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About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman A
Coherent Community One lesson we fail to
learn from the Genesis creation account is that humanity was created to
exist within functional communal relationships with both God and with each
other. Our failure to listen
to God's will in this respect disrupted our relationship with Him and with
each other, as we read in Genesis 3. Failure
to listen to God and to each other inevitably creates an incoherent
communal experience, whether it's the community of marriage, family,
church or nation. Listening is a learned
skill needing our undivided attention.
It is basic to a productive conversation, effective communication
and a functional community. It's
just not basic to us as human beings. How often have I been in
a conversation, for example, with someone where I specifically respond to
what I hear him speak to me, only for him to not respond to my response.
He, instead, just carries on with his train of thought as if I had
said nothing at all. Maybe he
might have heard my voice but he failed to listen to my words.
He is pre-occupied with himself and what he is saying.
Such an obsession leads to an incoherent conversation resulting in
failed communication. If this
persists, the communal experience will fail as well. When I think about
listening, I always recall James 1:19.
"My dear brothers
and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow
to speak and slow to become angry,"
Unjustified anger
disrupts a conversation and the spirit of community.
It is why James told us to be quick to listen and slow to speak.
These two Greek infinitive verbal phrases tell us that being quick
to listen and slow to speak are actions we do that are meant to accomplish
a stated goal, which in this case would be a productive conversation that
enhances our communal experience. Listening is of great
importance, as noted in one of my favourite songs from the 1980's sung by
Mike and the Mechanics. Their
song entitled "In The Living Years" concerns a failed father son
relationship due to the son's inability to listen to his father.
Admittedly the son heard his father's voice, but hearing isn't
listening, and thus the lyric, "you can listen as well as you
hear." I think James
would have loved this song. Whether it's the
community of marriage, family, church, or nation, learning to listen as
well as we hear is primary for a coherent community that was God's will
for us at creation. Postscript
Thinking about listening
and communal coherency, it's a bit ironic that two hours before my pastor
and friend preached on listening to God last Sunday, I thought to write an
article about listening that includes Psalm 46:10.
"He [God] says, 'Be
still, and know that I
am God; I
will be exalted among the nations, I
will be exalted in the earth.'" Being still requires a
quiet, uncluttered, selfless state of mind that enables us to listen.
If we can be still, we will be able to listen to God telling us
that He will be exalted far above our incoherent earthly nations.
I suggest that's a prophetic word for us who are God's community
existing in our incoherent nations.
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