As a Christian, my choice must be to overcome this kernel of evil by consciously moving towards a new relationship with the others, a new relationship shrouded in trust, confidence and, ultimately, love. In the Bible, the vision of the Heavenly Banquet, the Heavenly Jerusalem, where all tears will be wiped, where there will be no death, no mourning, sadness or pain, where God will make his home among his people, represents the dream of God for us, the vision He wants us to make reality. It is not, as we experience every day, and as the clashes stress, a fact already fulfilled in our lives. That's why Christian life should not be the reserve of sweet smiling churchmen, but the job of men and women who are not afraid to face the difficulties and dramas of real life, and stand up against evil. Well, I have done my bit of preaching, and, no doubt, some will question my moral authority to do so.
Moral authority derives from the conduct of one's whole life, and it is a rare quality.
I have taken part in innumerable workshops on peace and reconciliation, yet I have only felt the presence of moral authority in exceptional cases. I have sougth the opinion of a missionary who I consider to be a moral authority. He has served for more than 20 years in Sudan. He has cradled in his hands and cried over the bodies of children with slashed throats. If we do not believe in love, the world will die.