25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. (Ephesians 4:25-27)
Election season is both painful and comical. It is the time of year where well dressed men and woman are granted the rare opportunity to throw any wild accusations at their opponents, who are also well dressed and proper, in hopes that something sticks. If you want a glimpse into humanity deconstructed – or hell for that matter – then simply watch this political monster. While Paul urges us to “put away falsehood”, this is simply bad for business and self promotion. Like it or not, the world thrives on conflict. Sure, peace is nice, but it doesn’t sell.
Growing up, the term “conflict resolution” was an oxymoron. Resolution came by ignoring and waiting for emotions to simmer. Our inner politician quick to dodge and debate, using any trick possible to talk around the wounded elephant in the room. If we spent as much effort dealing with conflict as we did avoiding it, we could have brokered world peace. Yet, the foreign language of peace is difficult to pick up after years of programing and linguistic gymnastics.
Christ calls us to the difficult. There is no way around it. We cannot live the passionate redemptive life of Christ without walking through the various explosions and debris this world supplies in bulk. And this is not because of His sadistic nature but rather His desire for us to have life and to have it abundantly. In His grace, there is a certain dignity in disagreement. No matter how great, it can be used to bring broken souls to a deeper way of life. Intimacy is the reward of conflict. In Ephesians, God is giving us a timetable for peace. He could urge us to work it out at our earliest convenience, but recognizes our human value of putting things off. In conflict, we are all procrastinating college students.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)
Lord, help us to value resolution – to not settle for deferment of our conflict but to broker peace in the wounds of our hurt. Might we share in your character who holds no grudges and boldly loves regardless of worth. Come Holy Spirit and shape us into peacemakers.
Matt simon blog 