HOW CAN PEOPLE MAKE PEACE?

ROBERT, tell us a little about your background. 

I grew up in an unhappy home. My father, for example, had a violent temper and often beat me.  At times, he even left me bloodied and unconscious.  As a result, I became increasingly  angry and violent.  During my teens, I spent two years in a reform school. Later, I committed a brutal assault that landed me in a maximum-security prison.  When I was finally released, I moved to Australia, hoping for  a fresh start.

Did the move help you to change your ways? 

It was not so much the move that changed me but the Bible, which I studied  with Jehovah's Witnesses.  That said, I still struggled to control my temper and often felt frustrated and worthless.  Then one I reflected on Proverbs 19:11, which says:  "The insight of a man certainly slows down his anger, and it is beauty on his part to overlook an offense."  Eager to develop that insight, I began to think about what lies behind our feelings, words, and deeds.  As a result, I gradually became more understanding, patient, and forgiving. 

Would you give us an example?

I once upset a friend unintentionally and he angrily rebuked me in front of others. I was humiliated, to say the least!  However, I recalled the Bible's advice to "return to evil for evil to no one," and I quickly apologized.  (Romans 12:17) When my friend cooled down I approached him privately  and learned that he was struggling with family problems. We made peace, and later he gave me a beautiful coat as a gift. I shudder to think what might have happened had I been my old self when I was humiliated.  

How do you deal with family problems?

My wife and I have a 20-year-old son, and like other families, we have our disagreements.  But I've learned a lot from the Bible, including the importance of saying, "I'm sorry."  It's  amazing  how those words, when sincerely expressed, can prevent or defuse a conflict.  

Next time: HOW CAN PEOPLE MAKE PEACE?/NELSON

From the Awake! magazine