Sabbath Devotional :: Tension and Peacemaking

Philippe Petit is a real-life French highwire artist who I first read about in Colum McCann’s stunning novel Apeirogon. In 1987, Petit performed an act he called “Walking the Harp/A Reach for Peace.” In honor of the Festival of Jerusalem, Petit and his crew stretched a 300-meter-long highwire at an incline across the Hinnom Valley, which lies on the line between East Jerusalem and West, the Arab and Jewish quarters of the city. Dressed in a white costume resembling that of a court jester, Petit slid his white-slippered feet out onto the wire to begin his ascent. Crowds of onlookers watched in awe and cheered as Petit glided through the air, accomplishing the seemingly impossible. Mid-distance on the wire, Petit paused between the two opposing sides, reached into a pouch at his side, and released a white dove.

During the last year, I have felt almost unbearable levels of tension in many of the most important relationships in my life: in my marriage, in other family relationships, with certain friends, with God, with church, and with myself. That conflict has not been just a slight pull, but the kind where I have felt strained to the point of intense physical, emotional, and mental discomfort. I have wondered how diametrically opposing feelings and viewpoints can live inside of me, and how I can find a way to make peace with them. Since reading about Petit’s Walk of Peace, I have contemplated the imagery of him bridging conflict with his art. I have found it helpful to imagine myself gliding along the high wire of my tension and pausing to consider if — like the tightrope walker’s inspiring performance — something meaningful can be found in it.

Tension is a creative and necessary force in our world both spiritually and materially. We see tension everywhere in the world. Bridges use tension to stay aloft. Our bodies utilize tension to move and maintain healthy function. An instrument must have taut strings to sound a note. Great music utilizes audible tension and dissonance to build emotion and balance harmony. As Lehi told his sons in the Book of Mormon, “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery,
(2 Nephi 2:11).

I told my therapist one day in recent months that I felt like I was being pulled so tight I was about to be torn in half, like the seam of a garment popping open its stitches. The challenge of holding and making space for opposing realities can be painful to the point of overwhelm. And yet tension is in the work of peacemaking, both in the outside world and — perhaps, more importantly — within ourselves. Sometimes the most compassionate action is to step away from the tension to find complete relief. But in cases where this is not plausible, possible, or even desirable for our goals, we must learn to walk along the tension, finding pauses and resolution where possible, but allowing the conflict to push us toward creativity and progress when not.

Prophets and teachers have often used contradictory statements to show how God can bridge the extremes. I have found deep comfort as I have pondered these tension-filled verses:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:3-4)

“Love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord.” (Revelation 1:8)

“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) 

Reconciliation is the process of making amends in a relationship, or marrying two opposing ideas. It can be a positive result of moving along the tension. In Christianity, Christ reconciles the human family to God, providing the forgiveness and grace that overcome the divide between our woundedness and God’s wholeness (Romans 5:10). The process of the atonement illustrates and perfectly resolves eternity’s greatest tension. If we allow him, God can also bridge the divides between and within his beloved children. He can reconcile the irreconcilable. (Colossians 1:20)

Coping with and resolving any type of tension feels messy and destructive. At times, my body has reacted to my internal and external conflicts with physical illness. I have chronic conditions that improve or worsen according to how I am handling the tensions in my life. This has pushed me to change my habits and to think about conflict in new ways. With the guidance of compassionate counselors, I am learning to reconcile my relationships and to find more opportunities for joy and contemplation. In some situations this has provided me with moments of relief, awe, or even blessed resolution. I am learning which tensions can be for my benefit, and from which I must step away for the same reason.

Escaping from all of the tensions is not possible for any of us. Instead of shying away from the difficulty, God has invited us to feel the trepidation and step onto the tightrope, trusting in His ability to help us build the family of God through the creative power of conflict. By examining tension’s role in progress, I have been able to do what at times feels impossible. I have started to move across the high wires of my life with more gratitude and wonder, and see what peace I, in partnership with God, can create from it.

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Meredith Grunke Gardner is the empower director for media literacy at Mormon Women for Ethical Government.

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