Jiminy Cricket woos us:

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

Yeah, right. I know better, but I confess to acting this way. I love to wish away conflict.

As a pastor I have season tickets to a ringside seat to conflict. Sometimes, I’m actually in the ring. And try as I might, wishing conflict away just does not produce satisfying results.

So, I have been urged over the years to pick up a copy of The Peacemaking Pastor by Alfred Poirier. A year ago, I did. Starting now to read it, I’ve been given a glimpse of what pastoral ministry could be but often isn’t. This has humbled and shamed me, which is good, because through that I’m able to look up to a better way.

If you have any leadership role in any society of Christians, pick it up and read chapter 9. Then let me know what you think. I promise – he packs a punch, but he punches gently and with grace.

Here is a sample of Poirer’s reflections from that chapter. He notes that pastors and elders are quick to rush to the hospital and to hold the hands of those suffering from physical illness, but they are quick to run from or ignore conflict.

“There is a great disconnect here. How is it that on the one hand we who specialize in comforting the suffering at the same time flee from assisting the conflicted? Why does physical suffering demand our attention and pull on our heartstrings when the soul-crippling disease of sinful conflict does not? Why are we fleet of foot to alleviate physical suffering yet guilty of foot-dragging in our efforts to alleviate conflict? I do not have answers to these questions. They haunt me. They shame me.” (pages 194-195)

Yeah. Me, too.

Poirer excellently links conflict resolution inextricably to the knowledge of the Gospel, drawing this convincingly from the example of Paul in his letters. I (we?) flee from or ignore conflict quite possibly because we have yet to understand or believe in the power of the gospel.

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