The Theologian's Table

Flickr The largest obstacle preventing us from reconciling conflict is the lack of involving God in healing the problem. We may pray that He will sort it out, but we ignore the wisdom He provides through Scripture and the wisdom He gives to people that can counsel us. We run from our problems because we fear they are too big for us even though God tells us not to be afraid and that His perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:8). We tear down our supposed opponents with words and violence and forget about cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. We forget that God solved the most important conflict of all, reconciling us back to him through the blood of Jesus. Managing conflict isn’t something to ignore, or even win. Scripture admonishes us to seek reconciliation. Jesus says in his Sermon on the Mount that even before we go worship God at the temple (church), if one close to us is angry with us then we should first “go and be reconciled,” (Matt 5.24 NIV). Also, the Apostle Paul wri...

Mary Ann Morgan  - "Worshiping hand on blue" - Flickr Disclaimer : They say honesty is the best policy, but it can sometimes lead to hurt feelings or offense. What I have to say in this post may hurt some. All I can do is apologize in advance and tell you that writing posts such as this helps me sort through my thoughts and clarify my positions. Of course, feedback is always welcomed. Generalizations           I'm not sure if the average Southerner is aware that there are certain stereotypes pitted against them when it comes to spirituality. It may not be the case for every Northerner to hold these views, but this one did. What I'm talking about of course is the stereotype that most Southerners who go to church are swinging off the chandeliers, speaking in tongues, falling over in the aisle types of worshipers. Or they are people who check their mind at the door, sing hymns and passively listen to a preacher shout fire and...