Holy Conversations

 

Children, be curious. Nothing is worse (I know it) than when curiosity stops. Nothing is more repressive than the repression of curiosity. Curiosity begets love. It wed us to the world." - Graham Swift

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and suddenly realized they aren't listening to a thing you are saying and are just waiting for you to pause so they can say what they want to say instead?

It's annoying, right? 

You can feel dismissed, ignored, diminished, and all manner of negative things in those moments, and it can lead to a conversation becoming an argument very quickly. 

Here's a tough question for all of us: Have you ever been that person — the one not listening and waiting to interject? 

Many of us have.  I know I've been that person before.  It's not that hard to slip into a non-listening mode when you feel that what you have to say is more important and on point than anything you are hearing.  

Which is why embracing curiosity as a spiritual practice is so important.  

One of the greatest gifts curiosity offers is the ability to listen.

Too often, conversations become opportunities to defend our views rather than understand another person's experience. We listen for flaws, disagreements, or points to challenge. Curiosity invites a different posture.

It asks:

Tell me more.

Help me understand.

What has shaped your perspective?

Jesus excelled at this kind of curiosity.

Consider his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). Rather than dismissing her, Jesus engages her in conversation. He asks questions. He listens. He treats her as someone worth knowing.

The result is transformation.

Curiosity creates space for connection.

In a divided world, this practice is desperately needed. We often assume we understand people based on labels, appearances, politics, theology, or background. Yet every person carries a story we do not know.

When we approach others with genuine curiosity, we become more compassionate.

We learn.

We grow.

We discover common humanity.

This does not mean abandoning convictions. It means holding them with enough humility to recognize that we do not possess complete understanding.

James 1:19 offers timeless wisdom: “Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

Listening itself can become a spiritual discipline.

Every conversation becomes an opportunity to learn something about another person—and perhaps something about God.

The sacred practice of curiosity helps us remember that every person we meet bears the image of God.

And every story deserves to be heard.

Prayer

God of relationship, teach me to listen with curiosity and compassion. Help me approach others with humility rather than judgment and give me ears to hear the stories and experiences that shape their lives. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. Who in your life might you understand better if you listened more deeply?
2. What assumptions do you tend to make about people?
3. How can curiosity strengthen your relationships?