Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 7658 Plough Quarterly • Summer 2015 hearts, and the wall that had stood between us came tumbling down. When we avoid conflict or abandon those who become a source of pain, we miss out on becoming the kind of community that can help us change. By selectively distancing ourselves from others, by always keeping our relational options open and fluid, we perpetuate the lie that conflict is an evil to be avoided. But by embracing conflict we learn that the brokenness that exists in others most assuredly also resides in us, and that Christ can heal the pain we all share. Of course, conflict by itself is not automatically redemptive. There must be some common understanding and mutual commitment. Conflict is like fire: it can purify us, or it can destroy us. The outcome depends on how seriously we take Jesus’ words: “First go and be reconciled to your brother or sister; then come and offer your gift on the altar.” “If your brother sins against you, go and point out his fault, just between the two of you.” We are called to a way that transcends the typical responses of fight or flight. Christ’s way is the hard way of mutual correction, of going directly to each other in humility and love, of turning to others for help. Our deepest craving is to love and be loved – yet it’s one we attain not by a deci- sion of the will, but rather through allowing Christ to lift the obstacles separating us from our neighbor. When we choose the way of the cross, where Christ’s body is broken, and place it above our hurt feelings, inadequa- cies, and stubborn egos, then conflict can purge out the concealed offal in our lives. We can experience the Wounded Healer himself, the one who meets us in the pain and fears of our brother and sister.  Insights on Peacemaking Pe ac e Pi l g ri m No one walks so safely as one who walks humbly and harmlessly with great love and great faith. For such a person gets through to the good in others (and there is good in every- one), and therefore cannot be harmed. This works between individuals, it works between groups, and it would work between nations if nations had the courage to try it. For twenty-eight years, Mildred Lisette Norman Ryder (1908–1981), known as “Peace Pilgrim,” crisscrossed America on foot to share her simple message: “Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.” She had one set of clothing, carried no money, and only ate when food was offered. After 25,000 miles she stopped counting and kept walking. A l b e rt S c h w e i t z e r We live in a time when the good faith of peoples is doubted more than ever before. Expressions throwing doubt on the trust­ worthiness of each other are bandied back and forth. . . . We cannot continue in this paralyzing mistrust. If we want to work our way out of the desperate situation in which we find ourselves, another spirit must enter into the people. . . . We must approach them in the spirit that we are human beings, all of us, and that we feel our- selves fitted to feel with each other; to think and will together in the same way. By age thirty Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) was already an acclaimed organist, pastor, and scholar. But the lack of medical care in Africa convinced him to devote the rest of his life to serving the people there as a physician. In 1913 he and his wife Hélène opened a hospital in present-day Gabon, where he worked until his death at age ninety. Schweitzer was awarded the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize. Sources: Peace Pilgrim, Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words (Ocean Tree Books, 1982), 31. Albert ­ Schweitzer, Peace or Atomic War? (Henry Holt, 1958), 44.