Turning Assault into Reconciliation
One of the most dramatic reconciliations I ever witnessed involved five brothers and a sister who were fighting over their parents’ estate. Their relationship had deteriorated so badly that one brother nearly assaulted his siblings with a baseball bat. But then God did something amazing through a relationally wise pastor. I chronicled their story in […]
13 Dogs and 1 Cat
I recently found thirteen dogs and one cat who show us how to enjoy a peaceful holiday meal. In the process they demonstrate a central dynamic of relational wisdom (click here if video screen does not appear below). There is a beautiful story behind this creative clip, as well as an inspiring life lesson. All […]
Giving a Kidney Models RW
Before I became a lawyer, I worked as an engineer on a team that designed hemodialysis machines. While talking with patients going through dialysis, I learned how hard it is to live without a kidney. Therefore, when I heard about a taxi driver who gave his kidney to a passenger because “God thought it was […]
1,000 Acts of Kindness
Would you like to change the world around you? Then make it a habit to do three acts of kindness every day. Do it consistently for a year, and you’ll bless those around you with 1,000 acts of kindness. Since kindness is contagious, many of the people you touch may turn around and be kind […]
Seven Steps to Empathy
Without empathy, it’s hard to have real relationship. The good news is that since each of us is made in the image of God, we have a natural capacity for developing and exercising God-like empathy. Are you practicing this marvelous gift in your life? If not, here is an acrostic that can help you become […]
The Who, Why and How of Empathy
“What is the biblical model, motive, and method for empathy and compassion?” That’s the question I asked last week as we began our study of these two relational qualities. This week I’m going to let you to answer these questions for yourself. Before doing so, let’s review two definitions: Empathy is generally defined as the […]
Answers to the Quiz
Last week I posted an RW Quiz based on a short video clip about a woman in Thailand who was dying of cancer. I was impressed by the many insightful answers I received. The only problem was that I had a difficult time selecting the best answers … there were so many good ones from […]
Relational Stupidity
I’ve seen a lot of foolish behavior during my thirty-two years as a professional conciliator. Like the man who divorced his lovely Christian wife to marry a woman who had already been married and divorced six times. When I asked him whether he saw a pattern in her life, he said, “Yes I see it, […]
I Am Home
Do people feel relationally safe in your home? Your church? Your school? Your business? Is it the place they long to come to when the problems of the world seem overwhelming? Is it a haven of understanding, acceptance, and security? It can be. By God’s grace, your home, church, school or business can be like […]
R Before I
When I’m in a business, church, or ministry meeting, my tendency is to get to the issues as quickly as possible. If I give into this urge, I usually regret it. When we rush into addressing business or ministry issues before we’ve connected with others at a heart level, our discussions are more likely to […]