Living Wittily

Is peacemaking creative intervention or unwelcome intereference

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Speaking with a good friend yesterday about one of those situations common in the life of any community, organisation, or church. The new minister does things differently. My friend's dad is a long-standing member, previous officebearer, but doesn't like the changes. And as well, in the first year of ministry the minister has only spoken to him once, and hasn't visited. You can see both sides – probably nothing deliberate, or intentionally hurtful on the part of the minister, but on the part of the elderly member an understandbale sense of rejection, a lost sense of significance and belonging.

My friend who is as fair minded and courteous and responsible a person as I know, with a good sense of humour and a high ethic of loyalty, feels torn both ways – the minister is doing a good job in a hard place all things considered, but dad isn't happy, and has started going elsewhere most Sundays. With some justification he feels he's now like many of his age, unnoticed and surplus to requirements nowadays. How to sort this before dad leaves. How to alert the minister to something they really should have noticed and recognised for themselves – it isn't that big a congregation.

So my friend says she wants it sorted – "but it isn't my place to tell the minister there's a problem." She's not being deliberately difficult or unhelpful – she genuinely feels interference would be wrong.

Which raised for me the following questions we went on to discuss

  • If not her place to intervene, then whose place?
  • When is it "our place" to become involved in a relationship breaking down and try to sort it?
  • Is peacemaking ever possible without some third party being willing to risk the initiative, and isn't that each Christian's "place"?
  • And if efforts at peace-making, seeking to be a bridge of reconciliation, is seen as unwelcome interference, isn't that the risk worth taking?
  • Scaled up to the level of community and nation, isn't such a breakdown in communication and the resulting looming breach of relationship, something that calls out for third party risk taking?

So two further questions

  • Is peacemaking creative intervention or unwelcome interference?
  • Are there times when even if it is seen as unwelcome interference, conciliation is a Christian imperative that can't always be risk managed?

Comments

2 responses to “Is peacemaking creative intervention or unwelcome intereference”

  1. ASBO Gardener avatar
    ASBO Gardener

    What a timely entry on your blog Jim, since I just picked-up from my bookshelf and started to read today Myron S. Augsburger “The Robe of God: Reconciliation, the Believers Church Essential (Pennsylvania:Herald Press, 2000). So far it is really challenging and thought provoking(occasionally qouting from someone you truly admire James Denney. Here are a couple of quotes that challenged me, they are shared with the intension to encourage and challenge those who read you blog.
    “Reconciliation is a continuing dynamic of divine grace, transforming people and social structures by creating a new community of the reconciled.”
    “Forgiveness is always a dynamic of reconciliation… It is the extension of grace that costs the giver but is free to the recipient.”
    “During a public meeting in South Africa, a young man challenged Samuel Hines, the outstanding pastor of Third Street Church of God in Washington, D.C., about his emphasis on love and nonviolence as the best way to change society. THe youth stood up in the audience and shouted, “Your position is too soft!” Vicky Hines reports that her husband responded to the young man in a straightforward manner, meeting him on his own terms rather than being judgemental: “As a revolutionary you say, ‘There is a problem, and I am going out to solve it, and if you get in my way, I’ll kill you.’ Is my interpretation of your position correct?” “Yes,” the youth responded. “I too am a revolutionary,” said Hines, “but one who is a reconciler. I say, ‘There is a problem, and I am going to solve it if you get in my way, I’ll lay down my life for you!’Now which one is soft?” This nondefensive response met the young man where he was and gave him an alternative to ponder.”
    I just wonder what would happen if we who profess to be Christian would allow/permit/submit fully to God and allow God to be Himself in our us, what effect would it have in this world?

    Reply
  2. ASBO Gardener avatar
    ASBO Gardener

    What a timely entry on your blog Jim, since I just picked-up from my bookshelf and started to read today Myron S. Augsburger “The Robe of God: Reconciliation, the Believers Church Essential (Pennsylvania:Herald Press, 2000). So far it is really challenging and thought provoking(occasionally qouting from someone you truly admire James Denney. Here are a couple of quotes that challenged me, they are shared with the intension to encourage and challenge those who read you blog.
    “Reconciliation is a continuing dynamic of divine grace, transforming people and social structures by creating a new community of the reconciled.”
    “Forgiveness is always a dynamic of reconciliation… It is the extension of grace that costs the giver but is free to the recipient.”
    “During a public meeting in South Africa, a young man challenged Samuel Hines, the outstanding pastor of Third Street Church of God in Washington, D.C., about his emphasis on love and nonviolence as the best way to change society. THe youth stood up in the audience and shouted, “Your position is too soft!” Vicky Hines reports that her husband responded to the young man in a straightforward manner, meeting him on his own terms rather than being judgemental: “As a revolutionary you say, ‘There is a problem, and I am going out to solve it, and if you get in my way, I’ll kill you.’ Is my interpretation of your position correct?” “Yes,” the youth responded. “I too am a revolutionary,” said Hines, “but one who is a reconciler. I say, ‘There is a problem, and I am going to solve it if you get in my way, I’ll lay down my life for you!’Now which one is soft?” This nondefensive response met the young man where he was and gave him an alternative to ponder.”
    I just wonder what would happen if we who profess to be Christian would allow/permit/submit fully to God and allow God to be Himself in our us, what effect would it have in this world?

    Reply

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