As we look at the world around us we can see a lot of turbulence, is it more than usual? No idea, but I bet, it feels like it! The challenges that people face in life can be difficult enough as it is but this year everything and everyone seems edgier than usual. There’s lots of frustration and anger. In this post I asked two questions:

1. How can we develop a ‘sober-mind’ as we deal with the big issues of our day?
2. How can we develop patience as we engage with those that may think radically differently?

And I got a great response that I thought I’d share with you. There was an encouragement to treat each person we meet with dignity and honour but in response to the first question it was very simple – “Be slow to speak and quick to listen.”

So here is another question, which I’d love to hear your thoughts. Why is that so hard? Why do we find it SO hard to show people the honour of listening to them?

Let me know what you think.

These thoughts took me to the third chapter of the book of James, and he’s pretty hard on the dangers of the tongue. He calls it a ‘restless evil, full of deadly poison’ and through it’s boasting, lies, cursing and foolishness a fire. From HELL!! It’s strong stuff, you should read it.

But then at the end of the chapter James seems to calm down and remind us, ‘that’s not you’, ‘that’s not who you are’ and we have access to heavenly wisdom and it looks like this:

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17)

And guess what? Those who live like that, reap a harvest of righteousness (verse 18).

So as you live alongside people full of fury and frustration may you remember that through Jesus Christ we have an ocean of peace to put out the wildfires that have been started.