A thought by David Roberts from his book, Healing Conversation (p. 8). Moran James Publishing. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)
That is so true, isn't it?
He goes on, "There was a time when the church seemed to understand that they were called to be the ultimate place of hospitality where everyone who was weak or heavy burdened could find a place to rest and be restored. Churches were places where people could celebrate their spiritual paths with honesty, inclusion and love. Churches were great role models of caring hospitality and safe places for people to unburden themselves or at least, converse deeply. And, some still provide this beautifully.
"These last few decades, however, have seen more and more churches descend into places of debate over the most difficult political, social, cultural and generational issues. More and more churches are identified by which sides they choose, or what nuance they endorse. Churches and denominations are splitting apart as Bible verses are honed into weapons for the sake of proving a treasured theological point. This seems to be the priority rather than to provide a safe place for not only the weak and heavy burdened, but also for those searching and longing for self-knowledge, for understanding and for communing with others in a deeper way."
He continues, "Do you remember those squeaky swings and rocking chairs on porches, where guests or family members sat and talked, perhaps with a glass of sweet tea or lemonade? Somehow, there was all the time in the world and a comfortable space to catch up, tell stories, and just breathe together. This was a part of hospitality, to take the time to 'be' with people."
He then says, "Again, in a world where we are able to instantly communicate with anyone at any time in any place around the world, we seem to have less and less of substance to talk about. The more technologically capable we are in communicating, the less it seems we seek understanding and real conversation. On a global scale, or in our homes with our children and spouses, we seem to be losing our ability to deeply converse with each other. Are we losing touch with one another and with ourselves?
"It doesn’t matter if we’re trying to improve a relationship with a co-worker, or discussing very personal issues with our spouse, or attempting to talk to a cross-armed teenager or working through a misunderstanding with a friend. In order to communicate, we must learn to talk in ways that heal our past wounds and open the door to deeper connection."
And that is so true, isn't it"
Yes, yes!
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