Conflict is brewing at the Vatican. When the Pontifical Academy for Sciences took up the Climate Change cause in concert with U.N. leaders and political activists with a history of opposing Catholic teachings, battle lines were drawn, the flames of conflict were fueled, and Catholic unity was threatened. As a result, criticism greeted Pope Francis’ anticipated encyclical on the environment […]
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How to Resolve Conflict: Four Ways Our Perceptions Deceive Us
Perceptions are tricky things. Have you ever asked witnesses to a crime to describe the culprit? Very often, their descriptions of the suspect vary, sometimes drastically. Of course most crimes occur in the blink of an eye, when we least expect them. Nevertheless, the same problem usually plagues us in our daily lives as well. Two people rarely see exactly […]
How to Make Peace: Apology
“Apologies play an important role in conflict resolution. But too often we do not know how to craft an appropriate apology.” Watch the video to learn some basic tips on how to make an apology.
How to Resolve a Conflict Before It Spirals Out of Control: Stages of Escalation
Conflicts start small. Words are exchanged. Feelings are hurt. If handled quickly, such fights prove to be nothing but speed bumps in the road of life. If left to fester, they can quickly escalate into something monstrous. Lawsuits are filed. Blows are traded. Relationships are destroyed. Most would agree it’s best to resolve conflict as soon as possible. The quicker […]
The Silence of Franciscan Prayer
The only language appropriate to address God is silence.… Only in silence can we enter into the great mystery we call “God…” If you want to talk to God, Pseudo-Dionysius said, don’t say anything at all.* Sometimes we forget silence. We’re too busy asking, begging, demanding, fighting. Too busy to seek God in the stillness of quiet. Franciscan prayer teaches […]
Faith-Based Conflict Resolution Skills: How to Assess Your Needs
If we’re serious about resolving the conflict in our lives, we need to be able to articulate our own needs. Of course, most of us assume we know what those are. Only when we try to articulate them, things get a little fuzzy. It’s not so much that we don’t know our own interests as that we haven’t sat down […]
The Evil Before Christmas: A Franciscan Reflection on Advent
Guest post by Lindsay Stone Did you hear about the Christian children who were beheaded in Iraq? Four of them accepted martyrdom rather than renounce Jesus. The Vicar of Baghdad, Canon Andrew White, tells the story this way: “Islamic State turned up and said to the children, you say the words that you will follow Mohammed. The children, all […]
A Franciscan Peacemaker’s Guide to Spiritual and Mundane Needs
When we resolve conflict, we have to address the needs of all the parties involved. A resolution that doesn’t satisfy most or all of the disputants’ interests is a short-lived one. Unfortunately, most secular mediators recognize only material, or at least mundane needs. Money, possessions, power, respect–they are all important. They are not, however, the only needs to which humans […]
Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Other Tales From the Land of Death and Dehumanization
Guest post by Lindsay Stone Police Tie 62 Yr Old Florida Vacationer to Chair & Pepper Spray Him to Death That’s the headline that greeted me this evening as I logged onto Twitter, that along with a slew of other inspiring messages such as Cop Turns Off Dashcam to Beat & Tase 66 Yr Old with Dementia. Raindrops were falling […]
Saint Francis and the Beggar
Saint Francis was known for his generosity. Throughout the medieval world and down to the modern day he has had a reputation as a man who would give away the very clothes on his back and the very bread in his mouth at less than a moment’s notice. In the end he was willing to throw away his very life […]