The true pathway to peace and reconciliation is here unfolded by Jack Gaines. It leads to freedom and growth instead of the self-imposed prison created by hatred. Forgiveness is at the core of this peace-building paradigm.
But can this process work for nations? Is it not just another religious discourse?
Jack Gaines’s response is quite striking as he states: “The world is searching for peace, but peace is not in the DNA of man.”
Most of the time in history and even today, religions have fueled hatred or prevented countries from reaching peace. This book is not about religion; it is about understanding the deep roots of our inability, as humans, to achieve peace and reconciliation.
Jack Gaines’s personal experience as well as his search for peace has led to some groundbreaking revelations. And I have been privileged to meet him in his journey and to partake with him in the process which led, in December 1999, to the organization of “The Leaders Conference for Reconciliation & Development” in Cotonou (Benin Republic).
Feelings of hurt inspire retaliation and claim for compensation: and here is the trap of bitterness where we cherish the status of being victimized. Whereas the Bible says “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37, NIV)
The treatments inflicted upn the victims are officially reported in the historical records, mostly with distortions to favor the views and interests of those who still want to find a legal ground to their iniquities. So the prevailing “truth” is indeed a biased record of what has truly happened. But we believe that no one can extend forgiveness if truth is not acknowledged in the first place. But who is the first to acknowledge the truth? “The victim,” says Jack Gaines, as he recalls that “God’s plan requires the victim to initiate forgiveness, freeing the perpetrator to feel remorse and apologize”.
A victim has the responsibility to understand what really happened, in order to initiate forgiveness, for his own sake and restoration!
But forgiveness is hardly seen on Nations’ agendas as well as on the International Community’s agenda for peace-building, with very few exceptions such as the well-known South African post-apartheid Commission for Truth and Reconciliation, thanks to the leadership of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
“Forgiveness is the economy of the heart... forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.”[1]
This paradigm has never been considered among all the means and powers used in search of peace and security in the world. If only we could reassess our strategies towards this goal in the light of the pathway unveiled here by Jack Gaines, the power of forgiveness will unite millions of souls and bring forth or enhance development in so many parts of the world.
To extend forgiveness to others is “to turn failure into opportunities for growth”[2] for individuals, their communities and their nations. Here lies the leadership factor. A Peace and Reconciliation Building Process requires a leadership filled with the courage to embrace the pathway of true forgiveness.
If you want to know more about God’s template for peace, reconciliation, and development for people and nations; if you have never considered the possibility that “God is the enemy of man,” and if you desire to step into other striking revelations, this book is for you.
Luc Gnacadja Assistant Secretary General
Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
Chapter 2
Deception: The Truth About Being Deceived
Satan’s Favorite Tool for Creating Conflict
The birth of Iniquity was the beginning of man’s choice to misplace blame, justify sin, and avoid responsibility. In Adam, man began exercising his God-given free will to act contrary to God’s will without accepting blame. Iniquity has plagued man ever since. This single incident in history has resulted in all kinds of complexities in life—all levels of conflict. Sin is the wrongful act, and iniquity is the attempt to justify it. Excuses lead to refusals to reconcile and align with God’s will. Adam disobeyed God, stepped off His path, and created an alternative path for man to follow. (Excerpt page 42)
