In Red Letters
I have been musing lately over the idea of dedicating the next few posts (or how ever many it will take) to "conflict in red letters", meaning...dissecting everything that Jesus had to say about conflict. The idea is not original. My pastors have been preaching a series entitled "In Red Letters" for several weeks now. They've talked about everything from "money in red letters" to "woman in red letters" but nothing on conflict...so I think I'll give it a go.
So starting in Matthew, chapter 5, verse 9.. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons [and daughters] of God" (NIV)
The word used for "peacemakers" is eirenopoios which translates to "reconciler" and "one who lives a life whose tenure and effect is peace and reconciliation and not aggression, hostility, antagonism or combativeness" (Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, 1996, lexical aids, p.1650)
There is a quirk of irony here. For most of my life I have been combative - always needing to be right, never wrong, always having to win the argument, never lose, always needing to save face, never allowing someone else the dignity of same, always valuing the rules and expectations of so called "right and wrong behavior" to the detriment of the relationship and seldom valuing the relationship or the person I share it with.
It is with humility that I sit and ponder with wonder at the changes in my heart that compel me to be a peacemaker and so, from the heart of this peacemaker to the heart of any other peacemaker who might be wondering what Jesus had to say about conflict, I hope you'll join me in an exploration of "Conflict in Red Letters"
So starting in Matthew, chapter 5, verse 9.. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons [and daughters] of God" (NIV)
The word used for "peacemakers" is eirenopoios which translates to "reconciler" and "one who lives a life whose tenure and effect is peace and reconciliation and not aggression, hostility, antagonism or combativeness" (Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, 1996, lexical aids, p.1650)
There is a quirk of irony here. For most of my life I have been combative - always needing to be right, never wrong, always having to win the argument, never lose, always needing to save face, never allowing someone else the dignity of same, always valuing the rules and expectations of so called "right and wrong behavior" to the detriment of the relationship and seldom valuing the relationship or the person I share it with.
It is with humility that I sit and ponder with wonder at the changes in my heart that compel me to be a peacemaker and so, from the heart of this peacemaker to the heart of any other peacemaker who might be wondering what Jesus had to say about conflict, I hope you'll join me in an exploration of "Conflict in Red Letters"
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