Proverbs 18 NLT
The first to speak in court sounds right—until the cross examination begins. (17)
We have a similar saying in many parts of the world; “there are two sides to every story.” I have watched enough courtroom dramas to know that this is true. People start off making their case and it seems totally convincing because they are telling things from their particular point of view. What seems to be clear and settled all comes unraveled when someone else comes out with a different angle on the same circumstances. This means that we need to be both critical in our thinking and open-minded in our hearing.
Those two things sound like they are at odds with each other, but in reality, they are not. First, we must listen to others carefully but be willing to think critically about what they are saying. In today’s society, the one with the most “passionate speech” or the one with the most “emotion” in their voice tends to win the day. As believers, we have to be able to sift through all the fluff and noise and think critically about the arguments people are making. It drives me crazy when you watch these reality performance shows where the person’s “story” or pain becomes as much a qualifier as their ability to perform. There is a place for emotion and sincerity, but the word of God settles everything; people can be sincere and still be sincerely wrong.
With that said, though, since there are often two sides to every story we need to be sure that we are listening to people with compassion, objectivity, and an open mind. Nothing is worse than debating someone who already has their mind made up and who refuses to think deeply about an issue. We all know these “one-sided” conversations where someone’s walls are so high that no amount of logic or empathy can scale them. Sometimes there is a perspective you have not considered and sometimes you are just wrong. What the world needs now are people who are willing to listen to each other. It’s difficult to hear the whole story and get to the truth when both sides are focused on shouting the other one down.
