International School of Reconciliation: the miracle of the cross

This month I participated in the International School of Reconciliation in Rwanda. About 30 people from 16 different countries attended the Healing Hearts, Transforming Nations (HHTN) workshop that happened the first week, and then 21 of those people stayed on for additional training and practicum to become facilitators. Wow. Each one of the participants has experienced deep heartache and conflict in their lives on in their communities, but they share a passion to draw close to God and to bring God’s healing and peace to others in their communities.

Some of the participants in the school (in a disorganized photo!)

It truly felt like holy ground being together at the school, sharing stories of loss and pain, and experiencing the hope and healing that God makes possible. I was humbled by the perseverance and love of these special people and want to share a few glimpses from the workshop during the first week of the school. 

Group discussions during the workshop

One of the sessions in the HHTN workshop is about naming the collective losses that our countries (or people groups) have experienced. Each country or region named the material or inner losses that they had experienced, such as the loss of lives, of homes, of trust between people, or the loss of hope. One pastor from the Tigray region of Ethiopia was there and shared about the atrocities committed during the recent war in his region. A woman from the province of Manipur in India was there and shared with heartbreak about the many villages that had been completely burned and the thousands of people displaced in the recent conflict. After each person shared their page of losses, the paper was put up on the wall. It was sobering to look at the wall and see so much hurt and loss!

 

The losses identified by each country, put up on the wall

In the middle of the workshop is the “cross workshop”, where we give over pain, grief, or sin to God. We took some time for personal reflection and then were given the opportunity to share some of the pain we had identified with a partner. As we came back together and gave over the individual pain and also the collective losses identified earlier, I looked around and felt the weight and grief of the pain represented in the room.

nailing our pain to the cross

 
But the miracle of the cross is that Jesus bears our pain and our sin – he does not leave us to bear it alone. Jesus endured suffering and empathizes with us in our pain; he invites us to let him help us to carry the burdens. The following morning, several people shared how much lighter and relieved they felt after sharing their pain. Here are just a few of the reflections from participants after the cross workshop session:

• The session was very powerful. I realized I had a heavy pain in my heart, hiding it as if nothing had happened. I had to pour out my heart to the person I shared with. Then I realized how heavy it was, not easy to carry. It was not easy for me to bring the pain to Jesus, to say to him that I am bringing him my pain. I was thinking “how did I live with such pain in my heart?”
  
  
• I thank God for the peace within me. The climax was nailing everything to the cross yesterday and saying “Lord, I surrender.” I feel a peace that I have never felt before.
  
  
• My tears came as we brought our pain. I thought “this is how the body of Christ is supposed to be.” This is a powerful reminder of what Jesus did for us.

worship and prayer together with new friends

I am so grateful for the prayers and support of many people that covered this school and made it possible. If that is you, know that your prayers were needed and answered! Some of you have heard me describe the HHTN workshop many times, but each time it feels like a fresh experience of watching God at work. So thank you for bearing with me! I could only describe a small part of this school in this post, so hope to describe more in another one next week.