From Ireland – a sign of peace
Progress is being made, evident in last week's historic meeting.
from the April 2, 2007 edition
Page 1 of 2
Last week made history.
Two strong adversaries, Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein, representing mostly Catholics desiring Irish unity, and the Rev. Ian Paisley, the leader of the largely Protestant political party known as the Democratic Unionist Party, who desire to maintain the union with Britain, met and agreed to work together in a government commencing May 8.
Though I've lived in the US for the last few years, I lived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for most of my life through all the euphemistically named "Troubles" of the past 30 years. I witnessed much bombing, shooting, and the death and maiming of friends in the battles between the Crown forces, the police, the IRA, and Protestant terrorists.
Many compromises have been reached between the parties over the succeeding years, but the final contentious issue – policing of Catholic areas of Northern Ireland – was stopping a government from being formed. The impasse seemed insurmountable.
Over many years I have witnessed the power of prayer, of spiritual understanding, to break down barriers, knowing that all things are possible to God.
When I heard of the recent impasse, I began to pray. The Bible states, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). I might doubt I am particularly righteous (and hopefully not self-righteous), maybe sometimes fervent, and at least I could pray.
I began by affirming that God is all in all, that there could be no intransigence in God's kingdom, that there could be no situation that was uncompromising, irredeemable, or irreconcilable. There is no law of inconclusion.
RSS feed
