Barbeque

We went over to some friend's house on Saturday night for a barbeque. Annie met Sarah through a children's developement group a year or so ago and they have become good friends. Sarah's from London and has been married to Rob for about five years, and their son, Gabriel, is around Silvi's age. It's fun to watch the two kids interact and grow up together.

On the way to work in the mornings, I've been listening to some mp3's from Covenant Seminary. They've been examining the teachings of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels, and one particular point struck me as I thought about the barbeque. I've only met Rob once before, and, as is often the case, chit-chat does not come easy to me. I think it's because I'm so self-aware, and probably spend much of the conversation wondering what the other person thinks of what I am saying. The curse of the people pleaser. Sometimes I'm not the best of listeners.

But Christ didn't have this protective wall around him. He could put people at ease because he was at ease with himself. He didn't struggle with wanting affirmation or a bad self-image. Christ was the world's best listener.

To become more like him is to lose the masks we wear, giving us opportunities for genuine conversations.