Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Taking a Cue from Jesus for Listening to Presidential Debates



In Matthew 12:34 Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” About 24 years ago I was exploring this with Henri Nouwen on my own spiritual journey, and he said, “If you want to know what is in your heart, listen to what you say when you speak before you think.” I have added for myself: or what I stop myself from saying when thought catches up to speech. In the upcoming presidential debates I suggest that we listen for what the candidates say when they speak spontaneously to get an insight into their hearts. While their prepared comments may be sincere, they may also cover up or distract from what is in their hearts. The debate format allows more opportunities for such spontaneity than do orchestrated campaign events, thus may give more opportunities for insights into the candidates’ hearts.

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