There are people whose job it is to meet in the middle. When there are conflicts, it can be dicey to cooperate enough to agree. Finding someone who has a foot in both camps can help. 

There is a Spirit and Life video about these impasses, and the people who bridged them. Moses was a Hebrew, but because of the threat to his life, his mother left him in a basket on the river, and he was adopted by an Egyptian princess. He was of one nation by birth, and another by lifestyle. He knew both languages, and what they valued. This gave him a unique opportunity to mediate for the Israelites when they wanted their freedom. 

Joseph, also, was transplanted under surprising circumstances. He grew up in Israel, and was taken as a slave to Egypt, yet he became the second in command after Pharaoh. Because he knew both nations, and their customs, he was able to be the linchpin between them. 

Watching this speaker reminded me that division in not a new invention. Culture wars are as old as Abraham, and we struggle as fiercely as anyone did at Jericho. 

Joseph's brothers were shepherds, but the Egyptians considered that to be an abomination, so he advised them to identify themselves as livestock keepers. Moses understood that Pharaoh was keen on keeping his slaves, and God showed him how to change the stakes. 

Sometimes I wonder if I have what it takes to be a monkey in the middle. Can I listen well enough to people who care deeply yet in different ways? Joseph enabled his entire family to eat during a famine. Moses was the leader for the liberation of a multitude. All I hope is to hold hands with friends in two directions.