Devotion: Public Attention
Take a moment to read this weekend’s scripture: Romans 8:5-9
I went to school to be a journalist. I was taught to look for the truth. Not just opinion but the deeper reality that sits beneath both sides. One thing I learned is that truth rarely shouts. It often whispers. Which means you can’t be talking to hear it.
It’s always been my nature to try to find the middle ground. This is the space where perspectives overlap and understanding can begin. But lately, it’s hard for me to hear that space. We’ve all just gotten louder. So many are shouting to be right that we’ve lost our ability to listen.
Pastor Sarah told us in her sermon that Romans reminds us that when we live by the flesh, we focus on ourselves. But we live by the Spirit, our attention shifts outward toward one another. This is where community is built and our understanding of each other grows.
Somewhere along the way, so many of us started treating one another like opponents instead of neighbors. Maybe we forgot that disagreement doesn’t have to mean division. In reality every one of us wants to see our families safe, our communities thriving and our country strong. The details of how we get there will differ, but the heart behind it often isn’t so far apart.
Our calling shouldn’t be to win every debate, but to find the good we can build together. Can we start where there’s a shared purpose instead of lingering on the points that divide?
Sheridan does an amazing job of volunteering side by side, breaking bread with someone who votes differently and choosing kindness over the last word. But we all can do better, especially beyond our walls.
Maybe the invitation is simply this. Stop shouting, start listening and let the Spirit speak in the silence.
Dear God,
Quiet the noise within and around me. Help me listen. Not just to reply, but to understand. Tune my ears to hear Your whisper in the voices of others. Teach me to seek connection over correction, and to pay attention to building my community.
Amen.
Written by Randy Hawthorne
Having a rivaled human network, Randy makes it his personal mission to connect those humans to their next big thing. Randy has decades of experience in the nonprofit industry, having served as a professional and volunteer in a variety of organizations.
He enjoys mentoring students and entrepreneurs, occasionally makes his way to a theater stage, geeks out on local history and goes on dining adventures.