Canton Church of the Brethren

Scenes of Annual and District Conferences are also etched on my mind. By the time the business sessions of conferences get underway, delegates are usually seated and attentive. A few stragglers always arrive a bit late. Yet, even at conferences I see mini conversations taking place during business sessions. These conversations sometimes are taking place among two or three of the seated delegates. At other times, small groups of non-delegates are seen in various locations holding side conversations.

Some questions come to mind from the two scenarios above. Are those who are not attentive to the business-at-hand able to make fully informed decisions? Are the sidebar conversations relevant to the business being discussed or are such conversations for the purpose of moving forward another agenda?

I wonder if the inattentiveness alluded to above contributes to the difficulties we have in our public and theological discourse. Until good listening skills are utilized, I’m concerned that important pieces of information within the main conversation may be and/or are missed. This missed information could be the key to misunderstandings, thus public and theological discourse then leans toward violence rather than vitality.

I realize that practiced attentiveness will not lead to conformity, nor is that what I desire. I hope, though, that it leads to transformation. Transformation is a process whereby the diversity of thought moves us in directions beyond our strongly internalized ideas. But, the diversity will only transform us and the way forward if we attentively listen to each other.

So maybe the way forward to a more civilized and transformative public and theological discourse is to speak less and listen more.