I recently read a very interesting book, entitled "Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling", by Edgar H. Schein. No, this isn't a theology book. If we classified it, it might be more of a business management style book at heart. However, the author does indeed raise some very intriguing points that I believe we are wise to think about as Christians.
Basically, Dr. Schein writes about how we live in a "tell" society. Think about your conversations. Don't we spend more time telling others what we think, what we have seen, what our thoughts are, and the like, rather than asking what others think, or how others percieve things? Truth be told, I have even seen this in myself, where I am part of a conversation, and as someone else is talking, I'm already thinking about the next thing I want to say rather than listening to what they are saying. I really do believe this is one of the signs of being raised in a "tell" culture.
Instead, what Dr. Schein proposes is to be more inquiring when it comes to conversations in any and all situations. Instead of a "tell" culture, he calls for developing an "ask" culture. Okay, so what does that look like. Imagine having a conversation where the other person genuinely is interested in what you are saying, is asking questions that show that they are truly paying attention, and aren't interested in telling you what they think or what their experiences are. That would be something like what Dr. Schein would propose.
Sounds good, right? Who doesn't want others to have a genuine interest in what they say or think? And here is where I think this connects with our Christian faith. Instead of "telling" others what we have that they are missing, or "telling" them where they are straying from God's will and design, what if we asked questions with a genuine interest in discovering what led them to the place in life that they happen to be in? We might discover a lot of connection points with our God and our Christian faith. We might discover that they aren't as far "out there" as we might think. We may even discover that, since we have shown a genuine interest in them, they may also return the favor and show interest in us. What possibilities might that hold for us to speak of our Savior, our God, and our faith?
As I read through the Gospels, I find Jesus asking a lot of questions and listening intently to the people He conversed with. In this instance, I would suggest that scientific study and research has done nothing more than uncovered what God has shown us all along. Listening and building the relationship will go much further than pretty much any form of us "telling" them what they are missing. And who knows? That just might create a new relationship between that person and their Savior, Jesus, as we open our ears and show genuine interest in others more.
Basically, Dr. Schein writes about how we live in a "tell" society. Think about your conversations. Don't we spend more time telling others what we think, what we have seen, what our thoughts are, and the like, rather than asking what others think, or how others percieve things? Truth be told, I have even seen this in myself, where I am part of a conversation, and as someone else is talking, I'm already thinking about the next thing I want to say rather than listening to what they are saying. I really do believe this is one of the signs of being raised in a "tell" culture.
Instead, what Dr. Schein proposes is to be more inquiring when it comes to conversations in any and all situations. Instead of a "tell" culture, he calls for developing an "ask" culture. Okay, so what does that look like. Imagine having a conversation where the other person genuinely is interested in what you are saying, is asking questions that show that they are truly paying attention, and aren't interested in telling you what they think or what their experiences are. That would be something like what Dr. Schein would propose.
Sounds good, right? Who doesn't want others to have a genuine interest in what they say or think? And here is where I think this connects with our Christian faith. Instead of "telling" others what we have that they are missing, or "telling" them where they are straying from God's will and design, what if we asked questions with a genuine interest in discovering what led them to the place in life that they happen to be in? We might discover a lot of connection points with our God and our Christian faith. We might discover that they aren't as far "out there" as we might think. We may even discover that, since we have shown a genuine interest in them, they may also return the favor and show interest in us. What possibilities might that hold for us to speak of our Savior, our God, and our faith?
As I read through the Gospels, I find Jesus asking a lot of questions and listening intently to the people He conversed with. In this instance, I would suggest that scientific study and research has done nothing more than uncovered what God has shown us all along. Listening and building the relationship will go much further than pretty much any form of us "telling" them what they are missing. And who knows? That just might create a new relationship between that person and their Savior, Jesus, as we open our ears and show genuine interest in others more.
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