Incredible Poem by J. Mark Jordan

Amos · #1 10-24-2007, 10:36 PM

The Listener

I listened.
He seemed nice enough.
I could read hurt in his face.
He said he just needed someone to talk to.
Since I knew what that was like, I said yes.
I listened.
He opened up the secret wrongs against him.
He told me sordid tales that shocked and angered me.
People had lied about him, maligned him, and rejected him.
I listened on with innocent curiosity.
Sympathy rushed from my heart to his as he talked.
I put my hand on his shoulder as an unspoken word of
encouragement.
Nevertheless, he would not be consoled.
And I listened on.
How could anyone treat a human being like this?
How could a Christian destroy another Christian like this?
This is not right, I said. Somebody ought to pay.
I leaped to take up his cause.
I assured him that I had some connections.
I would get his story out.
If I have to go all the way to the top,
I determined to get justice for him.
Therefore I did.
Now, all I can say is that I listened.
However, I wish I had not.
I soon found out all the missing details.
The wind dissipated from my sails as the
real truth slowly emerged.
Like a fool I thought myself better than those over him.
I believed that I could understand and have compassion
where they could not.
At some point, another thought should have occurred to me.
Why didn’t something he said, some gesture,
some look catch my eye?
Why wasn’t I uncomfortable with his bitterness, his hatred?
Why didn’t I consider that there could be
another side to his story?
Why didn’t I think that I could be manipulated, lied to, set up?
Why was I so willing to drink the spewing of a bitter fountain?
Did he prey upon my own pride?
Did he expose a root of bitterness in my own heart?
He was a complaining Cain, an agitated Esau,
and a rebellious Korah.
Drawing me into his distortions and wrongs.
My unwitting listening added credence to a malicious scheme.
He sported my name in his win column.
Never again.
Those who bypass their spiritual authority and come to me,
just never find a listening ear.

Amos · #2 10-24-2007, 11:30 PM

These lines are quite poignant...

Quote:

Now, all I can say is that I listened.
However, I wish I had not.
I soon found out all the missing details.
The wind dissipated from my sails as the
real truth slowly emerged.
Like a fool I thought myself better than those over him.
I believed that I could understand and have compassion
where they could not.

And...

Quote:

Why wasn’t I uncomfortable with his bitterness, his hatred?
Why didn’t I consider that there could be
another side to his story?
Why didn’t I think that I could be manipulated, lied to, set up?
Why was I so willing to drink the spewing of a bitter fountain?
Did he prey upon my own pride?
Did he expose a root of bitterness in my own heart?
He was a complaining Cain, an agitated Esau,
and a rebellious Korah.
Drawing me into his distortions and wrongs.
My unwitting listening added credence to a malicious scheme.
He sported my name in his win column.
Never again.
Those who bypass their spiritual authority and come to me,
just never find a listening ear.

This is an amazingly accurate portrayal of an oft-repeated scenario.

Brother Jordan definitely hit the nail squarely on the head here.

Amos · #3 10-25-2007, 07:02 AM

I am going to bump this for the morning crew...

This needs to be read by all of us.

Nahum · #4 10-25-2007, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Those who bypass their spiritual authority and come to me,
just never find a listening ear.

I learned this lesson the hard way, several years ago.

A residual pastoral relationship, with a young man from the church where I had been mentored, jumped the tracks. The young man was unhappy because he felt he was not being "used" in the church.

For months after I had moved on from the church, I would field calls and questions from him as he agonized over what he should do about his situation. I sympathized with him. I empathized with him. I consoled him. I petted him. I babied him.

Until the day that he made the mistake of speaking ill of our mutual pastor, whom I consider a prophet, and a great man of God. He questioned the man's leadership ability, pastoral care, and personal concern.

At that point, I became more than upset.

I told him that he had to go to the pastor. After he approached the pastor, and asked him what plans were in place for the young man's "use" in the church, he had to decide one of the two options for his future.

Option 1:
Accept the pastor's wisdom and direction. Submit himself to it. Do what it takes to be in agreement.

Option 2:
Leave the church and go somewhere he could be "used."

Either way the young man had to stop calling me, talking to others about it, and fertilizing animosity toward the man of God I loved dearly.

The young man never has called me again.

Thankfully, he took my advice. He submitted himself.

Eventually he became the pastor's right hand man.

Things might have been different if I would have continued to coddle his insurrection. I learned a valuable lesson. Never give place to rebellion. God's plan is agreement and unity - not gossip and contention.

mizpeh · #5 10-25-2007, 08:38 AM

PP,

Great example.

You gave the young man good advice. And from the results we can see that though the enemy tried to sow rebellion in the heart of this young man, but in giving heed to your wise and Biblical advice, this man had a heart to obey God by listening to the godly advice you gave him and submitting to his pastor. I think the young man learned a good lesson as well.

Nahum · #6 10-25-2007, 08:41 AM

BTW, Jordan's poem is very well written and true.

Nahum · #7 10-25-2007, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mizpeh

PP,

Great example.

You gave the young man good advice. And from the results we can see that though the enemy tried to sow rebellion in the heart of this young man, but in giving heed to your wise and Biblical advice, this man had a heart to obey God by listening to the godly advice you gave him and submitting to his pastor. I think the young man learned a good lesson as well.

Thanks Mizpeh.

Trouble is, I was enabling the guy and didn't realize it. Instead of helping him I was crippling him. To be sure, there are cases where young men are ignored and under-utilized. But me listening to the whining didn't help him at all.

What he needed to do was go and talk to his pastor, and then submit or remove.