Life, it seems at times, is about conflict. I have been reading through the book of Genesis lately and wondering just where, when and how the conflict that now engulfs and threatens the world, received its initial spark. My life certainly has not been immune from conflict. Some people seem to relish in it. Not me. I have never been one to seek it out. But you don’t have to with conflict, it will find you, whereever you may roam. Just asked Mel Gibson. He retreated to Costa Rica as well, but conflict found him hiding. You just can’t hide from it. But the truth about conflict is that there are two sides to every story. In the consuming fire of the multi-millennial Arab-Israeli conflict, that certainly is true. And it is also true in whatever conflict you might find yourself embroiled in at this very moment. It is remarkable how different those two versions of the “truth” always are, isn’t it? But you can rest assured, that both sides are fully convinced that their version is the “right” one. However, the mysterious thing about conflict is that it never dissipates by the “right” side overcoming the “wrong” because in the minds of both, they are “right.” But what is wrong is the conflict itself, especially its ensuing consequences, and in the course of proving their rightness, a whole lot of damage can be done…..to both sides. So what is the answer? Letting go of one’s “rightness” I believe. Embracing the idea that there are two sides to every story and becoming intimately familiar, even to the point of understanding, the other side. But we seldom do that, now do we? To do so takes a strong dose of something that few humans possess to any significant degree, especially in Western culture, and that is a thing called humility. Christ exemplified it well as he hung on the cross and declared to his Father in heaven, “forgive them [as in his "crucifiers"] for they know not what they do.” I honestly believe that every conflict that exists in this world, including my own world, could be resolved by both sides simply taking a deep breath, releasing their “rightness” and sincerely trying to understand where the other side is coming from. Stop judging. Stop thinking only of yourself, but instead put yourself in their shoes. Those shoes may feel very uncomfortable at first, but wear them for a while and something miraculous might happen. You may begin to see things from an different perspective. The lines that formerly demarcated “right” and “wrong” may become a little blurry. It may seem confusing at first, but gradually a light begins to shine, and suddenly you begin to see things from a sharper, keener and more viable “resolution.” Then and only then will the conflict that threatens the very existence of both sides, begin to melt away.

Tags: christ, conflict resolution, genesis, mel gibson

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