Talking About Communication

Reconciliation with others is one of the hardest things to face.

Going into the confession booth requires some courage, but ultimately, this is a man who won't remember your faults the next day, and I personally leave with a sense of peace in my soul. However, admitting your faults to another person is difficult because they may throw something back in your face, or worse, gossip about the truth and vulnerability you offered.

When I started praying, I prayed for others' faults: please Lord, help this person overcome their rage and help this one stop cheating and guide this person back to You. Sure, I focused on my own faults, but I never forgot others'.

This is what God doesn't want from us. What's the biggest Bible verse people use as a weapon in arguments? "So when they continued asking [Jesus], he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8:7). We can't shoot others down for their sins because no one on this world is perfect. God wants us to help each other grow, not berate each other.

Secondly, and this is a bit of a tangent, but the Bible is not to be used as a weapon. Its purpose it to teach the Word of God. If we use it argumentatively, non-believers will be turned away. If we use it as punishment, non-believers will be turned away. If we use it to highlight our goodness, non-believers will be turned away. We must reference the Bible to bridge gaps, not create them.

Returning to the main point, we must reconcile with those we hurt and those who hurt us. My confessors admit that this is not always possible, but we must, at the start, reconcile with them in our hearts. I have some people who I don't believe it would do any good to admit fault with them because they would use it to belittle me and my faith, but this is not my call. If God wills it, it must be done, but until then, there are others He is pulling me toward.

Communication is a two-way street. There are people I cannot face because of the harm they did me, but they believe it was justified, so there won't be reconciliation on their part. Or they don't think they did harm. Either way, it takes so much courage to step up to these people because we see them as enemies, not brothers and sisters.

But this communication and reconciliation may be what we need to be better Christians. I can learn something. They can learn something. We can treat people we meet in the future with more kindness and respect because of the words exchanged today. Personal growth is something not often strived for in this society, but it takes both desire and bravery to walk toward it.

My Lord, grant us the grace of courage to do Thy will. Grant us Your mercies. Thank You for the love, kindness, forgiveness, and hope bestowed on us each day. May You be praised throughout the world as the King of kings, Amen.