Serving as a critical friend to men of violence

Abstract

This essay describes the author’s work with former paramilitaries in Northern Ireland. Mason has spent twenty-six years of his ministry in the inner city of Belfast, never more than 200 meters from the walls dividing Protestant and Catholic communities. Since the signing of the Good Friday accords, he has worked extensively with members of the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Red Hand Commando. Through vignettes, Mason describes the nature of this work and its practices of storytelling and relationship-building. He also draws on Christian scripture and theology to explain the convictions that shape his calling to serve as a critical friend to these men of violence. The essay examines the meaning of neighbor and the hard work on forgiveness in the context of transitional justice.