A Strange View of the People Around You

Listening is kind of like lawn bowling. There must be something to it because plenty of people seem to enjoy it. But at the same time (let’s be honest) there’s virtually nothing to the look of it which seems compelling in any way. People just simply don’t line up, drooling over the day when they finally get to breach the excitement of the lawn bowling yard. Neither, it seems, are there people lining up to listen.

Yet, the more I re-imagine what listening really is, the more I’m completely fascinated with all that it can lead to. Listening creates a life-bond which allows us to benefit from experiences we’ve never had. It’s a means of transferring wisdom and insight. It’s allows us to grow at a greater rate than would be possible just with your own thinking and living, alone. It’s also a vehicle of fascination: we could (perhaps) get so taken up in someone else’s story that we are taken out of our own. Who among us couldn’t use a well deserved break from the self-imposed burden of self-fascination?

With all that in mind, what is it that makes listening so banal? Could it be that we’re all addicted to the thrill of showcasing our lives (“Hey everyone – look at me – here’s an interesting thing about me – did I tell you about me, lately?”) There is something inherently gratifying about being the center of attention. But it’s gratifying in a candy-coated, junk-food-esque kind of way, and when are those kinds of thrills ever the path that leads to health and maturity?

I’ve been pounding these lessons deeper and deeper into my own thinking and living because for two reasons. First: I’m kind of young to be doing what I’m doing professionally. So I need to get wisdom and insight beyond my years and life experience. Listening is really handy for that – and I’ve found some great people to listen to.

The second reasons comes from a recent realization: if I were Christ and I wanted to reinforce the importance of relationships, other people, humility and doing life together, then I would embed unexpected successes on the other side of insights which could only be uncovered through honestly and genuinely listening to the people around us. In other words, I would string all our best possibilities like bread crumbs along the path of taking other people seriously. It’s kind of a like a treasure trail to a better life than you knew to ask for.

What if God wants to use the people around you to create unexpected success in you (if you’d only become a highly motivated listener)? What if He buried the insights you need to uncover greater possibilities in compelling conversation? What might happen if we found the courage to take each other that seriously? There’s no telling.

Something to consider…

Chris