Recently I had a conversation with an almost-grown up that I hadn’t talked to in some time. The more I listened, the more concerned I became. He seemed determined to bring up every subject that we used to agree on so that he could tell me he now thought differently.
Later, I wished I had asked him two crucial questions: Why do you believe that? Who told you that? In one instance, he told me that something I’d read had been proven to be a scam.
When I got home, I Googled that issue and discovered that many reputable sources had printed in its entirety the item I’d quoted, showing that it was not a scam. I searched online and could find nothing about something he’d quoted.
We live in a time when there is a plethora of information available, and it’s imperative that we make sure our sources are valid. Most of the mainstream media are not reliable, and many of the things they report are taken out of context or slanted to fit in with their political bent. Many networks have become a wing of one of the political parties.
I remember a conversation I had some years ago with a member of our extended family. I told her, “It all depends on who you listen to and who you believe. Unfortunately, you and I have chosen to listen to and to believe different sources.”
This reminds me of Matthew 10:36 A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. Expressing one’s beliefs or telling someone the truth has become “hate speech.”
I don’t suggest stirring up disagreements around the Thanksgiving dinner table, but if someone expresses an opinion that I believe is wrong, I want to become more skillful at saying in a conversational tone, Why do you believe that? Who told you that?
On our trips to and from Japan, I always prayed that God would put someone beside me who would be willing to talk about their spiritual beliefs. I often found that asking them questions was the best way to earn the right to share what I believed.
Years ago when my friends and I were at a women’s conference far from home, we were seated in a crowded restaurant and a gentleman joined my friend and me at our table. I don’t remember exactly how the subject of our beliefs came up, but every time the gentleman tried to talk about his beliefs, my friend talked over him. My role became to say again and again, “Let him talk, Susie (not her real name).”
Why do we think that as Christians, we don’t need to give non-Christians the opportunity to talk about their beliefs? We shouldn’t check our manners at the door when witnessing.
Last night after we watched the ceremony for presenting Charlie Kirk’s Presidential Medal of Freedom to Erika Kirk, I told Donn, “I’m so sad that I didn’t know who Charlie Kirk was until after he died. I think I could have learned so much from him.” He was so good at dialoguing with people about their beliefs, listening to them and expressing his own. I pray that in addition to being taught the importance of learning the truth, this is a skill the younger generation will learn in the more than 120,000 Turning Point USA chapters that are being formed. Our Country needs to learn once again the art of disagreeing peacefully.
Father, I pray for an outpouring of the Spirit of Truth in the precious Country which we love. I pray for discernment to guide us to whom we should listen and to recognize whether or not the words we’re listening to are the truth. Amen.