Know this, my beloved brothers; let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
James 1:19

“Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren begins with listening to them.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Do I hear you?
Or do I only hear your voice?
Not the words between the words
and emotion conveyed
not the words left out
for fear of their weight.
Do I hear your concern
and mix it with my own,
or do I rush to correct
with an errant tone?
Do my thoughts replace what I might learn
because I’m anxiously waiting my turn?

© Joel Tipple 11/13/2018