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Leaders need to move towards conflict, not away from it. This provides opportunities to reach resolution before the matter gets out of control. A small brush fire can be extinguished by stomping it with one’s foot or using a garden hose, but if it is allowed to expand into the forest it may become unmanageable.

I believe that restorative justice holds promise in that it helps us think about harm from a wholistic perspective. Along with that promise comes the challenge of knowing how to implement restorative practices in systems that have become entrenched in a vision of justice that is more about rules and laws than about relationships and needs.

Two United Methodists planted the seed for a peace initiative in the European nation of Macedonia that continues to grow to this day.

As a Jesuit, I have another strong anchor drawing me toward respect for persons, even those most opposed to me and all I hold for true, and recognition of their dignity.

St. Francis in the Foothills, a United Methodist Church in Tucson, AZ, is one of many faith communities around the world responding to the Charter of Compassion – a call to bring the world together, to bring the Golden Rule a top priority.

For me, “conflict resolution” is not about resolving anything. It is about maturity, not resolution; growth, not comfort; deepening the soul, not simply easing the spirit.

Scriptural principles in the New Testament have much to say not only about the value of settling disputes outside of court, but also about the spiritual ramifications that are inherent in how we respond to wrongs.

Internal conflict rattled Christianity during its early years of rapid expansion. Three pioneer leaders — Paul, Peter, and Barnabas–lived at the center of that conflict (ACTS 15). What can we learn from those disagreements?

When the phone rings in my office and the caller is asking for information or is upset, my mind goes to the JustPeace principles. I ask questions and listen for the thread that will unravel the story behind the callers concern. Once listening takes place there is a real opportunity to serve the caller and the church.

It was July 26, 1987, when I received a phone call while sitting in a restaurant some 400 miles from home. “Scott was murdered last night,”