"Pain that is not transformed is transferred. This is what we see all over the world."

Season 2, Episode 9 of Messy Jesus Business, hosted by Sister Julia Walsh

IN THIS EPISODE:

In Season 2, Episode 9, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Sister Mumbi Kigutha about her process of discernment, how her community ensured she felt welcome, and how she knew at last she was home. They discuss the messiness of reconciliation, and what exactly restorative justice requires of us.   

"Defining reconciliation for me is pretty simple, it's restoring right relationships," Sister Mumbi explains. But true reconciliation requires four pillars: peace, mercy, justice and truth.

"So many of us rush to the peace and mercy part. And so a lot of peace building, peacekeeping, does not result in true peace," She says. "Reconciliation seeks to take it to the next stage."

Sisters Julia and Mumbi talk about the healing power of the truth, and the importance of understanding the why behind what happens.

"The why is what helps us to see ourselves in the perpetrator's shoes, that but for the grace of God that could be me," Sister Mumbi explains. "It gives a chance for the victim and perpetrator to see each other as human beings, and how, at different times in our life, we cross those lines."

This makes reconciliation work painstaking, but vital for restorative justice. "Pain that is not transformed is transferred. This is what we see all over the world," Sister Mumbi explains.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Sister Mumbi Kigutha was born and raised in Kenya and is a member of the Sisters of the Precious Blood of Ohio. She has worked with diverse vulnerable populations including stints with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

Sister Mumbi currently resides on the southside of Chicago working as a part-time International Consultant for Jesuit Refugee Services under the Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Department. She graduated from Catholic Theological Union with a Master of Arts in Justice Ministry and a Certificate in Pastoral Ministry in addition to holding a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing. Her theological interests center around Womanist and Africana interpretations and understanding of God and contextual realities.

CONTEMPLATIVE MOMENT:

Our Contemplative Moment in this episode of Messy Jesus Business is adapted from a prayer for forgiveness and reconciliation from the Thomas More Center for Preaching and Prayer.

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is produced, hosted and edited by Sister Julia Walsh with production assistance from Charish Badzinski.

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