I read a great article today by Robert Hull Jr. in the Christian Standard. The Christian Standard is a weekly publication put out by the Independent Christian Church/Church of Christ. The article was called "Can We Talk?" Read
I liked it because it was right. We have a habit of labeling people and groups of people that create an immediate barrier. When we do we dismiss them without learning more about their position. Face it, we like people who are just like us. It is easy and very seldom uncomfortable.
When we live like this I see two consequences:
1. We eliminate opportunities to learn more about God and people. We see our
positions as being 100% right, 100% of the time. Personally, I have learned
more about God and people when I hang out with others who are not like me. It
is not easy most of the time, but it is rewarding. (I have a habit of being
argumenative with people who have the same background as me. I am not saying
it is right. I am saying it is something I need to work on).
2. We become arrogant. I believe arrogance stems from a persons unwillingness
to listen to the other side. Liberal or conservative, it doesn't matter.
When we always have to win. When we always think we have all the answers. We
become self-centered and arrogant.
The challenge is to expand our horizon. Hang out with people who are not like you. Listen to why they think the way they do without being argumentative. You might just learn something about God, other people and yourself. Ask then, "Can We Talk?"
1 comment:
So true. My grandpa Houchins was a true cracker barrel philosopher. He had 10 children and as they reached adulthood, they had various experiences. One went to UCLA, one to WVU, one to the university of Tennessee, one was a women pilot in WWII, one was a warden of a women's Federal Prison and other varied lives. When they got together at my Grandpa's house, there were always differences of opinion on any topic that was picked. My Grandpa had a rule: if you raised your voice, you automatically lost the argument. His reason was that raising the voice was to shout down a differing opinion, not to discuss it.
I learned from that to listen to the opinions of others, and to make my decisions.
No matter what is our opinion, we can learn from others. Either, how to find logical arguments to oppose them or to learn how our opinion might be lacking. Let's learn to talk!
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