Conflict seems to be a given in life. I’ve been reading a friends blog and some folks have decided to take it over with an outpouring of anger and spite. Of course these folks post under the wonderful name anonymous. I’m all for open, honest discussion, which at times can get emotional but these folks have gone beyond that.

I suppose conflict is caused by two or more people being in close proximity but surely we can do better then this. The world has enough conflict, what it needs is a place of reconciliation. The church is supposed to be that place but I’m afraid we’ve fallen short of our calling. The Old Testament prophecies spoke of a time of peace and prosperity when the lion would lie down with the lamb. As I understand it these prophecies should be brought to fruition in the Kingdom of God and modeled in his church. My experience in the church, which is substantial by any measurement is that church folks are just as likely to be in conflict as non church folks if not more so. So much for the prophecies.

If the church took it upon itself to be the center of healing, reconciliation and peace on this earth what would happen? Instead of a United Nations what if the church took on the role of peacemakers. Maybe this world needs peacemakers more then it needs peacekeepers. It seems peacekeepers tend to use the weapons of the world, guns, power might and peacekeepers are left with the weapons of God, prayer, self-sacrifice, humility, weakness and love.

While conflict will always mark a fallen world for what it is, in rebellion against God, there should be a place where reconciliation and forgiveness are the norm rather then anger, spite and seperation.