Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself
Once upon a time, as a college chaplain intern, a student named Robert came to me wanting to set up a "coffee house" event where where we could talk about faith, especially with his non-christian brothers and sisters. I wasn't immediately sure how to respond. I knew his interest in and love of his fellow students was real. His desire to share was sincere. But I also had a concern that he hadn't thought about how to listen, as well as speak. The next time we met, I found a moment to ask him how he would feel if "Sheila" invited him to a talk so that she could work on converting him to Buddhism. Then we talked about what it would be like to have a "Cafe Conversation," where students could discuss questions from the perspective of their various faiths, philosophies and personal experiences with one another. As the possibilities of this format sunk in, Robert got excited about the better opportunity to listen and learn, as well as teach and share. These principles hold in conversations around faith and also in the public square.
As children of God, as followers of Christ, we are called to love one another. It is not a call to be silent or even meek when we have a deep concern about our neighbor, our community or ourselves. It is a call to speak, and listen, and act with love. I am concerned that we are struggling as a society, to practice the holy discipline of listening generously. To take a moment (or several) to consider the experience of others, especially those with whom we have intense disagreements, is to live out a key element of Christian mission. Union Christian Church (DOC) has developed a well-tuned "holy listening ear." I wonder how we can share that "ear" with our community, our society.
As Robert and I talked, our goal was not diminish his voice, but to provide space for his brothers and sisters to speak as well. The goal was to provide space to hear as well as speak.
We are called to bear witness. We are called to share with one another our deeply held convictions. Pausing before we speak to consider our words is a vital, holy act of love toward neighbor and God. Listening and acknowledging, recognizing the truth in what is said by our brothers and sisters, even when we deeply disagree, is a vital, holy act of love toward neighbor and God. We are called to love our brothers and sisters in faith. We are called to love our brothers and sisters in the public square. Go forth, people of God, sharing Christ's love as you speak, listen, and act in our community and God's world.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan