There is a Cry in Our Communities that Demands the Ears of the Church.
Last year, I was sitting in a busy cafe in Suva, preparing for a meeting I was about to lead. Sipping on my coffee, I was interrupted by a man asking if I was Letitia Shelton. He follows me on Facebook and had seen the many interviews I had conducted with local Fijians sharing their stories of abuse, infidelity, and other struggles. He asked if he could sit down and share something with me.
I was aware that I didn’t really have time, as my meeting was about to start, but I could tell by the look on his face that he needed to unload something heavy on his heart. He began to share that he had been overseas for just a few months to study and had come home to Fiji to find out that his wife had had an affair. They had a young child and had only been married a few years.
He had left the house to clear his mind and get a quick coffee. I listened intently as he continued to pour out his heart—he was hurting, in pain, and didn’t know what to do. He said he attended a church but was too ashamed to talk to his leaders about it, yet he was willing to tell me, a stranger. I consider this a privilege.
Most weeks, a Fijian reaches out to me via Messenger with their pain, and in the same sentence are the words: I can’t tell my church leaders. It seems like some of our churches have built a culture that says, “We don’t want to hear your pain, struggles or shame. Your story is not welcome here.” This is the total opposite of Jesus. Notice how those with shameful stories were comfortable with Jesus.
As Christians, we should be a safe space for people to share. We might not have all the answers or know what to do, but the simple act of listening can bring so much hope and healing to a person who has struggled with a secret issue for years. We are called not only to be the hands and feet of Jesus but also His ears. Jesus listened and calls us to do the same. He listened with love and without judgment—we are called to do the same.
After listening to this man’s story, he thanked me. I suggested some options of help for him and then prayed a simple prayer. He left feeling lighter for being able to unload his burden. So many in our communities carry a deep cry of pain that must be released. May we have ears to hear.
Sent from my iPhone