Two Pastors Reconcile After 20 Years Apart
The founder of Centro Cristiano Internacional knelt before Carlos Marín in front of his congregation and pastors from several countries.
Pastor René Peñalba asked Carlos Marín, of the Amor Viviente church, for forgiveness on his knees. Diario La Prensa of Honduras reported that the two pastors have reconciled after more than 20 years of distance.
The scene: on his knees before his friend
It happened last night, in front of his congregation and dozens of pastors from several countries. Peñalba, founder of the Centro Cristiano Internacional (CCI), bowed down before Marín and said before kneeling: "You're not going to like this, but God told me to do it."
The two had been good friends. Marín, now president of the Board of Directors of Amor Viviente, took a few moments to respond: seeing the other man on the floor caught him by surprise. It was a gesture that mixed humility and affection.
«The forgiveness that is preached is proven when it is practiced.»
Peñalba doesn't lead just one congregation. The CCI he founded brings together more than 500 churches in 31 countries on four continents and works as a missionary platform.
The second mile is walked, not just preached
Sergio Moya, presbyter of the CCI churches in Chile, said the two pastors decided to obey the Scriptures. Talking about the Bible is one thing, he added, and practicing it is another; forgiving requires humbling yourself and asking for forgiveness. He mentioned the second mile, the one Jesus set as the measure of a love that doesn't stop at the bare minimum: "and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles" (Matthew 5:41, ESV).
In Jesus' day, a soldier could force a civilian to carry his gear for one mile. The second mile was no longer an obligation: it was a decision.
Víctor Amador, a Honduran who pastors a CCI church in New York, said he couldn't hold back tears when he saw the two congregations united. He was a member of Amor Viviente when the split happened, so he watched the reunion from both sides of the story.
From Brazil, Washington Paes De Souza, who leads a CCI church, said he is amazed at what God does and the way he does it. The voices came from three countries: Chile, Brazil and the United States.
An open door for the next visit
Marín invited CCI members to come when Peñalba returns to preach at Amor Viviente. The date of that visit has not yet been announced. The distance of more than two decades isn't erased, but a door that had been closed for a long time now stands open.
Scripture doesn't treat forgiveness as a feeling that just shows up on its own. It treats it as a decision to be obeyed, and it warns that whoever doesn't forgive is left with their own unpaid debt (see Matthew 6:14-15).
For a generation that resolves its conflicts by blocking or unfollowing, this scene is uncomfortable. It also shows something simple: the forgiveness that is preached is proven when it is practiced.
There's still a step left to take: a call, a message, an apology you've been putting off for months. Who do you owe that first step to?
