INTEGRAL MISSION AND VIOLENT CONFLICT: JOURNEYING TOWARD SHALOM

God has claimed us as friends and granted us peace. God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.1 Amen Mission does not begin when violence ends. Violent conflict is not the exception but the usual context in which the people of God are called, and always have been called, to bless the earth. The question before us, then, is not, Can we do Integral Mission in the midst of violent conflict? But, How do we do it? We are to seek the Kingdom, love our neighbours as ourselves and make friends of enemies, in the middle of threat and anxiety, surrounded by enemies, in all the risk, complexity and uncertainty of here and now. If we are not prepared to do Integral Mission in the midst of violent conflict, we are not prepared to do it at all. I am not going to explain how to do, or how not to do, Integral Mission in contexts of violent conflict. I can’t do that. I don’t believe anyone can. There are no recipes or best practice templates we can develop and transfer to different contexts.2 Integral Mission is always incarnational. It is embodied and organic. Like yeast or a seed, it germinates, grows, tastes and looks different in each place and at each time. What I will do is reflect on my own experience in contexts where violent conflict is acknowledged, and in contexts where violence masquerades as peace.3 I do this consciou