Dear Friends,
I love being around open people, those who are open to fresh ideas
and who are willing to explore new ways of looking at things.
Being open means you possess a willingness to hear both sides of a
story. You are willing to have your mind changed as you listen and hear
another’s perspectives.
People who possess open ears and an open heart attract people like
a magnate. People feel comfortable being around them, and even if they have
different perspectives, they learn and benefit by listening to another’s point
of view. It doesn’t mean that they will always agree with another’s
perspective, but it does mean they will listen and work hard to understand how
the other person feels.
It has been said that listening and love are so close to one
another that they are almost indistinguishable. When a person is heard, he or she
feels loved and love transcends those differences and in the end their
friendship is strengthened even though they may still hold opposing
opinions.
Our digital world has changed the way we do business. It has
provided comfort and convenience, but in so doing we run the risk of
sacrificing relationships.
Today we are more personally separated than ever, and separation
and isolation are never healthy in the workplace, or in the church. We need
each other, and while telephones and computers can still connect us, there is
no substitute for in person, face to face relationships.
While churches may find digital worship a convenience, and it may
provide opportunities for more people to watch your services, it can never
replace that in person hug, or that warm embrace. You can’t taste the
salt in another’s tears from some computer screen.
Years ago, the slogan MBWA (Management by Walking Around) was
coined. The idea may have begun in one large corporation where the president
spent a couple hours each morning walking around the workplace getting to know
his workers and making himself available to them. In doing so, he listened with
both his ears and his heart to hear his workers’ hurts, problems and concerns
as well as their ideas for improving their workplace. In doing so he gets to
not only know them, but their families as well and a bond if formed between him
and his employees.
It has been said that to listen is so close to love that the two
are almost indistinguishable. When people are heard they feel loved and cared
for, and when they feel loved and cared for, they become more productive, and
both they and the company benefits. It a win win situation for all.
In today’s digital world, it is important for all of us to be on
the lookout for ways to enhance relationships. We must never allow comfort and
convenience to transcend the need for in person-to-person relationships.
The bottom line is that whether we
connect digitally or in person, we need to recognize our need to be available
and accessible to one another. When this happens, relationships are strengthened,
and trust is built, and everyone is the beneficiary.
In all our relationships, whether
personal or digital, we need to keep in mind the words of the Apostle Paul who
wrote “Be completely humble, bearing with one another in love. Make every
opportunity to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:2-3
Yours in faith and friendship
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