In a recent interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, George Clooney claimed that he and his wife, Amal, haven’t had one argument in over a decade of marriage. According to a 2022 YouGov poll, this puts them amongst just 3% of couples who’ve never snapped over unwashed dishes, mismatched libidos, or who’s getting up to do the nighttime nappy.

What’s your immediate reaction to this claim? Envy at their wedded bliss? Disbelief that an argument-free life is possible? Unease because you couldn’t make the same claim? For me, it was a mixture of all three. I’d love to be married; sometimes it’s painful to see others living my dream. I argue with those close to me more than I’d care to admit. And, even if angry words don’t come out my mouth, I frequently harbour bitter and indignant thoughts.  

The odds are that your reaction wasn’t perfect either. In fact, I’d bet my bottom dollar that, like me, you start arguments and stir up conflict in your everyday life. Because ultimately, ‘no one is righteous – not even one’ (Romans 3:10). And not even George Clooney. 

Whether you’re an ostrich who buries their head in the sand and denies the existence of quarrels, a rhino who charges into conflict all guns blazing, or a hedgehog who responds with passive aggression, we all have belligerent natures and conflict-ridden hearts. We get defensive when someone gives us feedback on a work project. We snap at our children when they refuse to eat their broccoli. We badmouth our noisy neighbours when, yet again, they play loud music at antisocial hours.  

What would Jesus do in these situations? He wasn’t afraid of conflict. After all, he turned over tables in the temple (John 2:12–25; Mark 11:15–18). But he did it with perfect motives, pursued reconciliation, and seasoned every interaction with grace. And so, I think if Jesus was in our shoes he’d be humble when receiving feedback, recognising the ways in which even God incarnate can learn from someone else’s expertise. He’d patiently persevere with his children, praising them when they tried a new vegetable. And he’d build bridges with his neighbours, inviting them over for coffee to gently tackle the issue with them directly rather than behind their backs. 

Imagine what your workplace, home, and neighbourhood would be like if this was how you acted. When Jesus returns, perfect harmony will reign. But today, we can bring a foretaste of this genuinely conflict-free world to the here and now. And may it be so. 

Sophie Sanders 
Marketing & Communications Lead, LICC