Pursuing peace across deep lines of societal division is as salient as ever. Growing a social imagination for civic friendship—extending the willing good of personal friendship to the broader community—is an important part of this work. But are we building the necessary relational skills through how we navigate relational difficulties in our personal friendships? If we do not have a vision for interpersonal friendships that can endure trials, can we hope to see lasting communal transformation?
Such a vision can be developed, along with a social imagination that builds resilience for navigating conflict in interpersonal friendships. Towards this end, I bring an examination of friendship in the Hebrew Scriptures into conversation with Conflict Transformation theory. Ultimately, I argue that the ways we work through conflict with our closest friends, or neglect to do so, influence our imagination and preparation for overcoming division and seeking wholeness in the broader community.