Listening for our unity

As a young pastor I was filled with presumptions about people to whom I'd never listened. When I did, I frequently was startled by their faith and dignity amid circumstances beyond my grasp.

They blessed me with a gift I neither sought nor deserved: I began to love them, not the least for the lilt of the Spirit I heard in their voices. It was a gift I received simply by listening.

Listening, with the hope of receiving this gift, is what I most want for our church.

There is an ongoing struggle regarding the limits of faithful diversity within the ELCA that threatens to divide us.