Comments on: Avert your eyes http://andersonpost.org/2010/02/22/avert-your-eyes/ think|ink Mon, 06 Sep 2010 02:54:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: James Sinclair http://andersonpost.org/2010/02/22/avert-your-eyes/comment-page-1/#comment-1964 James Sinclair Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:05:14 +0000 http://andersonpost.org/?p=881#comment-1964 "Who could say it in such a way that we could repeat it, believing it and being believed?" That sentence got me. That, right there, is almost exactly what I find myself wondering when I talk to someone I care about who is suffering. I am unbearably aware of my inability to "repeat it, believing it, and be believed". I even seem incapable of determining if the problem lies with my lack of belief or with my ability to communicate in such a way as to be understood. "Who could say it in such a way that we could repeat it, believing it and being believed?" That sentence got me. That, right there, is almost exactly what I find myself wondering when I talk to someone I care about who is suffering.

I am unbearably aware of my inability to "repeat it, believing it, and be believed". I even seem incapable of determining if the problem lies with my lack of belief or with my ability to communicate in such a way as to be understood.

]]> By: mike w http://andersonpost.org/2010/02/22/avert-your-eyes/comment-page-1/#comment-1954 mike w Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:52:00 +0000 http://andersonpost.org/?p=881#comment-1954 thanks dan for this profound affirmation of small talk. One of the things i find hardest to do is write a blurb about myself. This idea that life is made up of big acheivements or intense influences bemuses me. For the most part life is small, chance encounters. It makes me miss my community of small talk customers from barista time. Do you think christians should be better at encountering those who suffer though? That is, should we be less likely to have our worlds shattered and threatened by the suffering of others? One of our collegues asked me the other day what the best thing is to say to homeless people who walk into church. I replied 'hi, how you doing' my friend wanted more 'where you from?' i like the way you've put it, that small talk is a token of the promise of community. I can small talk with you without shame because i don't feel some unmet obligation. 'suffering creates the individual' gold! Unless of course it is shared thanks dan for this profound affirmation of small talk. One of the things i find hardest to do is write a blurb about myself. This idea that life is made up of big acheivements or intense influences bemuses me. For the most part life is small, chance encounters. It makes me miss my community of small talk customers from barista time.
Do you think christians should be better at encountering those who suffer though? That is, should we be less likely to have our worlds shattered and threatened by the suffering of others?

One of our collegues asked me the other day what the best thing is to say to homeless people who walk into church.
I replied ‘hi, how you doing’
my friend wanted more
‘where you from?’
i like the way you’ve put it, that small talk is a token of the promise of community. I can small talk with you without shame because i don’t feel some unmet obligation.

‘suffering creates the individual’ gold! Unless of course it is shared

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