The End of Conflict

Last night some friends and I discussed part of a book called "Life Together." A German pastor named Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about church life, during the Nazi persecution of the Lutheran church in Germany during WWII.  Brother Dietrich realized that if the church didn't follow Biblical commands and principles on how to treat one another, the pressure of living as an underground group would tear them apart. His book is a marvelous description of what it really takes to live as the Body of Christ, in good times and in bad.

Last night we talked and prayed about gossip and its terrible effects on a group. That broadened into a discussion on how we can devalue someone else by turning up our noses at the way they look, talk, act, or by some other external evaluation. We realized we had all been hurt, or hurt someone else, by treating them as less-than, and stopped and prayed about that some more.

This morning my journaling of Mark's gospel took me to Mark 1:7, where John the Baptizer says “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals." Now, it seems to my simple mind that if we thought of everyone else around us like John thought of Jesus, our problems would be solved. That isn't a normal way of thinking. But it can become our method of thinking if we humbly submit ourselves to the loving Spirit of God, who himself is the spirit of connection and fellowship -- or "community" if you like.

That would have to include asking and allowing the Spirit stop our mouths, and interrupt the thoughts that cause our words, so that we can re-orient our thinking to positive and loving thoughts of the other person. If we could only learn to "Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves" as Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3, we would stop gossiping and tearing others down in our minds. We would also focus, first of all, on the worth of everyone as the beloved children of our -- and their -- loving Father, and therefore fully worthy of our best treatment.

I don't always think of my wife as "better than me" but I should, and I would speak more words of love to her if I did. I don't immediately think of people I meet in public in this way -- but I should, and if I did, I would treat them better.  And how about you?

Conflict of all kinds between persons of any kind would be only a distant memory if we were to think of others like John thought of Jesus. Not just controlling our speech, but letting the Spirit lead our thoughts, will bring us to this place of harmony and peace. If we are willing. Are you? That's my prayer.