well woman (John chapter 4)

Jesus seemed willing to engage anyone in conversation, on any topic, at any time. He was extraordinarily skilled at speaking the hardest of truths with kindness and acceptance.

controversy

Jesus used controversy to engage the religious elite. It’s odd that some of us who aspire to follow Jesus sometimes (often?) fall into the same sort of closed-system thought that afflicted the Pharisees. Perhaps paradoxically, following Jesus involves an ongoing openness to changing ones own current opinions about what it means to follow Jesus!

convert versus converse

There’s such a small difference in letters between convert and converse – between conversion and conversation. But their meanings diverge substantially. I have nothing against conversion, per se, except when someone tries to do it to me. It morphs into something more like coercion. I don’t like that at all. But engage me in a real conversation and there’s a chance that you might convert me to your way of thinking. I like conversation.