大象传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Rt Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle.

Good morning.

I spend quite a lot of time in an average day dealing with people who hold very different opinions from each other. Whether it is on a matter of faith, or how you take your coffee, navigating topics that cause division can become something of an art. Doing this well matters, because in some situations disagreement can have a lasting impact. If some sort of resolution isn鈥檛 sought, the matter that caused the difference in the first place can become bigger than it needs to be, or even a point is reached where we can鈥檛 remember what caused us to think differently in the first place and all we can do is to carry some vague notion that we don鈥檛 get on with one another.

Sometimes, when I am stuck in such a situation, I turn back to the New Testament and the letters of the Apostle Paul. In some cases, he had quite a direct way of addressing conflict, by naming reality and providing much needed clarity about what would be needed to bring things to a more peaceful place. At other times, Paul used powerful imagery of the human body to put forward the idea that some degree of difference can be a good thing; holding the difference then becomes the challenge, as well as the opportunity. I have probably learnt more from listening to the colleague who holds a different view on a topic of faith than I have from colleagues who I am in complete agreement with on the same matter. I hope that today I can value difference and learn from it in new ways that enrich all that I do.

God who created us to be different, help me to celebrate and recognise the value in those with whom I disagree. May I be a patient listener, and a valued colleague.

Amen.