Maybe You're Not Hitler

As it happens each New Years Day, people engage in the making of resolutions.  What is it about your life that you plan on changing in the coming year.  Sure, most of these are over before the end of the Rose Parade, but still we make them.  In the spirit of continual improvement, I would like to offer a resolution for all of us.  Each individual and across society as a whole, we should all resolve to listen more and talk less.

Throughout our society people are quick to give opinions and slow to listen to the opinions of others.  This doesn't change when you consider the expertise that a person has in a given area.  We treat the man on the street interview with the same credibility as overwhelming scientific research.  And it doesn't matter because we aren't listening.  We are waiting our turn to speak.

Political talk shows are the perfect embodiment of this effect.  Have you ever watched the McLaughlin Group?  It is a PBS talk show involving a moderator and pundits who spend most of the half hour talking over each other.   It is one of several like this on the different channels.  Just once, wouldn't you like to see someone present their side of an argument and the other speaker say, "You know, I've never really thought of it that way.  Maybe you're right." And with that, the show is over.

Lack of listening to others is a problem that we all face.  Think about this.  When was the last time that you were talking about an issue with someone else and your opinion was changed as a result.  Think about it.  We interact with people all of the time.  We offer out opinion of social and political causes, the merits of Obamacare, gun policies, immigration reform, affirmative action.  The other person speaks theirs and no one is different.  Our news shows repeat our points of view and discount the opposition, and we tend to do the same.

Do you know what happens when you listen?  I mean really listen.  I mean open up your mind and think this person speaking is an intelligent thoughtful person with something to say.  You walk away thinking that the other person is not crazy, foolish or immoral.  They are not the reincarnation of Hitler.  They just have a different point of view.  

Take a divisive issue in our country like gun control/gun rights.  Both sides want to feel safe.  Both sides want liberty and freedom.  Both sides want good things for their families and their children to grow up in a world that is safe.  One side thinks the bast way to do this is to remove  guns from society and the other thinks it would be better if more people had guns.  Both sides have similar goals.  Both sides involve good people who want the best for this country and society as a whole.  Neither side is either trying to take over the country nor destroy it.  If we spent more time listening and less time talking, we would all know this.

As Christians we should be the stars of listening.  We are called to spread the Good news.  There is no way to do this with out communicating.  We would be better to find out why people believe what they do. 

Watch this clip from Pastor Sparks.

When we listen to other people remember that this person is not the opposition. They are a person who is important to God and loved by God.  Therefore, they should be important to me as well.  

Be it resolved, in 2015 we should all listen more and talk less.