Listening

I just read that the losing party in this most recent election here in the U.S. is changing its stance towards immigration to appeal to a demographic that they are losing.  The truth is that when it comes to politics the losing party will always make some change, more or less, to appeal to more people than it currently does so as to do better the next time around.

What about the Church of Jesus Christ?  We can't just change our stance on a position to suit the latest trends.  To do so would be to obviously put the truth of Scripture into a subservient position, which must never do.  However what we can do is communicate in a more relevant way to a culture that still needs to hear the truth, whether or not it wants to.  Here are a couple of thoughts I think we need to implement going forward:

1. We have to become better listeners.

           I was hopeful that here in Minnesota we would pass the amendment that defined marriage as one man/one woman.  It failed, but since Tuesday evening I have been taking the time to ask people who are against it what their reasons are and how one might show opposition without being labeled a ''person of hate".  The best I have come up with so far is that listening is the best way to show that I am not all about hate.  It might be helpful for us to slow down a little bit and not be so hasty to talk about our position.  Perhaps the very act of listening will break down some walls, and then we will be able to go to the next step.

     2. We must become better speakers.
       
           A good speaker is one who knows their audience well.  I can tell when I am speaking to a group of people or to an individual when I am connecting with their world because their is life to the speaking and listening.  If we can become better listeners, then there is hope that we can become better speakers, actually engaging in conversation.  The bottom line is that a bunch of words aren't much good anyway if no one cares what it is we are talking about. 

     3. Love must permeate everything.

         A noisy gong...a clanging cymbal?  Yes, that has been pretty discriptive of how people view those of us who have a message from God.  The antidote is really quite simple according to the Apostle, start with love. 

My goal is to love people enough to listen.  When I can get inside their world and gain a hearing, then perhaps my speech will make more sense.  To the glory of God.