It is said that birth order goes a long ways in determining how a person interacts with others. As the 7th of eight children, growing up in a family with its fair share of conflict, my social and relational tendencies were affected in certain unmistakable ways. For example, my aversion to conflict is strong. I just want everyone to get along! As I have gotten older (and wiser?), I have learned that conflict is not only good but necessary. This understanding has also impacted how I approach diverse viewpoints, both within and outside of the body of Christ.
Over the years I have learned that the world is full of people who look at life differently than I do. I remember my first years as a missionary. I worked closely with people of all different backgrounds, experiences, viewpoints, and even religious perspectives. And yet our differences were never our focal point. The imprint on my life from this experience was clear: if human beings WANT to put aside their differences, they CAN. In other words, it is not only possible, but it's really not that difficult to come together.
Coming together in this way involves a number of important steps:
1. Acknowledge that I might NOT be right.
This is much harder to do than you might think, and much harder for some than others. We're all flawed and sinful, and none of us are right about everything. The problem is, some are so confident in their own thinking that they simply cannot see how anyone could come to a different conclusion.
However, if you cannot accept that you could possibly be wrong about any of your ideas, opinions, or presumptions, you will never be able to accept and learn from the viewpoints of others. On the other hand, if you can have confidence in your own views but still accept that you could be wrong, then you will be genuinely open to other perspectives, and you will be able to learn, adapt, and grow.
To be continued...
