Reaching Out (Week of January 28)
On the Road
Diplomacy is an important element in forming and maintaining relationships, especially during times of conflict. At some point in our lives, we all have encountered people who express their dissatisfactions with us. That dissatisfaction can range from silly disagreements to serious disputes. Oftentimes the conflicts escalate because of a breakdown in communication. This is when diplomacy is crucial in working towards reconciliation. An essential part of diplomacy, and thereby reconciliation, is the skill of listening. Practicing active listening is a positive way of responding to the stories and emotions people sometimes need to express. Listening is active when we can understand, remember, and respond to what another communicates. In other words, we exercise the ability to appreciate with empathy what another expresses to us. We reach out to meet the other where he or she is at in life. Our openness to the needs of others, even when they are anger with us, is a crucial step in the healing process.
Encounter
"So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another." Ephesians 4:25 "Listen and attend with the ear of your heart." Saint Benedict of Nursia
Go Forth
How do you handle resentment or hurt in your own life? What is the most successful way in which you resolve conflict?