As we see in the relationship of Paul and Barnabas in the book of Acts, the early church was often a recipe for conflict—just like the church of today. Especially over the past few years, many cultural and political issues threaten to divide our communities. And Christians, unfortunately, often join the fray. In modeling the life of Jesus and his early church, you can learn that conflict is healthy; opposing perspectives can stem from the same root passion; and when we don’t speak the truth in love, we don’t actually speak truth. Love calls us to listen, so as a disciple of Jesus, model something different in this shouting & fighting world. Model something that points people to Jesus.