When you happen upon disputes, contentions or strife, do you feel your adrenaline bubble? Does the altercation mobilization portion of your brain hit an all cylinders? Do you want to jump right into the fray?
Or, Dear Friend, do you excuse yourself to the restroom when people around you start to argue?
Do you fly for the remote when guests on news or talk shows raise their voices, point their fingers and shout over each other during a ‘debate’?
Does your stomach start to bob and weave in anticipation of the coming storm of tension, accusations and anger that occur so often in group meetings?
Can you see validity of both sides of a hotly contested debate as you stand wobbling in the middle with jelly-like feet that can’t take a stand in either direction?
Or, if you feel strongly about an issue, do all the well-thought-out arguments and stances formulated in your brain somehow, on the way to verbalization, become, ‘uh…uh…’
Right now, at the capital of the Prude’s state, a lot of conflict is occurring with no resolution in sight.
People come day after day to protest.
People are angry.
People are demanding their rights.
People are being interviewed by foreign journalists.
The Prude is very concerned that people are using trees as outdoor restrooms.
And, while she has opinions, she is hesitant to express them.
Cowardice, you may say?
Absolutely.
But her fear isn’t of what others think of her.
It is horror of Conflict.
She is against it.
Outside of religious convictions, it is one of the few things The Prude will take a firm stand on.
Down with conflict.
If 25,000 Prudes were at the state capital right now, you would see protest signs stating things like ‘That's just My Opinion' or 'What do YOU think?’
And everyone would leave before noon because they wouldn’t want to use the public restrooms.
Dear Friend, don't believe for one moment that The Prude wouldn't defend your person or your rights, even to the (hopefully non-gory) death. Just don't expect her to shout and point while doing so.
2 comments:
It depends. Often I find myself trying to present the un-presented side in an argument... or wake up the sleeping elephant.
Ultimately, I hate conflict (sometimes that isn't always obvious because at the same time I love trying to share a biblical position, too. ;-)) But more than hating conflict I love Ephesians 6:10-20.
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