What’s in a handshake?

Quote
"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."  Mark Twain

News
Queen Elizabeth made history by shaking the hand of Martin McGuinness, the Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly on Wednesday.  McGuinness was once a senior commander in the IRA, which for decades waged war on the British government, police, and establishment – which included killing the Queen’s relative Lord Mountbatten in 1979. 
 

The 4 second handshake reflected a relationship at three different levels.  Officially it was between the UK head of state and a democratically elected leader of one of Her Majesty’s devolved political institutions.  But it was also between the person who represents a long history of British rule in Ireland, and a former leader of an armed group which bitterly opposed that rule.  Lastly, it was between someone whose close relative had been murdered by the IRA and a person who may have been party to the decision to kill him.
 

The public gesture was not cheap; for the Queen, it meant overcoming her resentment and loss to extend forgiveness towards someone linked to her cousin’s murderers.  For McGuinness, it meant incurring the hostility of people in the republican movement who still oppose the partition of Ireland, and who think he has betrayed the cause.  
 

But both McGuinness and the Queen acted this way because of their commitment to the peace process; they sought the greater good of the people of Northern Ireland above their own reputation or grievances. 
 

Critics say how can there be reconciliation without repentance?   McGuinness has admitted very little of what he did while in the IRA.  Yet the journey of reconciliation rarely begins with complete disclosure; rather it is made up of many cautious steps towards the other side, and disclosure, forgiveness and trust grow gradually along the way.  

The people of Northern Ireland have not yet fully recovered from the grief and loss caused by the “Troubles”, but through this handshake, old enmities are being put to rest, and a lasting peace is that much closer.

Read on
“Peace-building from a Biblical Perspective” is an article by Rev. Dr Jeremy Ive, who has been at the forefront of various reconciliation initiatives launched by the Jubilee Centre since the late 1980s.  Read the article here. 
 

Walk the talk
It can be hard to admit that we have enemies; is there someone you have stopped communicating with, or been unwilling to forgive, and are other people close to you adversely affected by this?  Is it time for you to show a spirit of grace and take a first step in the direction of reconciliation?
 

The last word:
From the Bible, Matthew 5, verses 43-45: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”