conflict

Imagine that you’re in a group situation with people you’ve known for a long time. You notice that there’s tension and in fact, as you think about it, you recognize that there’s been this underlying tension for quite a while that sometimes erupts in heated interactions.

Whenever we feel this kind of tension, it’s important to identify the type of conflict. How important is this conflict? Where is the collision taking place? Is it simply around inconsequential opinions or are there deeper values, beliefs, and assumptions at play?

Bernard Mayer, in his book Staying with Conflict, identifies six types of interpersonal conflict.

Low-Impact Conflict

Low-impact conflict does not typically have long-term implications. Arguing over what kind of pizza to order is probably not going to be earth-shattering in most situations. With these kinds of conflicts, it’s helpful to recognize their trivial nature and not to engage in them as if they are more important than they are in reality. Of course, with any conflict, how we express ourselves can escalate the conflict and cause harm to others and to relationships within the group.

Latent Conflict

Latent conflict is conflict that is simmering below the surface. It’s something that you can usually sense, but are not sure what it’s all about. For example, you walk into a room filled with people and sense something is just off with the group dynamics. You can’t put your finger on where it’s coming from, but you know it’s there. For this type of conflict, Mayer says that the conditions out of which conflict could arise are present; they just haven’t manifested themselves as a presenting issue or event. As we encounter these kinds of situations, it’s important that we pay careful attention to group dynamics and even ask probing questions that begin to uncover the deeper issues that are causing the tension. 

Transient Conflict

We all love confronting people, right? What is it about confrontation that scares us so much? For me, I think it boils down to fear – fear of retaliation, fear the relationship will change, and just fear of emotionally charged situations that I can’t control.

How do we engage in a conflict situation in a healthy way that actually leads to transformed lives and relationships? My goal in conflict situations, at least when I finally come to my senses (sometimes I don’t!), is to recognize that the conflict poses an opportunity for transformation in myself, others, and relationships. At the very least, if we’re willing, transformation will happen in us. And that’s a win! We can’t control how other people will respond, but we can pray and position ourselves to receive what God has for us through the conflict.

You see, conflict is necessary. When we feel tension, we are usually motivated and sometimes highly motivated, to address the tension. We don’t do well with dissonance and will often go to great lengths to resolve it. In the process, we sometimes come up with new and better ideas, we learn about ourselves and experience transformation, and our relationships, because they are strained, cause us to grow in our love for the other person.

I love how John Paul Lederach describes the potential benefits of conflict in The Little Book of Conflict Transformation:

“Conflict flows from life. Rather than seeing conflict as a threat, we can understand it as providing opportunities to grow and to increase our understanding of ourselves, of others, and of our social structures. Conflicts in relationships at all levels are the way that life helps us to stop, assess, and take notice. One way to truly know our humanness is to recognize the gift of conflict in our lives.”

Did you catch that? Conflict is a gift. Lederach concludes, “Without it, life would be a monotonously flat topography of sameness and our relationships would be woefully superficial.”

Conflict is an essential part of life. Instead of viewing it as an intrusion or barrier, perhaps we should see it more as an opportunity to grow deeper in our relationship with God and others, and to develop qualities and practices that help us live more fully and serve others more effectively.

If you’re like me, you don’t naturally gravitate toward conflict. In fact, my inclination is to head for the hills when I see conflict brewing.

Yet, I’m learning that conflict represents an opportunity – an opportunity for transformation and growth. The crucible of conflict often refines ideas and character, and deepens relationships. Of course, conflict can also undermine, paralyze, and even destroy. So, what can we do to increase the chances that the conflicts we face become transformational? In this blog, I’ll present an overview of six steps for making conflict transformational, which I will then explore in greater depth in subsequent blogs.

Recognize that Conflict is Necessary

Just like our muscles need tension and resistance to stay healthy and become stronger, so we, as humans, need the kind of tension that conflict provides to grow and develop. Of course, conflict is not the only source of this kind of tension, but it does have a way of grabbing our attention.

Identify the Type of Conflict and the Factors that Influence the Intensity of the Conflict

What’s at stake here? Is this a, “What kind of pizza should we order?” kind of conflict or is it something more substantive? If it’s something serious, then what are the underlying causes of the conflict?  So often we try to deal with the surface tension and fail to address the deeper clashes around values, beliefs, and assumptions. As we peel away the layers, it’s important to recognize and manage the factors that can escalate or deescalate the tension.

Bathe the Situation in Prayer