I love when you hear a lyric in a song as though you are hearing it for the first time.
I was walking to a meeting this morning with my iPod on shuffle when an Editors song came on. For me that’s always a good thing. The song was Smokers Outside The Hospital from their An End Has A Start album. It’s a great song which I’ve listened to many times but a line stood out this morning:
“I can’t believe you if I can’t hear you.”
Maybe it’s because I’ve been thinking about communication over the past few days but I noticed the line in a way I never have before, maybe it’s because I wasn’t thinking about anything else than the song or maybe it was something else but today I heard it.
It fired all kinds of thoughts about evangelism in all it’s forms and how and when we hear things. I often wonder not just how we tell the Good News but about who we tell it to and where.
‘I can’t believe you if I can’t hear you‘ seems to say something about the need for us to tell in a number of ways and in places that people will hear but perhaps it also says something about how and when we listen.
I’ve listened to that song 16 times according to iTunes but I’ve never heard those lyrics until today. Today, for whatever reason, I was ready to hear.
Didn’t Jesus say something about letting those who have ears hear? What are you saying and is anyone listening? And more importantly, do they hear you?
love this. I think this line is the right question, “What are you saying and is anyone listening?” Seems so many people are interested in talking but not so much in listening. Yes, do they hear you but also do you hear them? Are you so wrapped up in what you want to say that you completely miss who they are and what they are going through. Getting wrapped up in getting OUT the message of Jesus often leads to people talking over another. I think listening….deep listening….first allows you to really see someone before speaking and once you see them they will feel valued and want to listen.