Truthing in love : engaging conflict with the disarming love of God
Author
Heidi Sue De Jonge
Abstract
We advise and encourage each other with the language of war: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” We use the battle imagery of Scripture with our brothers and sisters in Christ. “Fight the good fight of faith,” we might say, echoing Paul’s words to Timothy in his first letter (1 Tim. 6:12). “Put on the full armour of God, so that you may take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Eph. 6:10) may serve as a good pep talk for your bullied child on her way out the door for school. And when we are particularly exhausted, we may take for ourselves Moses’ words to the Israelites before the Egyptians reached them: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Ex. 14:14).