Practiced Peace and our Christian School

The exciting news of “peace on earth” heralded by the angels often feels like it didn’t take. Internationally, domestically, provincially, and even on the school playground, one doesn’t have to look for very long to find evidence that we don’t live in perfect peace.

Harmony and friction. We certainly experience both of them in the pulse of daily life here at our school, although  we are very grateful that moments of harmony, joy, and contentment far outnumber times of conflict. Conflict does not bring us joy, yet our Christian school knows that some of the most formative and direction-setting moments can often come from handling conflict well and the manner in which we work through conflict speaks much about  what matters most to those who participate in our school.

On a giant billboard I once read “Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”

So what characterizes conflict managed well, by peaceful means? Here are some ideas:

1.  There is always a best and worst time to deal with conflict. Generally, a period of pause and reflection before  sweating out the resolution of conflict together is best.
2.  Avoiding conflict comes at its own cost.
3.  The ultimate goal of conflict resolution is unity, not victory.
4.  The pathway towards resolution usually begins with small groups, not big ones.
5.  Resolving conflict may require vulnerability and humility, but should not require embarrassment or eroding the value of another person.
6.  True conflict resolution ends not with tolerance, but forgiveness.
7.  While God delights in unity which brings Him glory, his opponent delights in anything that can frustrate and hinder the process.

May God bless our efforts to respond to conflict with wisdom and faithfulness.

SJ