The Rector’s Letter
September 2009
Dear Friends,
I don’t know how
many of you have an old fashioned telephone. I’m not talking
receiver-sitting-in-cradle-and-use-a-finger-to-turn-the-dial 700 series GPO sort
of telephone. No, I’m talking older old-fashioned. I’m talking a tall, elegant,
just an earpiece to lift off the hook sort of telephone. The very sort that
Agatha Christie types would speak into conversing in classically clipped tones:
‘Pendlebury three, two, two: lady of the house speaking’ just prior to a blood
curdling scream emanating from the Scullery. We’ve got one of these phones next
to the loo. Probably more information than you either needed or wanted. But we
have.
The room used to
be a bedroom. It’s been changed into a bathroom but the telephone point was left
intact and it just so happened to be where the loo was going to be situated. We
also had a spare telephone. Tall, elegant, lift the earpiece: ‘Pendlebury three,
two, two: lady of the house speaking - EEEeeekkk!’ sort of phone. With a dial to
turn (which our children hate because it takes too long when you can’t just
press the buttons). No speed dial on this museum piece. Anyway, the point is, I
was looking at it while splashing in the bath and on its centre dial, under the
manufacturing marque of the General Electric Company is printed in fading
letters: ‘Listen before speaking.’
It struck me as
being very useful advice. For life in general.
And for
Christians, it seemed good advice for a faith-filled life. How often do we rush
at God with our list of wants and needs. How rare are the times when we take
time. To listen, before speaking.
How many
arguments would be prevented; how much stress dissolved; how much conflict
averted if we took the advice, not only of my old-fashioned telephone, but also
to the letter that James writes to the early church in which he says: ‘Take note
of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become
angry.’ (James 1:19)
Back in the Old
Testament, in Deuteronomy 30:19,20 we’re given good advice for life: ‘Choose
life .
. .
and that you might love the Lord your God, listen to his
voice and hold fast to him.’
Whether you
prefer the wisdom of Scripture or the wisdom of the General Electric Company we
surely do well to listen a little bit more, listen a little bit longer.
Jonathan
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