Listen, listen; love, love.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.  The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.  What you have just said is quite true.” .... Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?”  John 4:17, 28-29

“Listen, listen; love, love.”

That’s the Kairos Prison Ministry motto.  Though had I heard it refrained many times during the weeks leading up to my first weekend inside the prison, nothing could have prepared me for the power of “listen, listen; love, love” in action.

Throughout my life as a believer, I had heard gospel truths shared with nonbelievers many times.  On the other hand, I had also seen humble and sincere acts of kindness offered with no mention of Christ at all.  But never had I experienced anything as explosive as the gospel shared in an atmosphere of unconditional acceptance, service and love.  Yet such was that Kairos weekend.

And what burst forth from that working of grace and truth was almost unfathomable.  Grudges dissolving.  Hurts healing.  New life birthing. Tears brimming.  Smiles appearing.  Hope restoring.  Friendships forming.

People need to be heard.  People need to be known.  It means everything to them, as I heard one inmate express to a Kairos volunteer, “In my 40 years, no man has ever listened to me like you do.”  It was a brave moment of vulnerability for the prisoner ... and a humbling feeling of unworthiness for the volunteer.

Listening is how we come to understand people.  It’s how we begin to see them as Jesus sees them.  It’s how we come to care about them and to love them ... I mean, truly love them.

And love opens imprisoned hearts, freeing them in truth, releasing them to hope in promises kept. Promises of healing and salvation and restoration.  Promises now and forever fulfilled in the Christ of God.

“Listen, listen; love, love.”  And as hearts open to receive him, “speak, speak” of Jesus.

Who needs for you to listen today?  Who needs your unconditional love?  Whose heart is ready and waiting for you to speak of Jesus?

[To see the daily reading in John 4:27-42, click here.]