In today's day and age, whatever you say seems to offend someone. Or for that matter even what you don't say. For some if you don't defend their opinion, you in some way must be hateful toward them. How did we as a society ever get so thin skinned and unforgiving / intolerant? And is the media really helping to lessen the divide by publishing their opinion, instead of just reporting the news?

I've talk about the following at times with my kids ( and need to remember to do this myself ) That we have two eyes, two ears and only one mouth. We should use them appropriately!

'We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. ' This quote is attributed to Epictetus, a Greek philosopher who spent his youth as a slave in Rome before gaining freedom after the death of Nero, under whom he served until around 60 AD

Listening

James 1:19

 

Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];