God is in the Conflict

There was a question on a popular blog today, "Where do you find God?" After thinking about it for a few moments, most of my thoughts kept coming back to situations of conflict.

Now, when I say conflict, I do not necessarily mean violence. I believe that God is a god of peace. That God IS love. But, I do also believe that conflict is not something that is opposed to him either. I believe that love is not entirely devoid of conflict.

Conflict is not a result of our 'sinful nature.'

There was conflict in the world before 'the fall.'

For serious.

Look it up.

When God made Adam, before he even made Eve there was already conflict. Man was lonely. And it was not good. This is a conflict, this is a driving element of God's narrative, in fact you can't even have a story without a conflict. Which is to say, that you can't have life without conflict.

We're all struggling against something. We are all a part of God's narrative, our lives are conflict.

So I see God directly in the conflicts. I see him when people are passionate about the things that God is passionate about...and he is indeed.

• When people are struggling to provide justice for others
• When we speak up for those whose voice and influence has been taken away from them
• When people fight against powers of oppression, hatred, intolerance, exploitation, bigotry, blind religiosity, and violence
• When we make sacrifices in our own lives to help others
• When we find ourselves in uncomfortable places by answering God callings on our lives
  
• When our hearts are broken by the things that break the heart of God. 

There is conflict here. Conflict is what drives people to action. God is a god of action. Love is an action, more than an emotion.

So I find God in the conflict much more than I could ever find God in the absence of it.