Listen

After this I looked, and there was a great crowd that no one could number. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands. They cried out with a loud voice:

Revelation 7:9–10

Think

Years ago, a six-year-old boy who had lost all his hearing came to our church. His mother arrived with a very specific hope: that God would heal her son and restore his ability to hear. We, too, began by sharing in that hope. But as we walked alongside this family, something unexpected happened: God used that boy’s arrival to bring us closer to the deaf community.

We had to learn. We began to communicate through sign language, learn about other people’s experiences, and understand that the church also needed to change in order to better welcome people who communicated in a different way. Revelation describes a multitude made up of people from every nation and language. That image reminds me that the kingdom of God does not require us all to be the same in order to belong. Sometimes the miracle happens when we learn to listen in a different way.

Raquel López Oliver

Question to Ponder:

What would your community need to learn or change to make room for people who might feel left out today?

Pray

God, open my eyes to the people I am not yet seeing. Teach me new ways to listen, communicate, and make room for others. Amen.

Go

Now go back to your day. Look closely. Listen intently. Show your love through your actions. Follow Jesus in your daily life, remembering that you are not alone and that your life, too, can help someone else find their way.