The silent listener
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The silent listener
6 November 2022
A similar wall hanging with this quote was prominent in my grandparents’ house as I was growing up.
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
A 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?
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