Job 6:24-27
We worship a God who hears us all. The story of the Exodus begins with that reminder: God heard their cry. Even now, scripture affirms that God hears our prayers, even when we don’t have the right words. Or any words at all.
We give praise to a God who listens with compassion and love. But when it comes to listening to each other, we often fall short of that same grace.
In the story of Job, his friends show up. But they aren’t that helpful. They arrive with their religious assumptions and confident answers. But they don’t really listen. They’d rather analyze Job’s pain than sit in it with him. They reprove his words instead of receiving them. It's as if "the speech of the desperate were wind."
To them, Job’s cries feel like wasted breath. They even take offense. The conversation has become too raw, too messy, maybe even too unholy for their neat theology. And in all their back-and-forth, notice what’s missing: They never acknowledge Job’s pain. They never consider that God might actually be listening to him.
So much theology. So little empathy.
As I reflect on Job’s story today, I find myself thinking about our own friendships. How often are we really listening to each other, not just waiting for our turn to speak? How often are we trying to fix something, instead of just staying present with someone?
Maybe we avoid listening because we’re afraid of what we’ll hear. Maybe what someone’s feeling doesn’t fit the version of the world we’re comfortable with. Maybe we’ve confused empathy with advice.
Job’s friends couldn’t sit with questions they couldn’t answer. And I wonder how often that’s true for us too. Or can we handle a conversation where our only job is to be fully present?
Let's try because listening might be the holiest thing we do today.
Stay blessed...john
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