Jesus constantly stepped into tense situations rather than tiptoeing around them. Tension is often a catalyst for transformation (of people and systems). While many of us tend to walk in the opposite direction of tension, Jesus offers an alternative: walk toward it.
In Luke chapter 22, the disciples get into a dispute about who was the best. Into the tension of this disagreement between the disciples, Jesus entered with a transformational perspective. He didn’t allow them to fight it out. Instead, he said, “The greatest among you must become like the youngest and the leader like one who serves.”
Jesus invited his friends to reimagine greatness, and he correlated it with humility and service. Into the discord, Jesus offered new insights, and the disciples’ perspectives were re-framed. Their tension paved the way for an important learning moment.
This message is excerpted from “From Tension to Transformation,” by Emily Carson in the August 2021 Cafe online magazine. Today we commemorate Thomas Aquinas, teacher, 1274.
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