IMPASSE

Job 28:1-30:31; 2 Corinthians 2:12-17; Psalm 42:1-11; Proverbs 22:7

“But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity…. God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens. He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall…. Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”

“Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?”

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you—”

In mediation, there is a term for when parties cannot reconcile their respective positions. The mediator declares an “impasse,” and the mediation is ended. Thereafter, it is as if the entire process never happened: nothing said can be used in Court, and confidentiality must remain inviolate. Sometimes, the parties leave more frustrated than when they started. More often, though, even if the mediation is not initially successful, the impasse eventually does resolve itself because, at least, a productive dialogue was started. Either way, the best thing is a mediator usually stops the mediation when things start to go south before irreparable damage is done. Job and his friends could have used a mediator. No one was going to back down without a third party’s help and input. Each person had established their position on the matter for better or worse up front, and no one was open to discussion or consideration of anyone else’s perspective thereafter. Instead, they resorted to throwing insults and other verbal arrows at each other. How like today’s people they were!

There is a reason Scripture refers to Christ as a mediator. Without Him, we and God reached an impasse long ago. Like Job, we simply could not get to where God is, and there was no way to engage Him in productive dialogue as long as our sin nature kept getting in the way. Jesus came to break the impasse by laying His own Body over the severed lines of communion and communication between us and God. But He did not stop there, because the impasses of life did not stop there. The forgiveness and healing Christ initiated between us and the Father, through the mediation of the Holy Spirit, also are intended to flow out and reconnect broken lines of communication between believers and others as well.

I’ve reached many impasses in my life as an attorney, and more important, as a person. I can’t remember saying anything seriously that I ever thought was wrong… at the time. But I can remember many times when what I thought was the truth turned out to be a huge mistake, and I remember castigating others for thoughts or opinions which later turned out to be right on. What I’ve learned from that primarily is I take myself too seriously at my own peril, and I need my Mediator to help keep me from doing irreparable harm when I am in a disagreement. Even being correct on the facts does not necessarily make my opinions right, and it certainly does not mean my communication of those facts was or will be done in a way that could be heard and helpful.

So, I’m trying to do a better job communicating through my Mediator. Somehow, when I filter my words through the mind of Christ first, a lot of verbiage just falls away as unimportant subjectivity. Other thoughts are cut off as being too inflammatory or just plain immaterial to the issues at hand. Mainly, though, my basic thinking gets turned around. The Great Mediator is quite adept at showing me to me for what I am. As He does, it causes me to consider and weigh the impact my words will have in addition to what they specifically mean. I begin to mix in a little more love with the truth. Sometimes, Jesus even changes my mind in mid-thought. Usually, that happens because He shows me I’m flat wrong in intended presentation, if not the facts. He confirms the pending fight is just not worth the carnage it will cause. He reminds me that right and wrong, from my perspective at least, are typically not as important as I think they are. Truth as embodied in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ turns out to be a whole lot more important, especially when my words and deeds would otherwise obscure it for the ones who need to hear it the most.

There are two approaches to an impasse. One can walk away from the situation entirely and burn their bridges behind them. Or one can decide to work around the problem, just like Christ finds ways to get past our sin and our defenses when He mediates for us. I prefer the creativity involved in the second response. And I like the security and accountability of having my Mediator around to help me relate to others and to God. Sometimes, I just cannot find a way to cross the gulf of disagreement and sin. Thank God Christ knows the way and built the bridge.