Conflict is not just about open warfare. Conflict exists in human relationships at all levels. Family Impact is a Christian organisation that works to transform communities through family and relationship counselling.
John and Precious appeared to be a happily married Christian couple who came to a Family Impact ‘Enjoy Your Marriage’ weekend. In fact, Precious felt deeply inferior both as a woman and as a wife. The first evening she was amazed at the passage in Genesis 1 which says that men and women are both created in the image of God, with equal value. However, she found it hard to communicate with her husband, so she did not say anything to John.
Next day, the facilitators asked John and Precious to do a role play of a couple who were not communicating well because they did not listen to each other. They acted brilliantly and everyone laughed as they each spoke their own ideas and did not connect at all with their partner.
After the weekend, a facilitator met Precious in town. She was smiling as she said, ‘What you asked us to act out was what we were like in real life. This helped us a lot. Now we have learnt to communicate much better. I was able to explain to John how I felt second-rate as a wife. He assured me that he respected and loved me as an equal partner. I am a new person!’
The author, David Cunningham, is Africa Director of Family Impact.
Family Impact
45 Heyman Road
Suburbs, Bulawayo
Zimbabwe
Website: www.familyimpact.org.za
