We continue our reflection on God’s call to us through the ELCA’s “60-Day Journey Toward Justice in a Culture of Gun Violence.”
DAY 35: Resolving or De-escalating Conflict
Many approaches to resolving or de-escalating conflict share common steps and advice. Yet every situation and the people involved in it are different. There is no one perfect formula for resolving conflict, but as people of faith centered in the gospel, we trust that the Holy Spirit helps us pursue mutual respect and care, reconciliation, forgiveness, peace, and healing.
- Resolving conflict often depends on our ability to:
- manage stress quickly while remaining alert and calm. By staying calm, you can accurately read and interpret verbal and nonverbal communication.
- control our emotions and behavior. When you’re in control of your emotions, you can communicate your needs without threatening, intimidating, or punishing others.
- pay attention to the feelings being expressed as well as the spoken words of others.
- be aware of and respect differences. By avoiding disrespectful or aggressive words and actions, you can almost always resolve a problem more quickly.
- remain concerned for the well-being of everyone involved and strive for resolution and reconciliation even though it may be time-consuming and difficult to envision.