Friendly fire is a terrible tragedy during times of war. It refers to military personnel being accidentally killed by their own.
During World War I, historians estimate that 2-5% of casualties were due to friendly fire. That increased for World War II and also the Vietnam War to 10-15%, and went up to about 24% of US combat deaths in the Gulf War in 1991 caused by friendly fire.
Causes of friendly fire include poor communication, high stress and confusion, large scale air or artillery strikes, and mistaking a friend for a foe.
How much hostility do you cause during conflict in your life because of your friendly fire?
How many people have you hurt because you misidentified them as the enemy, as the cause for the conflict when it wasn’t really their fault?
How much heartache have you created because you refused to admit how stressed or confused you were, and went forward anyway with a large scale attack?
“Keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called” (Ephesians 4:3,4).
In our homes, churches and schools, we must refuse to accept any casualties caused by friendly fire. Christians have received the gift of “unity” from above, vertically—from the Holy Spirit—which creates a horizontal “peace” with each other. The Holy Spirit calls us to it.
Conflict is bound to happen, but it doesn’t have to be hostile and divisive. Healthy conflict is committed to this: Believe the best about each other.
As Christians, we are one. We are all connected to each other by our calling from God and commitment to each other, not by 100% perfect performance, not by meeting 100% of each other’s expectations. We are connected by … “one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:5).
When our Lord is more important than our conflict, it’s healthy and holy. When our faith that unites us is more important than our conflict, it’s healthy and holy. When the waters of baptism that wash away our sins continue to drown our selfish desires, our conflicts are healthy and holy.
God is “over” our conflicts, “through” our conflicts, and “in” our conflicts, they are healthy and holy. God is on our side, and we’re all one.
When there’s conflict, believe the best about each other and avoid friendly fire. We’re on the same team.
PRAYER: Jesus, teach me to handle conflict in a holy and healthy way, and to believe the best about others in conflict with me. Unify us by the Holy Spirit’s bond of peace, beyond any bonds of this world. You, Lord, are over, and through, and in all my conflicts. I believe the best. Amen.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP: Which of the Ten Commandments expects us to believe the best about each other?
