In the World—November 4, 2018

By October 30, 2018 "In the World"

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Sometimes our strife is political. Recently, over the course of several days, a radical partisan sent bombs to numerous members of the political left around the country. Sometimes, racial or ethnic prejudice prompts someone to violence. This occurred when a gunman killed eleven people last Saturday in a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh. And this week in North Carolina, a bullying incident in a school hallway escalated into a fight which left one student dead.


God’s prediction to Rebekah concerning the strife which would characterize the lives of her sons proved tragically true. From the womb, they struggled against each other, and it continued throughout much of their lives. When members of the same family cannot get along, it should not surprise us that members of the human family-at-large experience strife also.

  1. What do you think tips people “over the edge” so that they commit the kind of violence we have seen recently? Does the history of interpersonal strife since biblical times tell you that we can expect no better of humanity? Explain your answer.
  2. Did God’s prediction of the struggle between Jacob and Esau predetermine the course of their lives? Why or why not?
  3. When you have struggled with another person, how did your faith help you to resolve the matter? How does being a Christian help you to prevent negative relationships with others?

—Charles R. Boatman


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Jim Eichenberger

Author Jim Eichenberger

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