In the Marvel films, The Avengers is a team of extraordinary individuals with superpowers. Whenever The Avengers assemble, they can save the world. However, in one movie (Captain America: Civil War), the Avengers fell apart. They were divided into two factions due to conflicting opinions. This led to accusations and mistrust. In one scene, Iron Man and his team were fighting not against external threats, but against Captain America and his team. The Avengers were no longer battling enemies of good versus evil, but rather good versus good – a Civil War. Infighting and disunity are not just scenes from movies. We have likely encountered or heard of such issues in marriages, homes, church leadership, and among brothers and sisters in Christ. A misinterpreted conversation can spark a conflict. People may say the wrong things or the right things in the wrong way. Sometimes, we read too much into a person’s intent. Impatience and frustration add fuel to the fire. The damage is done. The relationship is no longer the same. In Joshua 22, the people of God were about to go to war. Their enemies were not the external forces they had faced before, such as the Canaanites, Jebusites, or Hittites. Instead, it was their brothers - brothers fighting against brothers. In verses 10-12, the majority tribe learnt that their eastern brothers had built an altar of “imposing size (v10).” Therefore, the entire assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to confront them (v12). However, while the Western tribes were prepared for the worst-case scenario, they did a remarkable job of avoiding the war. The first step taken by Western tribes was to send a delegation (vv13-14). The negotiation committee was made up of the chiefs from each of the 10 tribes. In other words, they sent their most respected leaders and men of wisdom. The composition of the delegation shows that the purpose was for godly consultation and wise dialogue. Verses 16-20 show us another principle in resolving conflicts. There was an open and honest conversation. The delegation did not beat around the bush. They shared what affected them. They were concerned that their brothers had breached their faith in God by building the altar. They linked their concern to two incidents in their past (the incident at Peor in Numbers 25) where God judged the whole nation because of one person’s sin. The other incident was Achan's sin (Joshua 7). They explained how the sin of an individual could affect the entire congregation. The delegation was concerned that the LORD would judge the whole congregation again if their brothers turned their backs on God. The third thing the majority tribe did was remarkable. They made an offer at their expense. They told their brothers to come back to their side of the Jordan if they felt the land they had received was not good. They invited their brothers to return and live with them. The delegation’s offer is remarkable because this offer will come at their expense. The majority tribe would have to make a sacrifice. It was like they had to press the reset button on land allocation. Yet they were willing to sacrifice their rights and privileges to salvage the situation and preserve peace. They wanted to avoid the conflict by offering a solution at their own cost. The people of God sent the best delegation. They shared their concerns openly and honestly. They offered a solution at their cost. Then they did the most important thing: they listened. They listen to their eastern brothers’ views on the matter. The minority tribes explained that they built the altar not to make sacrifices or worship it. They were deeply concerned for the next generation. They were anxious that the next generation might think they are not the people of God because they are not in the Promised Land. They do not want a situation where their children’s identity as God’s people and their right to worship God are being questioned just because they are not in the Promised Land. So, they built the altar, not for offering or sacrifices. The altar is to be a witness between both groups and generations to come, that they are God’s people and they did their part to serve the Lord. When the people of God listened and understood where each other were coming from, the tension was immediately diffused. In verse 30, the delegation accepted the explanation and said, “It was good in their eyes (v33)”. The imposing altar was not what it seemed. It was a testimony of their faith in God and commitment to one another. We can imagine the joy and relief. A civil war was avoided. We thank God that His people approached the matter wisely and pastorally. When they do so, peace, reconciliation, and unity follow. It would have been disastrous if either side had refused to engage or listen to the other. All the years of shared faith, service, and the camaraderie of fighting together from Exodus to Joshua—taking down cities and strongholds, a shared history and love they had for one another—would have been wiped out instantly if they had not listened to each other. The passage highlights that unity is fragile. It needs care and attention. We need to be careful wrapping it with many layers of bubble wrap to protect this precious gift. As a Moderator, a key lesson I am learning is that unity and love among EP churches, pastors, leaders, and within the EP & Synod are precious. We can have different views on how the church should function and practice. But as we heard in this passage, how we approach the differences is crucial. It is also essential to listen and listen hard to where the other person is coming from and make sacrifices at our expense to preserve unity. Romans 5:8 tells us: 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We are the offenders who should be punished. Yet Jesus died for us first. God reconciled and restored us at His expense because He loves us. May the Lord enable us to handle our differences wisely and pastorally, and to pursue unity and love in all the relationships He has blessed us with. Together in His service Rev Srimal Marthenis Moderator