Walking the Plank
Leading into Reconciliation in a ‘No-Win’ Situation
Have you ever been ordered to walk the plank? Likely not, or you wouldn’t be reading this blog. Walking the plank was the fate assigned to sailors who severely transgressed marine law. The gangplank of the ship would be deployed into the open ocean and the offender would be forced, at gunpoint, to walk it until the last step took him off the end into oblivion.
Pastors and denominational leaders are often feeling that way right now. They feel forced to go forward in a no-win situation.
Anger-fueled opinions within the rank and file of church attendees are demanding that leaders unequivocally declare a position on the COVID protocol issue, the vaccination war, and most recently the obligation to carry vaccination passports. The intensity of the rhetoric on both sides of the issue borders on hostility, and leaders feel trapped on the plank.
It is an unenviable place to be and at times the war seems unwinnable. However, it is in these moments that the message and intent of the Gospel are best understood and applied. The Gospel is all about reconciliation, a healing of the breach – God to mankind, mankind to God, and mankind to one another.
The pastoral vocation is centred on the theme of reconciliation. Paul states that we have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). Jesus says it in another way, Blessed (most fortunate, to be congratulated) are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God (Matthew 5:9).
What does it mean to be a minister of reconciliation? What is peacemaking? How do I employ it through my pastoral role? I can find no better definition than the following:
“Peacemaking doesn’t mean passivity. It is the act of interrupting injustice without mirroring injustice, the act of disarming evil without destroying the evildoer, the act of finding a third way that is neither fight nor flight but the careful, arduous pursuit of reconciliation and justice. It is about a revolution of love that is big enough to set both the oppressed and the oppressor free.” ~ Shane Clairborne, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals.
Here are a few suggestions to help us apply this principle in our ministry:
Listening – It is imperative that we learn to listen through the anger and the pain to the heart of the people involved, regardless of their entrenched views. Whether we agree or not, we win the first battle by respecting each other enough to genuinely hear their opinion.
Caring – People will respond to your counsel only to the degree that they recognize that you care. The person is always more valuable than the issues that consume them. When the young ruler came to Jesus and turned away from the gracious offer of eternal life that would be paid for on the cross, the Master, feeling the rejection, still looked at the young man and loved him (Mark 10:21).
Responding – Pastors feel under pressure to provide answers to an issue. Longevity in ministry has demonstrated to me that people are usually not searching for answers as much as they are looking for compassion. It is not a sign of weakness to admit that we simply “do not know.” It is incumbent upon us to always refer people back to Jesus in the Word and connect to Him through prayer. We may not have the answer, but we represent the Christ who does.
Loving – There are times when the intensity of the “fierce conversation” may leave you feeling like you are under personal attack. However, that is seldom the case. While I may be the recipient of their frustration and pent-up anger, I am not usually the primary target. When people feel free to “vent” in my presence, it is a positive indication that I have provided them with a safe zone to express their angst. People will quickly sense if we are capable of unconditionally loving them beyond the belligerence of their immediate behaviour.
Committing – Prayer is a wonderful moderator. It creates a demilitarized zone where along with the parties concerning, you are petitioning heaven for help. It has been my experience that the heat drains from the fires of hostility in the place of prayer. It is at this common ground before the cross where reconciliation is most possible and probable.
We can learn the art of peacemaking best from the One who is our peace, the One who has made peace through the blood of His cross. When we visit the scene of the crucifixion, we see this process in action. Jesus looked with love upon His mother and His good friend John and said, Woman, behold your son, and to John, Behold your mother (John 19:26-27). Furthermore, Jesus, speaking to the repentant thief, erases his record in one instant and declares, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). But, undoubtedly, the greatest example is reserved for the very ones who are clamouring for His blood, Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).
Somehow in that supernatural, excruciating moment, He was able to bring all the sides to common ground and make peace possible for all of them.
Somehow, supernaturally, He will also give us the ability by His Spirit to do the same in this difficult hour.