Faces on Faith: Let’s resolve that conflict
CONFLICT: According to dictionary.com, conflict arises anytime there is a collision or disagreement, opposition or clash. It could revolve around a fight, a battle, or struggle that often begins with controversy or strife.
As we look around our world today, conflict jumps out at us from all corners, from seemingly simple things like annoyance and distraction that recently we’ve seen even on our own island, to major disturbances that can end up leading to the violence and war that we’ve seen in Ukraine, Africa and the Middle East.
So what can we do about this? How do we approach a situation that sometimes seems so large, it’s beyond our ability to deal with it? Whether big or small, the way I’ve found that always contributes to a resolution is through prayer.
It doesn’t take much imagination to see that there seems to be no end to human social conflict — from workplace tension, to bullying in schools, to sibling rivalry, and discordant marriages. Some conflict resolution counselors even contend that some disagreements are good because they ultimately encourage individual accommodation and teach people how to disagree, that they actually encourage peacemaking.
When thinking about conflicted situations, I always like to ask myself, “What would Jesus do?” How would he have thought or spoken in similar situations. The Holy Bible gives us lots of examples to learn from. What about the time when Jesus’ friend Martha was serving, while her sister Mary was just sitting at his feet listening to his teaching and not helping out at all. Jesus softly rebuked Martha by saying that the lessons Mary was learning were far more important than serving lunch. (Luke 10:38-42)
One of Jesus’ most important lessons was to learn that the source of all devilish thoughts was a “liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44) It’s the un-Godlike thinking that sets individuals against each other, when we too easily forget that God made us all in the image and likeness of himself, perfect and very good. (Gen. 1:27,31)
When we remember that we are all God’s children with one father, healing can happen in even the most prolonged struggles. My prayer to resolve conflict of any kind whether nearby or far away always includes what Christian Scientists call the “Daily Prayer” from the Christian Science Church Manual. (pg. 41)
“Thy kingdom come, let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!”
Let’s not forget to do our part in resolving conflict, and embrace both the world and our neighbors with love for all!
Mary L. Miller is affiliated with the Sanibel Christian Science Church.