Article July 3, 2000 Issue

But I'm right!

There's a more Christian approach to conflict resolution.

By Pamela S. McKnight

"But I'm right !" I kept saying over and over to myself. My business partner and I had reached yet another impasse on a decision about our dress shop. It was clear to me that we shouldn't reorder some jackets. My partner was equally sure that she was right about reordering them. While we enjoyed working together, this was not the first time we had disagreed on an issue involving money.

I left the store that afternoon frustrated and angry, and I suspect that my partner felt the same. I needed to pray. Unable to gain any peace on my own, I called a Christian Science practitioner for help. The practitioner patiently listened as I related the details of the situation. I even tried to present my partner's view of things. But when I finished my story, I couldn't help blurting out, "But I know I'm right!" Laughing at my rather childish outburst, she said, "Well, that would be Old Testament thinking."

Now, I knew she didn't mean that there was anything wrong with the Old Testament in the Bible. After all, it chronicles man's growing understanding of the one God. It contains the Ten Commandments, defines the practical application of these laws in daily life, and illustrates how obedience to them is mandatory if we are to preserve a right relationship with God. Indispensable—yes! But there's even more.

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