How is creativity part of how we listen to one another?

What would it look like if Peoples people really listened to each other? What kind of culture could we create? Our Sacred Listening Initiative is well under way. (If you haven’t yet been contacted by a listener, you can expect that you will be soon.)

So HOW are we listening and WHAT are we listening for? Conversation is a creative act. Many decisions are made along the way about what to ask and what to tell. Some of us (ahem, looking at myself) are enthusiastic sharers and are very willing to tell our stories and to insert our own thoughts into conversations.

While the instinct to share is not inherently bad or wrong, it can have an impact on the other person feeling truly heard.

Most of us are interested in the lives, thoughts, and passions of others, but don’t always feel comfortable asking those courageous and curious questions.

Imagine a church culture where the questions we ask each other go beyond the usual polite banter. Now imagine how this type of connectedness might impact our other friendships, work relationships, even family dynamics.

Let’s challenge ourselves to find creative ways to deepen our connections to each other and to those in our communities. 

Tips for Deep Listening:

• Listen more than talk

• Ask open-ended, curious, and courageous questions, including follow-up questions

• Repeat or paraphrase what is said for validation  

• Be mindful of non-verbal cues like body-language and tone 

• No JABs! (Judgement, Advice, Blaming)

Laura McGraw, Chair of Sacred LIstening Team