From Deep Listening to Deep Seeing…
One fun thing about being part of a podcast is that it is only very loosely scripted and you find yourself saying things you don’t expect. While sometimes they are in the “I shouldn’t have said that” category, I’ve also had really pleasing moments when I’ve thought, “gosh, that was good. Did I really say that?” My recent Stirrers and Saints Podcast on “Mary – A Leader from the second chair” has one of those moments. Jen, Jon and I were talking about the importance of deep listening, and while totally agreeing with the value of...
Read MoreAsking Questions Like Jesus…
Don’t know if you were ever caught up in the WWJD quest – that’s “what would Jesus do” if the initials don’t immediately speak to you. It’s a good question, and it’s only possible to answer it if we look seriously at the WDJD query – what did Jesus do? When it comes to what Jesus did do, we know a few things for sure – he taught, he healed, he provoked, he forgave, he challenged. He lived, he died and he rose again. And so much more. Part of the so much more that doesn’t always get a look in is the way Jesus asked and answered...
Read MoreIlluminator or Diminisher?
I recently watched a YouTube talk in which David Brooks discusses his new book How to Know a Person – which explores listening to and seeing others well. It is filled with deep insights, but one especially struck me. Brooks asks if we are essentially illuminators or diminishers in our conversations. Naturally he elaborates. He suggests there are those who listen to reply, often to top what has been said, or to claim the same experience but more so. They take hold of conversations to redirect them to their agenda. They are not necessarily intending to be rude, but they prefer to be the...
Read MoreSabbath as restoring or restorying?
Perhaps the title of this post is a little too clever, but it started as a throw away question in a podcast I was half listening to while going through my paces at the gym. My location is important, as it meant I was trying to follow a thoughtful discussion whilst gasping for breath and wondering if I would still be alive in ten minutes. In other words, I might well have missed the subtlety of the argument, but it did set me thinking. So what was the speaker getting at when asking if the Sabbath is primarily about restoring or restorying? I think the implication was that when most people...
Read MoreThe Case for Mercy…
I have been working my way through the Beatitudes and surprised myself by pausing for longer than usual at the 5th: “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy” (Matt 5:7). Why surprised? Well I’ve always assumed this one was not a struggle for me. I’m not a vindictive person and I deeply understand that life is often not easy and that it’s not uncommon for people to make decisions they later deeply regret. I’m more than sympathetic in such situations and am willing to give people a second or even third chance. So there you go. I am merciful, and I could conclude that this...
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