by Peter Davison
Q: If Christians are supposed to be peacemakers, why is the church so conflicted?
A: You reflect a common assumption that all conflict is bad. This is part of our culture of convenience, which leads us to expect everything to be instant, easy, and hassle-free. Of course we know this same "culture of entitlement" leads to bad manners, "road rage," and other forms of violence. Still, we expect the church to be different, and our Sunday worship an oasis of peace and calm. Paradoxically, this is reinforced by a secular rationalist tradition, which assumes everything has a reasonable explanation and solution.
We all know, however, that you can't reason with a two-year-old (or even an adult!) throwing a tantrum! Many conflicts have irrational origins rooted in hurt feelings. Some family feuds and other vendettas go on for generations. Strangely, peace often has a chance only when we admit the intractability of the problem, our powerlessness to find an answer, but also our desire to care for one another. The Middle East crisis will be resolved only when people on all sides say "Enough! We must learn to respect our differences, not eliminate them." This is what happened in Northern Ireland, where people who had fought for generations tired of the hatred and the killings.
Another source of conflict lies in entrenched positions, and assumptions that these give us power OVER others. Or we may see ourselves as victims of other people's power, breeding resentment and desire for revenge. Either way, this becomes a game of winners and losers, in which, in the end, nobody wins and all lose.
It helps to remember that mainstream Christianity has always focused on Christian faith as mystery and paradox. In short, we NEVER have all the answers, and truth is never one-sided, but comes from holding together seemingly irreconcilable opposites in creative tension. Faith is not a system of neat answers, but rather "that, which enables us to face life's deepest questions." Church life is intrinsically messy, chaotic, and therefore potentially creative.
So what does this mean for church life? First, it requires "servant leadership." Leaders (both clergy and lay) exist, not to lay down the law and keep the faithful in line, but to empower people to face issues, and live creatively with difference. Secondly, faith communities benefit from "behavioural norms," which ensure that all are treated with dignity and respect. Thirdly, "salvation" (wholeness) is not achieved through our own limited vision, finite abilities, and inadequate efforts. We catch glimpses of the Kingdom of God when the Spirit blows through us and among us, enabling the "many different gifts" of God's people to emerge and play their part. This cannot happen when we are preoccupied with maintenance, rulebooks, and the status quo. We are called to take "the risk of faith," with all its potential for failure, but also with the promise and hope that God will make all things new. The issue in the end is not that we have conflict, but whether our conflict is destructive or creative. This might be a good subject to explore together through Lent and Easter.
