When I served as the Public Affairs Officer for the Camp Ripley Training Center in central Minnesota, we occasionally dealt with what the DNR calls “nuisance bears.” It is a common term for bears that wander into places where they are not expected, such as neighborhoods, backyards, or other populated areas. Of course, the bear is simply looking for food, but interactions between people and bears can lead to serious consequences. So, when we learned that bears were entering the cantonment area at Camp Ripley, we were understandably concerned.

We reached out to the DNR, which has an office at Camp Ripley. Many of the bears on the installation had been fitted with GPS collars as part of ongoing research into their movement and behavior. We asked whether the tracking data could help determine how many bears were entering the cantonment area. Their answer surprised us: “One.”

What had seemed like several different bear sightings turned out to be the movements of a single bear. The DNR located the bear and moved it to an area well away from the cantonment area. After that, the sightings stopped, and the issue was resolved.

I think about that experience often when I consider group dynamics in recovery. There are times when we sense that “people” are upset, or we believe there are concerns spreading throughout the fellowship. We may hear rumors and assume they are coming from many different places. Yet when we look more closely and gently seek understanding, we sometimes find that the concern comes from just one person who is struggling, frustrated, or feeling unheard.

I saw this dynamic recently during some recovery service work. Our group was having difficulty cooperating with other service entities. We tried several times to address the concern, sought guidance and counsel, and did our best to express that we are stronger together and that many hands make light work. For a while, though, our efforts did not seem to gain much traction.

Then, with no direct action on our part, the person who had been most openly opposed to cooperating stepped away from service work. Within weeks, the spirit of cooperation began to grow. The invitations we had extended were answered, and today we are grateful to share in a full slate of joint service opportunities.

The lesson, for me, is that not every disturbance is as large as it first appears. Sometimes what seems like widespread conflict may be one voice asking, in its own way, to be noticed and understood. When we pause, look carefully, and respond with patience rather than fear, we may find that the path back to unity is simpler than we imagined.

Maj. Donovan is a volunteer at The Retreat. He contributes a monthly blog article to our website, and he teaches a monthly workshop on The Steps and Sponsorship to the guests of The Retreat.