Conflict good for growth?

So, on Sunday I went back to the same north Minneapolis congregation I'd met with a couple weeks ago. I was excited to see the kids again and to experience worship there, especially since they'd been so positive about the church service and preaching. A couple of things caught my attention:

1. The kids remembered me! As I walked in and sat down, all of the kids at different times and in different ways came over to greet me. They remembered my name and asked me how my project was doing. It was incredible-- clearly our short time together had made an impact on them. Very cool.
   
2. Worship really was quite nice. There was ample opportunity for youth to participate in the music and in the brief period for testimonies/ "God sightings."
   
3. And, just like they said, the preaching was good. Down to earth and applicable to real life. The text was Matthew 10:24-39 (Jesus brings not peace, but a sword). The sermon was about conflict. The preacher, Rev Louise Britts a visitation pastor, laid it out plain: conflict is hard. It's hard to hear; this text is hard to embrace. She says we as Christians cling to the Prince of Peace-- we don't want to hear about the Christ who wields a sword. But, she challenged the congregation on their understanding of peace. Peace is not maintaining the status quo or simply acquiescing to others and their demands. Peace is reconciliation. It's bringing people into the wholeness of God-- shalom. And it's tough. There's an inherent tension in peace, and that's what this passage is about. She says that conflict, tension (the road to peace work) doesn't have to be bad. In fact, it's necessary for growth, Britts said. She had us think of farmers and their fields... Farmers have to chop up, till, the soil, so that the hard ground can be ready for the seeds to have space to grow and receive water, light, and air. That's the beauty of conflict. There must be some chopping and breaking open, some tension, so that there's room to grow and that there's a means to achieve wholeness. This is how we achieve peace. And the good news is that we don't go it alone! We don't go through the conflict by ourselves, but rather we have a Savior who has experienced conflict with us, a God who takes care of us, and a Spirit who guides and empowers us. Thanks be to God!

Thinking about this makes me wonder-- maybe the conflict young people experience doesn't have to be bad. I'm reading another book called Legacy of the Heart: The Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood by Wayne Muller that says this very thing. Muller says, maybe pain and suffering doesn't need to be blamed on anyone. Maybe it just is. What he says is important is how people (and churches) respond to the reality of pain, suffering, and evil. When people can use their pain to empower, overcome, teach, inspire, and challenge others maybe they're doing what they can to embrace conflict in an effort to achieve peace.

I have to admit, I have some reservations about this. I want to say that, though pain and suffering is a reality of life, still it's not okay. We can never eliminate all evil, because we live in a fallen world, but surely we can advocate for a better life for people. We can try to eliminate some suffering. I don't want us just to resign into passivity. But, I agree with Muller that what is really important is helping people use their pain for good. Because people are resilient, courageous, strong, and creative. And they, even and especially young people, can do more than they often think they can...