Burning Religion

In the monologue, we make assumptions about others, and believe we have the answers they need. In the dialogue, we open our hearts to hear others, and we learn as much as we teach. In the monologue, the feedback we receive does not come from the other person, but from ourselves. Like the guitar in front of the amp exciting the squeal of feedback from the tones of the amplifier reverberating on the strings, we become excited by our own words, and mistake our excitement for transformation in the other. In a dialogue, it is not just our own words, but the words of another, which play upon our heartstrings.

Is the  expression of your faith dialogic? Consider the number of words you speak in comparison to the number of words others around you speak. That might be a good gauge for determining the dialogic state of your faith. One of the great critiques of religious people is that we do not listen. Let’s try to prove that assumption false.