One by One, Face to Face
The reflection by Rev. Jeanne Randall-Bodman presented on Sunday, November 3, 2024.
“This practice of loving, one by one, face to face starts with seeing and it continues with attending to the other person’s words; by asking questions rather than assuming we know who they are already, which is so easy to do in a culture where we label each other out of fear. We often assume we can intuit another person’s perspectives by the bumper stickers on the car, by the way they dress, by their zip code, but you can’t always. We have to ask. We have to ask how do you see life, what are you experiencing right now. And then we have to attend to the conversation, we have to pay attention as the conversation unfolds. This is true with our most well-known and beloved ones, and it’s true with our neighbors; it’s true when we are wanting to stand as allies with people in the fight for justice. We love best, when we listen best; when we listen for how the other person is experiencing the world instead of assuming we already know…
“And of course I’ve been thinking about this, about what it means to love people during this painful election season. I have to work hard not to assume the worst motives for people whose political positions I find abhorrent.”
Liberating Words:
Isaiah 25: 6-9
Revelation 21: 1-6