In today’s world, we are becoming increasingly aware of conflict in all forms, from a personal to a global arena.
Conflict and the need for peaceful resolve are becoming more important than ever before. It is appearing that the need for a positive spiritual harmony in the world is needed.
Friction in all forms is escalating and the ability of the human species to reach a mutual resolve all to often ends in imbalance.
With today’s media (such as television, newspapers, internet, etc.) we are becoming increasing aware of this imbalance. We may express our sadness, frustration, or passion, but are we able to convert our words to actions?
Even in our churches, where conflict is disguised as “difference in interpreting the scriptures”, congregations are becoming split and undergoing tremendous upset and challenge. So, what is the solution?
At the very base of conflict is the person, the human with freewill bestowed by God. All humans have been given this gift of choice in order to select a path which may lead to resolve or ruin. The conflict we see in the world today can be traced back to the incorrect choices made by the first created beings in Genesis, Adam and Eve.
For those not familiar with “the fall” of Genesis, Chapter 3, the account speaks of the relationship and communication between God and His first created beings. God created Adam and Eve in his own image. He gave them freewill so that they would be able to distinguish good from evil and right from wrong. He additionally instructed them to follow the rules he established by eating the abundant fruit from the “Tree of Life”, and to avoid eating from the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil”, as it would lead to death.
Gen3: 1-5 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” NIV
Initially, they obeyed, but they were tempted by the snake to eat from the forbidden fruit. Satan, thus convinced them that God did not want Adam and Eve to be like him, a god.
As soon as they ate the fruit, they became awakened to new understandings of themselves that they hadn’t previously.
When God addressed Adam, Adam realizing what he had done, blamed Eve as it was she who was first approached and deceived. However, this does not change the fact that Adam had the freewill to choose between accepting or rejecting the fruit that was being offered to him by his wife. His lack of accountability and failure to reject the fruit he was given shows that both Adam and Eve are at fault for choosing wrongly for their lives.
So, what does it all means for humans and how does it relate to one’s understanding of conflict resolution? Based upon thousands of years of ongoing conflict, humans have yet to learn from the mistakes made by the first created beings, and the importance of being both mindful and accountable for the choices we make. Assuredly, the world would be in a more peaceful balance if we had learned from this account of the original fall. Not only do humans still make incorrect choices for their lives, but they are quick to blame someone else for self-made mistakes.
Examples of such can occur more immediately in the home within families, amongst communities, places of worship, corporate work places, among youth, or between countries.
When conflict brings opportunity to see mutual resolve, all to often personal gain is one-sided and resolution is not reached. The cycle continues to repeat itself and is further aided with additional persons choosing to support either side with enabling and adding to the conflict. As further frustration is added to the situation, the parties consider litigation as the only “peaceable” means to resolution, but this only adds to financial challenge and loss, as well as broken relationships that could have otherwise been repaired had the parties sought to take responsibility for their role in the original problem.
From a scriptural and spiritual standpoint, we have witnessed this occuring in the congregation of a church where the church body severed on three separate occasions. When the root of the problem had been discovered it could be traced back to a personal conflict that occurred whereby the parties involved never took responsiblity and “hid” their sins until it had snowballed into a full congregational conflict.
When a conflict of this nature (or any for that matter) occurs, people may be quick to blame God or the other party, but they should first assess where they have failed. God, through Jesus Christ, instructed human beings to deal with conflict directly. An example is found in Matthew 18:15 in the New Testament, “If a brother or sister sins, go and point out the fault, just between the two of you.” (NIV) One must be careful not to take this scripture, however, for an excuse to point the finger at the other party without first acknowledging one’s part in the disagreement, or where the accuser has errored in his or her own life. Jesus states, “Do not judge, or you, too, will be judged…and Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:1-3, NIV). Matthew 18 continues by stating (paraphrased) that if the person you are in dispute with fails to listen, then bring 2 or more witness to confront them. If they still fail to listen, walk away without resolve.
Whilst the Bible extends a dual method of resolution, by first acknowledging:
- the importance of confronting those we are in conflict with.
- assessing our own personal weaknesses and role in the disagreement, and
- the need to find peaceable solutions to both resolve the original problem and heal the relationship.
- the importance of understanding that two parties still cannot find a solution, they may need to employ a third party (ies) in the form of a “mediator of sorts”. Then if the mediator can find no solution, it is best to leave the parties to their decisions as one must respect human’s free will choice.
Conflict resolution is vital if we are going to evolve as a people, a nation, and globally. Regardless of religious belief, we must acknowledge that the root of all problems begins with a person’s failure to take accountability and find peaceable solutions. The Dalai Lama is quoted as saying, “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
Disagreement in itself is not wrong, but a decision to perceive it only from one perspective can be.
If you would like to read and understand more about how scriptural teachings on peacekeeping can help you find resolve, read
Helping bring awareness of peaceable solutions.
One Soul Compass