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The silent listener

The silent listener

The silent listener

6 November 2022

A similar wall hanging with this quote was prominent in my grandparents’ house as I was growing up.

By Dean Simpson

I have a childhood memory of a wall hanging in my grandparents’ house that clearly stated: “Christ is the head of this house, the unseen guest at every meal, the silent listener to every conversation.” 

I didn’t mind the bit about Christ being in charge or even eating with us, but a silent listener to every conversation ... gulp! 

Every time I walked into my grandparents’ house, I’d glance at that quote on the wall and make sure I watched what I said – even to my younger brothers – lest I be struck by lightning. 

Even now, whenever I see that quote in my mind, I subconsciously sit up straight and strain to recall every conversation I’ve had over the past few days. Funny, isn’t it, how a simple saying can impact you? And the thing was, my grandparents were a solid example in adhering to that quote in their everyday lives. 

That quote, and my grandparents’ example, taught me throughout my childhood and into adulthood to be measured about how I respond to people and how I treat them, particularly in times of stress or potential confrontation. “If Jesus is listening to this conversation, do I really want to say this or that?” 

I suppose it’s why I’ve always been challenged by the Old Testament book of Proverbs, particularly passages about how we react in conversations. Verses like: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1), or The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4). 

I admit that I have failed many times to live up to King Solomon’s words of wisdom. Conversations that have started out okay, especially in a secular work environment, have often degenerated into putting other people down, slipped into the realm of deceitfulness, or descended into innuendo and slander. It’s not a nice feeling, and I’ve sometimes had to ask for God’s forgiveness later or apologise to someone I’ve perhaps offended. 

And it doesn’t even have to be a conversation. In a culture obsessed with self and social media, it has become easier to fire off a quick response to anything that mildly offends. Bullying, backstabbing and belittling have reached plague proportions, all from a device in the palm of your hand. 

Personal motto 

WWJDA typical What Would Jesus Do bracelet that was popular in the 1990s. An acronym just as challenging would be W.W.J.H (What Would Jesus Hear).

A catchy acronym adopted by Christians worldwide is WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). The acronym rose to popularity in the 1990s when I was a youth worker with the Salvos. It became a personal motto for followers of Jesus, who used the phrase as a reminder of their beliefs and to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through their actions. Christians often wore a bracelet or wristband emblazoned with WWJD. 

What if we all adopted a similar acronym: WWJH (What Would Jesus Hear?) and incorporated it into our lives? 

Wise King Solomon once wrote: “A person’s words can be life-giving water – words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook” (Proverbs 18:4). 

Words can either build up, encourage or motivate, or they can hurt, tear down or leave someone with lasting scars.  

I don’t have my grandparents’ wall hanging in my house, but I can confidently say that Christ is the head of my household. And as a father of a 20-year-old and a 17-year-old, my hope is that my children hear words of encouragement and support as they go out into the world each day. 

If Christ was a silent listener to every conversation you had today, what would he hear? 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

  1. Priscilla Gyamena
    Priscilla Gyamena

    I have pondered on this saying ever since I first saw it in a friend of my mom's house. I was a child then but I still loved it. I wish that Christ will always hear good words from me if he were a silent listener to my conversation.

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