The Conversation

Let 1 Corinthians 13 be a guide for our participation in any conversation. What does St. Paul say about love?

It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.

So often we are more concerned in vindicating our own position instead of cooperatively seeking the truth.

A conversation conducted in this sort of love will be a conversation that will offer wisdom to all its participants. Humility and openness will deliver the truth more readily than arrogance and competition.

This openness requires a kind of fearlessness with respect to the fact that our errors will be exposed. The paradox that many of us face is that we want to be right, but we do not want our errors exposed to be corrected by others.

Let us understand that our journey toward the truth will include correction by others. Discovering truth is a cooperative project, and even our claims that turn out to be false will be of value in the ongoing conversation. Let us give up the idea that any word of ours has any hope of being the last word.

St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Phillipians: Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross.

If we allow ourselves to be emptied of our fears, insecurities, and our pride, we will cooperate in creating a conversation guided by the Holy Spirit.