Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: Principled Commitment: An Adult Program on Building Strong Relationships

Spiritual Preparation

Consider the guiding Principle for this session, "Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations." Take a moment to reflect on how being open and teachable encourages healthy human relations. How does this connect to your sense of spirituality?

Read through Leader Resource 3, Gottman and the Four Horsemen, and consider the destructive behaviors it describes. Recall an instance from your own experience when one or more of these behaviors were displayed. How did it feel? How might the situation have been transformed to a constructive interaction? How might your own humility help keep the "four horsemen" at bay? What kind of spiritual affirmation or mantra can be of help to you in promoting healthy communication in times of conflict?