Listening Question from Pat
Pat Loughery from Mt. Si Vineyard put out a question: How do you cultivate in others the spiritual discipline of listening? By listening, he means listening to others and their stories, asking about their life.
The short answer is, I don’t cultivate that in others. On the other hand, I was part of a service where the preacher talked about being in the image of God. He brought up the news story about a woman who hit a homeless person. She drove home and parked her car in the garage for three days while the man, stuck in her windshield, slowly bled out. He eventually died after friends of hers dumped the body.
The preacher maintained that this was so horrible because it disgraces the fact that this man was created in the image of God. He finished his sermon early enough so that we could talk to one another. And he exhorted us, “Remember as you talk to the people around you, getting to know them, that they–just like you, are made in God’s image.”
I thought it was beautiful. Whenever I remember the image of God imprinted is imprinted on us, I treat the other person with value, respect, and a bit of awe.
imago Dei
I see Your face in every face I see
imago Dei
Creator, You have left Your mark on me
Pat says:
June 1st, 2005 at 8:19 am
I remember that news story and how horrifying it was. Your preacher did a great job of relating it and making people deal with it! I wish I was that smart :-)