Conversation
“Jesus
was short on sermons, long on conversations; short on answers, long
on questions; short on abstractions and propositions, long on stories
and parables; short on telling you what to think, long on challenging
you to think for yourself.”
Brian D.
McLaren (More Ready Than You Think: The Power of Everyday
Conversations, p.11)
I don't know whether
Jesus' way of expressing himself was unusual for his time or
not—there were many itinerant preachers wandering the hills of
Judea with their followers. John the Baptist was one. I'm sure many
of them had messages that moved people, and let's face it, it was a
favorite form of entertainment—storytelling still is. The
difference seems to be that Jesus spoke with unusual knowledge and
authority, that he added to his storytelling the gift of healing, and
that his was a ministry of mercy rather than condemnation. He didn't
preach about repentance, or following the law, or staying away form
corrupting influences; in fact, he waded right into such situations
and spoke just as openly and lovingly to the foreigner and the fallen
as he did to the chosen. He touched people and sat in conversation
with them. Jesus answered questions with questions, told stories
about people his followers could recognize, and left folks to figure
out for themselves what he meant—he who has ears to hear, and eyes
to see, let him hear, see. Jesus' conversations with people changed
their lives.
Real conversation is
still life-changing. In this world of pop-culture, superficial gab,
and competitive cleverness, having a hearth-to-heart conversation is
a beautiful gift. Conversations in which we share ideas, and explore
our own thoughts expressed aloud without fear of condemnation, make a
huge difference in our feelings of belonging and inclusion. Having a
conversation group is an idea worth exploring. Handwritten letters
used to serve this purpose. We had to sit down and compose our
thoughts and try to communicate them clearly. In doing so, we
revealed ourselves in ways that we wouldn't in today's techno-driven
world. We are not likely to communicate openly and from the heart on
a social media site that can be read by the multitudes, or hacked
into. We've given up our intimate and private communication for the
ease and speed of computer connectedness. This contributes greatly to
feelings of loneliness and isolation, which is the paradox of being
constantly connected.
Making time to have real
conversations with trusted people is as important to overall health as
diet and exercise. We must be intentional about it. Social gab and
bar talk are not life-sustaining. But real conversation is. Like
Jesus, we could open up the possibility of soul exploration if we had
eyes to see and ears to hear.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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