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| image from behance.net |
Proverbs 18:13 To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.
This writing is an
encouragement for us to hear each other out rather than pounce upon someone
when we hear them speak a word or phrase that we can then grab and use as a
means to attack them.
Example…a few years ago I was attending a
meeting when a fellow was describing a situation, and he innocently used the
term “those” as in “those people”. He did not use the term with a pejorative
tone as in those people. He obviously used the word as an identifier. As
in…”those cars in those parking lots are driven by those people who work in
those factories”.
Noting pejorative.
But someone in the group,
having heard the words, “those people”, immediately pounced upon him accusing
him of exhibiting social disdain.
It was obvious that the
pouncer had embedded a meaning in those words which the speaker had not
intended.
If the pouncer had
dismounted from their high horse of condescension long enough to hear the
speaker out, the pouncer might have understood the context and point of the
speaker.
It’s easy, especially
when we are ‘on the edge of our seat’looking for it, to find an opportunity
upon which we can ponce and denounce someone.
Especially in this season
of partisan political bickering… let’s all dismount from our high horses, hear
each other out, and maybe discover a fresh idea.
