A mediator is not a bon vivant welcoming disputants to a gala. Rather, a good mediator possesses a quiet inner joy. As a peacemaker, he seeks an inner peace attained not only through training and experience but received as a gift of divine grace.
The Satisfaction of an Apology
March 26, 2012 by | Leave a Comment
When we face a need or a desire to apologize it pays to determine how we might best meet the other party’s needs. What needs of theirs might we want to satisfy with our apology?
The Conflict Narrative: Listening to Story
March 22, 2012 by | Leave a Comment
Most of all we want to talk about the villains, the antagonists, who trample our dreams and engineer our suffering.
The Spiritual Conversation
March 21, 2012 by | Leave a Comment
However, most of us have given little serious thought to our spiritual journey. It is possible we have never engaged in a spiritual conversation; we may have never had the opportunity to share our deepest concerns with others.
Easy Answers?
December 14, 2011 by | Leave a Comment
A recent blog post by Heather King, reprinted on Father Robert Barron’s Word on Fire blog, raises key questions we face during conflict. She focuses on the tension between our desire for spiritual fulfillment and the challenging pilgrimage our faith entails.
The Wolf and Canon Law
October 21, 2011 by | Leave a Comment
In mediation the spirit of the law does not remain an abstract philosophical factor but rather is brought to life by the workings of the Holy Spirit.
Justice for Priests
June 21, 2011 by | 4 Comments
A noisy conflict between Father John Corapi and his Diocese and Religious Order has focused a spotlight on challenges facing the Catholic Church in the wake of the abuse scandals. The conflict highlights a need for improved methods of dispensing justice.
Earning Disrespect
June 13, 2011 by | Leave a Comment
This past week an editorial by Peter Funt of Candid Camera fame in the Wall Street Journal considered our cultural fascination (obsession?) with respect, especially our hair-trigger eagerness to claim we’ve been disrespected and thus injured.
Find the Spring
April 9, 2011 by |
St. Augustine offered wise advice that can help sum up my last few blog posts in which I considered problems arising from deception.
The Spiritual Conversation
December 3, 2010 by |
In Taming the Wolf mediation begins when the mediator asks “what happened?” It begins when parties “tell their story.”
