The last few weeks have
been a bit schizophrenic for me. Oh, I don’t mean that in a clinical way – no
DSM IV (or is it V?) diagnosis, at least not yet. Rather, I have lived in the
world but not of the world in a radically disjointed way: I have participated
in the Lombard-Mennonite’s Conflict Reconciliation training while, like the
rest of us, enduring the abyss of this year’s political campaign. Talk about
living in two minds!
A bit of background is in order. Grand Canyon Presbytery, through their mission priority grant program, authorized training with the nationally recognized Lombard-Mennonite Peacemaking Center for a team of six. The training was the most intensive week of education any of us have ever experienced. What I learned and am learning is that peacemaking is not only Christian vocation (Matthew 5:9) but lifelong journey. And it is certainly work that must begin within the church.
Our trainer, Dr. Richard Blackburn, a Mennonite pastor, had us participate in an illuminating exercise at the beginning of the week. He asked us to line ourselves up along a continuum, with one wall representing “avoids conflict at all cost” and the opposite wall representing “gleefully seeks conflict.” I stood closer to the “avoids conflict” wall, along with a majority of the participants, where many of us were expressing the opinion that conflict creates anxiety for us. I was intrigued, therefore, to hear a participant standing near the “seeks conflict” wall. His reason for seeking conflict is that allowing unresolved issues to remain between himself and others creates anxiety for him. Amazing! Each of us had our own stories to tell.
Conflict was a commonly told story in the early church. From Jesus’ paradigmatic model for dealing with conflict in Matthew 18:15-22 to the healthy examples in Acts 6:1-7 and Acts 15:1-35, to the unhealthy example in Acts 15:36-41, the need for and possibilities of reconciliation abound. Have you ever wondered what conflicts inspired Paul to write 1 Corinthians 6:1-6 or if Jesus had a particular kind of conflict in mind when he taught the disciples Matthew 5:23-24? Do you recall the names Euodia and Syntyche of Philippi (Philippians 4:2-3)? Conflict and the call to journey toward reconciliation litter the pages of the New Testament.
My personal journey of faith is now calling me to communicate more directly, more forthrightly, to move further away from the “avoids conflict” wall. I am not sure I will ever get anywhere near the “seeks conflict” wall, but I resolve to have the conversations I need to have when I need to have them. I resolve to handle myself, as far as is possible, with integrity and compassion: using my best “active listening” skills, making “I-statements,” and inviting others into a true dialogue which shares a common heart even if we do not share the same idea.
A bit of background is in order. Grand Canyon Presbytery, through their mission priority grant program, authorized training with the nationally recognized Lombard-Mennonite Peacemaking Center for a team of six. The training was the most intensive week of education any of us have ever experienced. What I learned and am learning is that peacemaking is not only Christian vocation (Matthew 5:9) but lifelong journey. And it is certainly work that must begin within the church.
Our trainer, Dr. Richard Blackburn, a Mennonite pastor, had us participate in an illuminating exercise at the beginning of the week. He asked us to line ourselves up along a continuum, with one wall representing “avoids conflict at all cost” and the opposite wall representing “gleefully seeks conflict.” I stood closer to the “avoids conflict” wall, along with a majority of the participants, where many of us were expressing the opinion that conflict creates anxiety for us. I was intrigued, therefore, to hear a participant standing near the “seeks conflict” wall. His reason for seeking conflict is that allowing unresolved issues to remain between himself and others creates anxiety for him. Amazing! Each of us had our own stories to tell.
Conflict was a commonly told story in the early church. From Jesus’ paradigmatic model for dealing with conflict in Matthew 18:15-22 to the healthy examples in Acts 6:1-7 and Acts 15:1-35, to the unhealthy example in Acts 15:36-41, the need for and possibilities of reconciliation abound. Have you ever wondered what conflicts inspired Paul to write 1 Corinthians 6:1-6 or if Jesus had a particular kind of conflict in mind when he taught the disciples Matthew 5:23-24? Do you recall the names Euodia and Syntyche of Philippi (Philippians 4:2-3)? Conflict and the call to journey toward reconciliation litter the pages of the New Testament.
My personal journey of faith is now calling me to communicate more directly, more forthrightly, to move further away from the “avoids conflict” wall. I am not sure I will ever get anywhere near the “seeks conflict” wall, but I resolve to have the conversations I need to have when I need to have them. I resolve to handle myself, as far as is possible, with integrity and compassion: using my best “active listening” skills, making “I-statements,” and inviting others into a true dialogue which shares a common heart even if we do not share the same idea.
How about you? Is your
church the shining city set on a hill when it comes to conversing about today’s
difficult topics? In a season of political discontent, faithful conversation is
needed that reflects the best practices of the Way of Jesus. May each of our
congregations be that city set on a hill; others seeing in us the presence of
Christ in our midst.
Journeying forward
together,
Brad Munroe
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