A new commandment has slipped into the Gospel.
Christians throw it around all the time.
Listen.
Don’t speak.
Don’t offer advice.
Certainly don’t preach.
Just listen.
Hear people out.
Understand them.
It’s the newest
(and therefore, THE BEST)
way to emulate Jesus.
A quick read through the New Testament…
Never mind. Don’t bother.
Just take my word for it.
Jesus was a great listener.
Never offered advice.
Never criticized.
Beautiful.
When the meth addict* tells me her struggles,
…Hair falling out.
…Skin covered in open sores.
…Mouth full of rotted teeth and bleeding gums.
…Trembling paranoia.
I’m just going to listen.
Understand her.
Give her a few bucks.
She’s hurting.
She needs her next fix.
Doesn’t need judgment from the likes of me.
I’ve never walked in her shoes.
Can’t judge.
Instead, I’ll take the high road.
Do the noble thing.
The loving thing.
Just listen.
Like Jesus.
* Meth addict is used as a metaphor for any self destructive behavior. I won’t refer to such behavior as ‘sin’ because that’s very judgmental and unkind but I don’t want meth addicts to feel like I’m saying they are worse than, cocaine addicts or heroine addicts or even alcoholics. Not that there is anything wrong with being an addict at all but that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
