Peacemaker Honor

Missionary & Community Activities

Requirements

1. Identify four causes of conflict described in the Bible. Read the following passages as a starting point.
   • Galatians 2:11-14
   • 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
   • Genesis 13:1-12
   • James 4:1-3

   Answer: 1) Galatians 2:11-14 — Hypocrisy and fear of others' opinions: Peter ate with the Gentiles, but withdrew from them out of fear of the Jews who arrived, and Paul rebuked him publicly. The cause of the conflict here is hypocrisy and inconsistency motivated by the fear of pleasing a group. 2) 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 — Lack of unity and unequal valuing of the members: Paul compares the church to a body, in which each member has its function. Conflict arises when there is division, envy, and contempt of some for others ("I have no need of thee"), that is, the lack of recognition of the interdependence and value of each person. 3) Genesis 13:1-12 — Dispute over material resources: the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot quarreled because the land could not support both their flocks. The cause of the conflict is greed/competition for goods and space (limited resources). 4) James 4:1-3 — Uncontrolled inner desires and greed: "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts?" Conflict is born of passions, ambitions, and selfish desires that war within the person and overflow into relationships. — James 4:1-3 goes to the root: 'from whence come wars? come they not hence, even of your lusts?' — the author shows that external conflicts reflect internal battles; a fundamental principle of Christian peace that precedes any contemporary Christian mediation technique.

2. Explain the following ways of approaching a disagreement and discuss them with your counselor or unit using biblical examples and your own experiences.
   • Denial
   • Attack
   • Conciliation

   Answer: Ways of approaching a disagreement/conflict: 1) Denial (avoidance) - ignoring the problem, pretending it does not exist, in the hope that it will resolve itself; usually the conflict only gets worse (e.g., Adam hiding from God after sin, Gen 3:8-10). 2) Attack (aggression) - reacting with verbal or physical violence, trying to defeat the other by force; it destroys relationships (e.g., Cain, dominated by anger, killing Abel, Gen 4:5-8). 3) Reconciliation (peacemaking) - dialoguing with humility, listening to the other side, yielding where possible, and seeking a just and peaceful agreement; this is the recommended Christian attitude (e.g., Abraham, to avoid strife, offering Lot the choice of the land, Gen 13:8-9; and Mt 5:9, 'Blessed are the peacemakers'). — Romans 12:18 teaches the Christian principle: 'if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men' — the biblical basis for reconciliation as the preferred path; psychologists call this approach the 'cooperative style' in the TKI (Thomas-Kilmann) model used in modern professional mediation training.

3. Dramatize a conflict situation that happened to you and analyze your behavior in the disagreement and what reconciliation options were possible.

   Answer: Choose a recent real conflict (e.g., an argument with a sibling about using the bedroom). Dramatize it with a colleague: scene, lines, your attitude. Analyze: did you use denial, attack, or reconciliation? List 3 peaceful options: listening to the other side, proposing an agreement, apologizing if you were wrong. — The role-play (dramatization) exercise is a standard technique in cognitive behavioral therapy — it allows emotional distance from the real conflict, facilitating critical analysis and the rehearsal of more appropriate responses; used in Marshall Rosenberg's 'Nonviolent Communication' method.