What Do You Hear?
- Stephen Chavez
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
One day at noon two business men were walking down a busy city street. Suddenly, one of them stopped and asked, "Did you hear that?"
"What?" his companion wanted to know.
"A cricket."
Sure enough. They walked over to a small planter, and there in the flower bed they spotted a cricket. "How did you hear a cricket in the middle of all this noise and congestion?"
"Watch this," said the first man, reaching into his pocket. Pulling out several coins, he tossed them on the sidewalk. In less than a second a dozen heads turned in the direction of the sound. "We hear what we want to hear," he said.Today there is no shortage of voices, sounds, and media competing for our attention. A sincere question: when is the last time you noticed a bird's song; stopped to watch a sunrise or sunset; listened to the breeze blowing through the trees; or contemplated the ripples on a pond, stream, or river? Yeah, me neither.
Come to think of it, when is the last time we had meaningful conversations about spiritual or personal matters that lasted more than a few minutes? Let's face it: our modern society, with its oversaturation with noise, devices, and haste leave little time for rest, reflection, and rejuvenation.
That's why this year's Kinship Kampmeeting should be on your radar screen (sorry, did I say that?). Held this year at Bon Secours, a retreat center in Marriotsville, Maryland, near Baltimore, this year's get-together will not only feature inspiring speakers, great food, comfortable accommodations, but also more than 300 acres of fields, woods, and areas for quiet contemplation and serious conversations about important matters.
After a period of stressful ministry, Jesus invited His disciples, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31, NIV). That same invitation is ours today. Visit Kampmeeting.com for details. Join your fellow members of Kinship as we "learn the unforced rhythms of grace" (Matt. 11:28, The Message).
Stephen Chavez, Director of Church Relations