warrior of your tribe. You defended your territory against the invasion of the white man and you were a hero of your people. Fifty years ago, my brother Kornelius Isaak, another young man, fought the peaceful war of the Lamb of God, willing to give his life for his Lord Jesus Christ. Jonoine, you did what you had to do according to your values and tradition, and my brother did what he needed to do; at that tragic confrontation, in 1958, Kornelius lost his life. Today we are not enemies, we are brothers in Jesus Christ and warriors together, for the kingdom of God.”
Then I addressed the assembly, challenging them to establish centers of study and research of Anabaptist and peace theology and training in ways to find peaceful solutions to confrontations.
Comments
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It was truly an inspiring, historic, moment at Assembly 15! I had no headset at the time to hear a translation into English, but certainly saw and sensed the spirit of the occasion. Thank you, brother of Kornelius, for the above message and all who organized the program event.
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