The church today has more than an image problem; it has an attitude problem. The attitude turns judgmental too often and too quickly. Sure, truth must be spoken. God invites us to judge and to help correct wrongs from a place of understanding. In Slow to Judge : Sometimes It’s OK to Listen, scholar David B. Capes urges his readers to listen more, talk less. You may learn something important. Don’t label other people or try to fit them into nice, neat little boxes. Don’t pretend you have all the answers. Put yourself in the other’s place. Be authentic. Recognize when you are trying to push your agenda on others. Be a true with no other motives.
King Solomon asked God for a listening heart. Jesus’ teaching says that the prerequisite for judging another is humility. Capes spends a lot of time on interfaith and intercultural dialogue. Without discomfort and fundamental disagreement, there can be no such thing as tolerance. And the reason for ‘sometimes okay to listen’? There are some ideas that are not worth your time and certain people to whom you need not listen. It takes wisdom to know the difference. Both the interesting perspectives of Fethullah Güllen and C.S. Lewis may teach you valuable lessons.
Various themes from Scripture are explored next to wisdom and a listening heart. Correction in the church is necessary. Judging by appearances is dangerous. Respect, love, and forgiveness are core to establish meaningful and lasting relationships. Hospitality, practicing an open soul, and authentic tolerance fuel the church’s mission.
Each chapter ends with questions to discuss in small groups.
About the author
David B. Capes is the Thomas Nelson Research Professor at Houston Baptist University. He is a noted Pauline scholar, and he served as the senior Bible scholar for The Voice Bible translation. He is the author and editor of several books, including The Last Eyewitness: The Final Week, The Voice of Hebrews, Rediscovering Paul, Rediscovering Jesus, and Thriving in Babylon. Refraction books speak to the most troubling issues we face today in a candid dialog that interacts with our culture through a biblical lens, utilizing a holistic approach of intellectual engagement, emotional vulnerability, and spiritual challenge for the next generation.
