FROM THE EDITOR
INVOCATION HEARING VOICES hoever has ears, let them hear.” – Jesus (Mark 4:9 and elsewhere). with my perspective on nearly everything! Like most of us, I have Throughout the semester, I found myself practiced selective moving from a defensive posture to a posture hearing. Whether it of truly trying to hear his perspective and to involves arguments or expand the way I think about my faith. tasks that I am simply not inclined to do at While I never saw completely eye to eye the moment, I have used a filter that only lets with this professor, I did benefit from really in those things I want to hear. listening to his perspective, and for years While this filtering can provide he became the one professor with whom I temporary comfort and relief from interacted consistently long after college. We responsibility, this ultimately results in continued to disagree on some issues, but isolation and ignorance. Failure to truly we learned to truly listen to one another and engage and hear another person isolates grow in appreciation and respect. me from him or her in other ways, even if Later, in seminary, I read the work we are in the same room. Furthermore, the of controversial theologians including more isolated I become in my own thinking, James H. Cone, the modern founder of the more ignorant I become regarding the Black Liberation Theology. Cone’s bold changing needs of others, including their and often controversial style and message perspective on key issues. originally put me in a defensive mode and God created human beings for even offended me many times! I once threw community, and throughout a James Cone book across the Bible, God is portrayed the room of my office in A P r ay e r o f I n v o c at i o n : as one who seeks ongoing frustration. However, when conversation: God wants I picked the book back up O G od : to be heard. Jesus Christ, and tried my best to interact Y ou created all people in your image . God incarnate, is called with his work, I developed a W e thank you for the astonishing “The Word” (John 1:1). God greater appreciation for the variet y is speaking in a variety of struggles and interpretive of races and cultures in this world . ways throughout Scripture, approach Cone advocated E nrich our lives by ever - widening most clearly through His for throughout his long and circles of friendship , Son (Hebrews 1:1), but that esteemed career. and show us your presence is not the only way God I found out later that in those who differ most from us , speaks. God, by the Holy what I was doing was called until our knowledge of your love is Spirit, speaks through His “suspended disbelief,” or, made perfect people, through nature, and a “willing suspension of in our love for all your children ; even through circumstances. disbelief.” This phrase is through your S on , J esus C hrist our While He has spoken most strongly identified with L ord . A men . clearly through Scripture ( from T he L utheran B ook of W orship ) Samuel Taylor Coleridge and and through Jesus Christ, with theologian Paul Tillich. God can use both those who It involves temporarily are like us and those who are not like us to suspending my own views and critiques long teach us something. enough to thoughtfully and fully engage the My first academic encounter with this ideas and views of others. This allows me reality came through a professor I had to get closer to their perspectives than my in my first year of college who disagreed
"W
continued on page 4
GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 3
