To contemplate a crisis or a conflict in the light of grace – looking for hope when it is darkening, when it is dark already. This search for the light in the darkness is one step before dealing with and changing the darkness. “Contemplating in the light of grace” is neither conflict, nor crisis management.

When I want to name a crisis, a question mark, how to continue, suddenly appears where everything was or seemed to be alright so far. A crisis starts. The threat threatens to increase. It gets darker. In the conflict, it is already dark. Something is against me and, instead of backing off, wants to take over my position, my place, wants to force its point, its objectives.

And suddenly, light falls in this darkness of the crisis or conflict, the light of grace named hope. I start to understand again what grace is and let it unfold. This produces brightness.

1. I start to look away from myself, my limited strength and abilities, away also from my previous failure and blind acting. I start to loosen fixations by looking away from myself at somebody else who is greater than me – at the living God who revealed himself as a God of grace.
   Grace implies that I get something I don’t deserve for free, from the hand of a giving God, a God of love that exists for me, with me – almighty and omniscient. This grace promises me help, strength, solutions, value.

Suddenly a “maybe” takes the place of the question mark, maybe everything can turn to good account. Where one didn’t dare to take the next step as one also couldn’t see it anymore, the next step suddenly appears seeming to carry. Further steps become possible. Healthy, safe areas open up.

But does this all create beauty? No, not yet but in the darkness even the most beautiful rose is pale and the light of grace at least leads us to sense beauty. This is not yet a perfectly painted sunrise but it is a beginning.

Art of life means having learnt, motivated by the confidence in a God of grace, to look for him, to turn “quiet” in front of him, to silence all the voices of fear, quarrel, threats, helplessness, blind anger in oneself… in order to take a first step towards crisis and conflict management, to let a light, even if only a small one, shine in the dark.

Art of Life Exercise:

To practice already in times without crises and conflicts to turn quiet in front of God, to become aware of His grace and to silence the voices in us that want to impede us. How does that work?
I developed rituals (e.g. to lay down when praying to God), discovered places (certain places that are almost automatically connect with quietness and prayer for me) and found biblical words (e.g. Romans 8, 31-39 “…Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”) that “easily” bring God’s presence to my heart.

"Find rest, o my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.“
Psalm 62,6

"Half of hope is courage.“
Honoré de Balzac