Quick to Listen

Proverbs 18 reinforces the idea that we should gain information first - through careful listening,
before we attempt to speak and address an issue. We can read:
12 Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility.
13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.
14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?
15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

There are some wonderful lessons here that we can apply in order to do effective ministry - humility is necessary when we are attempting to share the love of Christ and apply His truth in a situation. We are cautioned against drawing quick conclusions, and we are affirmed in gaining knowledge.  The Bible also teaches us that knowledge without love can make us arrogant, but if we are listening to another person, motivated by the love of Christ, we can gain understanding, so that we can say what the Lord would intend.

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In James chapter 1, the Bible shows us a progression regarding how we can engage with others - it
says:
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Last night, a documentary was premiered on Facebook Live that examines how God is working in the aftermath of the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis four weeks ago today.  A Facebook post embedded in a CBN.com article said:

In the midst of all the pain, confusion, and unrest, there is an incredible glimmer of hope that is being sparked as the body of Christ is responding with compassion and love. This is a film that aims to answer, in part, what the church can do to respond to the cries of our nation for justice and racial equality.

The filmmaker's name is Andrew Chalmers - he felt that God was leading him to observe what he saw on the streets after Floyd's death.  Unsure of how to respond, he believed that God was directing him to visit JT Thomas in Ferguson, MO, where, according to the article, "the two men spent several days filming their conversations with faith leaders who were sharing the gospel on the streets."

Then they went to Minneapolis, and Chalmers made this observation: "So many people are coming together in this place. People of different faiths, backgrounds - people that look different are flooding the corners and just loving on each other," adding, "In this city, there was a lot of riots...a lot of bad was going on but churches have landed here in the heart of this and are really demonstrating the love of Christ."

The film is called, We Hear You, and Andrew sensed that the first thing he needed to do in these turbulent situations was to listen; he related, "One of the main themes of the whole film is that God would give us His heart. I think one of the most dangerous things we can have as Christians is a lack of empathy and turning off our emotions. I believe Jesus would respond the opposite. He would lean into the pain as opposed to turning away."

The CBN article states:

Over the five days of filming the documentary, the director saw grief-stricken people begin to heal.

"With God's love and an open ear, I'm able to see healing begin," he said. "I'm learning to engage with those who are hurting rather than turning the other way. I'm discovering that there are opportunities to share the gospel in the midst of that pain."

He went on to say: "These moments are powerful times to share the gospel with those who are hurting and promote positive changes in our society. Right now, people are searching for answers and longing for hope. The church is the hope and the light of the world. There is no issue or darkness that is too great for the light of Jesus Christ in us and through us..."

Andrew Chalmers has captured an essential truth of the Christian life.  So often we want to speak, but we may miss the point.  We have to be willing to listen, as James 1 directs us.  When we close our mouths, open our ears, and open our hearts, we can gather the right information about which the Spirit can give us understanding.  Then we can be the responders whom God needs in order to accomplish His purposes.

We all have opinions - that can be a gift of God or it can be a tool of the enemy.   We have to make sure our opinions are centered on Scripture and based on correct information or intel.  If we speak before listening, we may get the facts wrong, which will influence our opinions in the wrong direction, which will cause us to say the wrong things and could actually bring division rather than healing.  Ultimately, restoration should be our goal, as people respond to the love of Christ working through us.