Conflict is a Mountain Stream
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
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Straight to the Cross
COLUMN: Fidelity
Conflict is a Mountain Stream
by Mike Benson
As long as there are people in the church, there
will be conflict.
As long as people sin -- and they do (cf. Eccl.
7:20; Rom. 3:23; Matt. 5:23-24; 18:15-17; Mark
11:15-17; 1 John 1:8), as long as two or more
brethren have more than one idea on how to carry
out a good work -- and they will (cf. Acts 15:36-
41), and as long as all communication in a
congregation is less than absolutely accurate and
perfectly timed -- and it is (cf. Acts 6:1; 15:2,
7), there will be conflict (cf. Matt. 20:24; Mark
9:34; Luke 9:46; 22:24). It "is a part of church
life that must be faced from time to time by every
normal congregation" (Edison, When Lines Are
Drawn, 18-19). "Disagreements are inevitable.
Expect them" (Russell, Making Things Happen, 69).
How do you respond to that reality? I appreciate
one author's insight into this issue:
"In 1986 I was hiking with three friends in the
Beartooth Mountains in southern Montana. It was
early in the summer, and the streams were still
swollen from melting snow. Ten miles into the
mountains, we came to a stream where the bridge
had been washed away. The water was deep and icy
cold. There was one place where we might have been
able to cross by leaping from rock to rock, but it
would have meant risking a fall into the rapids.
As we stood there trying to decide what to do,
three different perspectives surfaced. One person
saw the stream as a dangerous obstacle. Afraid
that one of us might fall in and be swept away, he
wanted to turn back and look for another trail.
Another friend saw the stream as a means to show
how tough he was. He wanted to wade straight
across, even if that meant we would be wet and
cold for a few hours. But the two of us saw the
stream as an interesting challenge. We studied the
rocks leading to the other side and determined
where we would need additional footing. Finding a
fallen tree in the woods, we laid it across the
largest gap between the rocks.
At this point, our two friends began to cooperate
with us. Working together, we managed to get one
person over to the other bank. Then two of us
stood on rocks in the middle of the stream and the
packs were passed to the other side. One by one,
we jumped from rock to rock, receiving support
from the person ahead. Before long, we were all on
the far bank and we were perfectly dry and
exhilarated by our accomplishment."
It's been my life-long observation that we tend to
view conflict in much the same way that these four
men looked at that mountain stream:
* For some, it is a hazard that threatens to sweep
us off our feet and leave us emotionally bruised
and bloodied (cf. Matt. 25:18). It must therefore
be avoided at all costs.
* For others, it is an obstacle that must be
"strong-armed" and "man-handled" with a firm,
heavy-handed, authoritative approach (cf. Matt.
20:25).
* For a few, it is an opportunity to solve common
problems in a way that honors Jesus Christ and
offers benefit to the church-body at large (Acts
6:5, 7; 15:6, 25).
Dear Christian, let me suggest that you engage in
a little self-introspection (1 Cor. 11:28). How do
you approach "the deep, icy-cold stream" in your
congregation?
Do you try to steer away from it? (That's "peace-
faking").
Do you try to aggressively conquer it? (That's
"peace-breaking").
Or do you try to build a bridge through and over
it? (That's "peace-making").
Give it some thought.
"Therefore let us pursue the things which make for
peace and the things by which one may edify
another" (Rom. 14:19). "Now the fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace by those who make
peace" (Jas. 3:18).
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