A Positve Response It is in personal encounters like these that walkers hope to make their biggest impact. According to YWAM veteran and Reconciliation Walk director Lynn Green, response thus far has exceeded expectations: "From the first planning stages of the Reconciliation Walk I expected that our message of apology would be warmly received by many. However, I was completely unprepared for the deep and overwhelmingly positive responses we have received from both Muslims and Jews all along the way" The teams highest priority is to embody the same humility and reconciling love that Jesus demonstrated in reconciling the world to himself. They believe that too often, Christians have concentrated on the words of the gospel while ignoring its spirit, especially when dealing with Muslims and Jews. One participant writes, "The gospel is not about winning an argument, it's about reconciliation. Essentially, Jesus came to take blame for something he did not do in hopes of healing our bitterness and alienation. That's just what we are doing by willingly going to the Middle East and saying we are to blame for these centuries of fear, misunderstanding and violence. We are saying, 'forgive us, we were wrong; Jesus is not like the way we portrayed him.'" Cathy Nobles, the Reconciliation Walks field representative in Turkey notes that from her first moments in the country, the Crusades were presented to her as though they were recent history: When I first came to Turkey, nearly every person my team talked to about Jesus was faced with this same question, "If Jesus stands for love, how do you explain the Crusades? Now that she has had the opportunity to accompany one of the first Reconciliation Walk teams, the difference is palatable. Cathy writes, It has been overwhelming to me to see a Turkish policeman's eyes fill with tears as he reads the message of apology, or to hear a crowd clapping as the walking team passed through their town, or to see a Turkish man touch his chest and to hear him say, this message touches the depths of my heart. Leaders of the movement emphasize that they are not literally trying to repent on the Crusaders behalf. No one can secure eternal forgiveness for the Crusaders, states one of the project leaders. Thats not the point. The Crusaders corporately represented the body of Christ while sowing enmity among Jews, Eastern Christians and Muslims; and today, only the body of Christ can act according to scriptural guidelines for reconciling that enmity. Scripture instructs us to make sure no root of bitterness is allowed to defile others; it commands us to live at peace with all men; and Jesus commanded us to go and seek reconciliation with anyone who has anything against us. Thanks to the Crusades, entire nations hold something not only against us, but against Jesus himself. This has to be addressed. The heart of the Reconciliation Walk is the statement carried by the walkers throughout the Middle East. Translated into local languages, it expresses the remorse and optimism of the Reconciliation Walkers: Nine hundred years ago, our forefathers carried the name of Jesus Christ in battle across the Middle East. Fueled by fear, greed and hatred, they betrayed the name of Christ by conducting themselves in a manner contrary to His wishes and character. The Crusaders lifted the banner of the Cross above your people. By this act they corrupted its true meaning of reconciliation, forgiveness and selfless love. On the anniversary of the first Crusade we also carry the name of Christ. We wish to retrace the footsteps of the Crusaders in apology for their deeds and in demonstration of the true meaning of the Cross. We deeply regret the atrocities committed in the name of Christ by our predecessors. We renounce greed, hatred and fear, and condemn all violence done in the name of Jesus Christ. Where they were motivated by hatred and prejudice, we offer love and brotherhood. Jesus the Messiah came to give life. Forgive us for allowing His name to be associated with death. Please accept again the true meaning of the Messiah's words: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor". The Reconciliation Walk began in April, 1996 with the launch of its 40 person "core team" in Cologne, Germany. This committed group of walkers, led by Britons John and Yvonne Pressdee, plans to cover every bit of the Crusaders' trail from Cologne to Jerusalem by foot. Already, they have traversed Europe and the Balkans, arriving at Istanbul in early October. While there, they were enthusiastically received by the mayors office, and hosted at a reception in one of the Ottoman Sultan's palaces. They were also able to present their message to Jewish, Orthodox Christian and Muslim leaders, all of whom responded with warm hearts and words. In April of 1997, the program opens to include the wider participation of individuals and teams from around the world. It is hoped that the Reconciliation Walk will approximate the voluntary enthusiasm displayed by the Christian warriors nine-hundred years ago. Only this time, the volunteers will be marching to undo the harm done then. From May through September of 1997, and again from April until June of 1998, all participants will follow the Crusader route in Turkey; praying, walking and distributing the message of reconciliation. During the Turkish phase, orientation leaders will meet participating teams in Istanbul, where all participants are required to begin their journey. Then, after two days of orientation and prayer in the city, they can travel segments of the Crusade route while delivering the printed message of apology. Teams can participate for as little as 10 days or for months at a time. After June, 1998 the focus will shift to Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Organizers do not expect all participants to actually walk between cities on their route. Most participants will prefer to bus between cities, confining their walking to the specific towns that they visit. It is hoped that even those with little walking experience will be able to join the project. Each team will be counseled in Istanbul regarding specific travel plans, lodging and transportation. On June 3 1998, if circumstances permit, a reconciliation event will be held at Antioch, close to the Syrian border in southern Turkey. That day will mark the 900th anniversary of the city's fall to the Crusaders after a gruesome nine-month siege. Antioch, the place that the disciples were first called Christians, is still a remarkable city. Orthodox, Catholic, Jewish and an array of Muslim communities share the city peacefully. (See Acts 11:26) Through the autumn of 1998 and spring of 1999, walkers will make their way to Jerusalem. Lighter participation is expected for routes that pass through Syria and Lebanon in late summer 1998. Beginning in late Spring 1999, current plans call for participants to make their way from Nimrod's Castle (a Crusader fortress on the Lebanon/Israel border,) to Jerusalem by way of Crusader sites in Israel and Palestine. The Reconciliation Walk is to conclude with a solemn commemoration in Jerusalem on the 15th of July 1999, the anniversary of the fall of the city and the ensuing massacre. By then, Reconciliation Walk organizers hope that the Turkish reporter's words will prove to be prophetic. The Apostle Paul writes that Christian warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against strongholds of thought that prevent a true knowledge of God. If so, then certainly the Reconciliation Walk's goal to exorcise demonic strongholds of fear, enmity and pride is a noble aim. May the Reconciliation Walk be a step towards cleansing the spiritual air of that demonic fog; that we may all see with fresh clarity and truth the one God and Creator that we profess. *William of Tyre, Historia Rerum

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