The Latest “P” – Reconciliation

The “P” in Rick Warren’s Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan has changed once again. It now means “Promote reconciliation,” according to the latest press puff piece updating his ambitious plans to mobilize tens of thousands of churches and people.

“Reconciliation” is an interesting choice of words. We refer the reader to the Herescope post of August 10, 2007 entitled “Identificational Repentance” that describes what this term means in the new “transformation speak.” We noted that C. Peter Wagner has cited this new doctrine as one of the key “New Spiritual Weapons” for advancing the Kingdom of God on earth. In short, “reconciliation” has to do with apologizing for the sins of your ancestors. But it also has a great deal to do with “peace.”

James Rutz described “reconciliation” as a key ingredient in the new way to do church in his book Megashift, which we have been reviewing:

“In fact, reconciliation is now happening on a large scale between historic factions in the church. At reconciliation gatherings cross the U.S., repentance and confession of past wrongs has occurred between whites and blacks, anglos and native Americans, men and women, etc. These events are major building blocks in the coming U.S. revival.” (p. 163)

Put this quotation on a global scale and apply it to tribes and warring factions, people groups and nations, and you can see how grandiose this thinking becomes. It is tantamount to a revolutionary new gospel. In fact, Brian McLaren includes a quotation in his 2006 book The Secret Message of Jesus (W Publishing Group) which seems to tie all of this together:

“The radical revolutionary empire of God is here, advancing by reconciliation and peace, expanding by faith, hope, and love–beginning with the poorest, the weakest, the meekest, and the least. It’s time to change your thinking. Everything is about to change. It’s time for a new way of life. Believe me. Follow me. Believe this good news to you so you can learn to live by it and be part of the revolution.” (pp. 32-33) [emphasis added]

In fact, McLaren devotes an entire chapter to this “reconciliation” concept (Chapter 12: “Hiding the Message in New Places”). He describes the shed blood of Christ as achieving “lasting reconciliation between humanity and God,” but then goes a step further to apply it to “all the at-odds individuals and groups that comprise humanity.” The focus shifts from Christ to reconciling relationships between “at-odds” groups of people.

“Today, he [Jesus] might speak of reconciliation of the war veteran with the pacifist protester. The tattooed and pierced granddaughter with her prim and proper grandmother. The Orthodox with the Catholics, and Pentecostals with Baptists. Christians with Jews and Muslims and Hindus. Tutsi with Hutu and both with Twa. Right-wing Republicans with left-wing Democrats. Believers with doubters.” (pp. 99-100)

Then he shifts into a mystical Bible passage interpretation:

“What is this set of reconciled relationships other than the kingdom of God? Paul strikes the same theme in Ephesians 1:9-10: ‘God made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.’ That unity–that bringing together under one head–is yet another translation of the kingdom of God. . . .

“Like Jesus, then, Paul has a secret message–a message that is both concealed and revealed. It is a message of reconciliation and unification, just as a kingdom brings people together under one king.” (p. 100) [emphasis added]

Did you catch a whiff of dominionism in that statement? Sure enough! This call for unity, peace and reconciliation is not new. It is the same old “brotherhood of man” universalism that the Federal Council of Churches trumpeted early in the last century. Previously on Herescope we have pulled extensive quotes from Dr. Martin Erdmann’s book Building the Kingdom of God on Earth (Wipf & Stock, 2005), an important history of how these doctrines were contrived and promulgated. The facts in his book detail a strikingly similar blueprint for the global “peace” and “reconciliation” and “unity” plan of the evangelical leaders. Just substitute “brotherhood of man” for “reconciliation” and see how easily things cross-reference. The only things missing in the early plan for kingdom-building were 1) computer databanking and technology, 2) sophisticated psycho-social group manipulation techniques, and 3) the psychic stew of eclectic spirituality spawned by the New Age movement that permits cross-over terminologies and ideologies.

Rutz’s quotation at the top says that the planet’s power elite will never find the true path to peace on their own. Probably not, if that true path is based on the way of the Cross. But the planet’s power elite has always been financially and politically behind the transformation of the church, and “building the kingdom of God on earth.”

The Truth:

“And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:15-21)