Jesus heals the man with the withered hand in a synagogue. James Tissot, c.1886–1894. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Brooklyn Museum. We often think of peacemaking as avoiding conflict, calming troubled waters or finding ways for everyone to get along. The Gospels present us with a rather different picture. Jesus is constantly embroiled in controversy. His words and actions provoke opposition. Conflict is not merely the backdrop to peacemaking. It is often the path through which…
