Fights, Quarrels and Conflict

A danger with the passage that we looked at on Sunday (“what causes fights and quarrels among you?”) is to think that all conflict is wrong. That James is saying that we should never disagree with each other.


That's not what James is saying at all. Indeed, conflict is inevitable when a diverse group of people come together in an intentional community like the church. At issue, instead, is how we handle that conflict, those disagreements.

If we let it tear us apart or tear us down, if we let it escalate quickly to the point where we're bickering and quarreling and choosing sides, if we let the disagreement quickly degrade to a point where we can't stand each other or talk to each other any more, then we're handling conflict the same way the world handles conflict. It's destructive and ugly and sinful.

If instead, however, we find a way to talk through our disagreements, if we are able to pray together about our passions, if we are able to see one another as children of God even in the midst of our different convictions, then we have begun to bring life into an otherwise dark world. Then we have begun to build the Kingdom of God through an undying, unconditional love for one another. Then we have been an example to all of another way, a higher way, a way of following Jesus.

Humility is beginning to play a large role in the book of James, and this week is no different. Approaching our differences with humility, with an awareness that we might not always be right, is a huge step in moving in the right direction. It's also a big step in being able to bring our differences before God and seek out God's will in them.

And hopefully, we'll find the disagreements become few and far between as we seek out God's purposes and God's will—and place God's will before our own.
Peace,

Pastor Jay

Interesting development of the week: We have reason to believe that the flying monkey, Bobo, who makes a yearly appearance at Vacation Bible School, has been abducted and is being held against his will by a Boston Square member. He has always abided peacefully and quite happily in the drawer in my office until suddenly he disappeared after VBS this past summer. We feared the worst until just last week we received a clearly coerced e-mail proclaiming his supposed happiness and world travels. If anyone has any information about the whereabouts of Bobo the flying monkey, please share them before it's too late!