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Have you ever been in a conversation with someone when you realize (or don't realize) you're not actually listening to the other person anymore because you're too busy thinking about what you want to say? Maybe you have a story that relates to theirs. Maybe you have a rebuttal to their argument. Maybe you just really want to tell them something else.

I know that I can struggle with this. And as someone with a job that includes preaching, this emphasis on telling people what I think can be a really hard one to overcome. I know I'm not the only one either. Has anyone seen social media recently? There is a lot more talking over each other than exchanging ideas!

Ernest Hemingway once advised, "When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen."

And in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey noted, "Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply."

The apostle James encouraged Jesus followers with these words: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Even when I'm not driven to anger, I (and likely others among us) need to do a better job at being quick to listen and slow to speak.

On Sunday morning I noted that my hope was to invite people into thinking about the topics I was addressing and talking about them more fully. I was hoping to start a conversation, not merely present my thoughts. And then I proceeded to present my thoughts. The medium and forum make full dialogue a challenge. But I did receive a message asking me questions and pushing back against what I said.

For context: In the message, one of the things I proposed was that the idea that consumer capitalism is the god of our age. I noted this based on the fact that big box stores have remained open during the entire pandemic. I also noted that criticism about them staying open hasn't suggested that they should close or be more limited, but rather that small business should all be open, too, providing more places to get more stuff. I suggested that a general cultural drive of pursuing bigger and more stuff is something that we, as Christians, shouldn't be buying into. [Sorry about that pun!]

In response to this, I received the following message. I offer it here anonymously as an encouragement for myself to get better at listening and as an invitation for others to listen and share and listen some more as we together discern how God might be leading us (as individuals and as a community) forward in the way of Jesus.

Why do you think that keeping the economy going is all about wanting stuff we don't need?

I want stores to stay open so that I can have food. How long would you and your family be able to eat without stores being open? And the stores and industries in the supply chain? How long would your growing sons remain clothed, shod, clean, and educated?

I want smaller stores to be open so that I can support people who live and work in my community. If there's an unfairness, an un-Christlike-ness in our economic decisions, it's in protecting the big box corporations that can have an aisle of food and letting the families that run smaller businesses lose their livelihood.

The BIC is often preaching this message in the guise of teaching simple living. I think it's misguided and serves more to make people feel guilty and fearful than to show them how to grow closer to Jesus.

 

(Final note...I'm working to get comments activated on blog posts so that we can attempt to have healthy and respectful conversations here!)

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