![]() No one needs a Bible verse to make the case. Although there is no clear Bible verse that condemns slavery in all its iterations, it is in fact possible to logically ground the belief that slavery is always evil. So, a great question for my own self-reflection is, “Can I talk reasonably about this belief if I don’t have a verse for it?” An example is contemporary Christian thinking on owning other human beings, aka, slavery. We are looking to extend conversations and understanding, not abruptly end them. For some people, appealing to scripture is a non-starter. This may be counterintuitive, but it is ok to have conversations about deep matters of belief without attributing the position to God or scripture. Conversations do not always have to appeal directly to theology or the Bible to be faithful and beneficial.If you are like me, this is something I need prayer for every day. But it takes practice and determination to listen to someone and end with “thank you,” or a further question, instead of speaking over them or dismissing them. People are less likely to listen or read to the end of a social media post (especially in comments), somewhat more likely to complete long format interviews or books, and much more likely in person. It is hard to resist employing absolutes. ![]() It is hard to listen to people without interrupting. Knowing this is not the same as mastering it.
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