The ongoing war of words and sabre rattling between North Korea and America made me wonder about how and why conflicts get out of control on such a regular basis.
“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another,” the Psalmist tells us; but not without sparks, then fire, and how we handle it depends on whether the fire purifies or destroys.
In civilized society, we have learned to handle each other, in the office, factory or family. We know not to walk in the minefields of each other’s shortcomings for the most part. But where there are differences that we don’t understand, notice or expect, it can get ugly.
I was part of a group once that was engaged in what I considered to be a very useful piece of work, I believed all had good motives, character and unity of purpose. The main organizer was not boastful, overly talkative or overbearing and was competent in his task. I had no reason to suspect that he was a megalomaniac with an ego the size of Mount Everest; its slopes and summit masked by a religious fog rendering it hidden. Unlike Everest though, egos are not made of granite but fragile material held loosely together with all the failings, wounds, shame and inadequacies of our fallen state.
A clash of egos was inevitable, because I ...
