Crosstalk: The power of music, words, and the art of listening
A little while ago I had the absolute joy and privilege of attending a Coldplay concert in Wembley Arena. It was a truly unforgettable experience, an explosion of light, sound and colour shared with 92,000 other fans all singing along to our favourite songs - writes Charlotte Gompertz, vicar of Oxon Parish Church.
I find it fascinating that Coldplay's music divides opinion so sharply. To me their songs are uplifting and memorable; to others, they're irritating! As lead singer Chris Martin once put it "As you get more popular, it becomes more likely that you'll also become a really unpopular band."
That got me thinking about how we handle disagreement. We say we believe in "freedom of speech", yet so often we use that freedom to silence or shout down others who think differently. Social media has made it easy to become a "troll" if we choose - but does tearing someone else down ever really do us any good? Is our opinion so important that it's worth devaluing someone else over?
Jesus put it this way in Matthew's Gospel: "What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" It's a searching question. Is clinging to being "right" worth losing our compassion, our kindness, or even our humanity for? Surely not!
At the concert, what struck me most wasn't just the music but the sense of togetherness - tens of thousands of voices lifted in unison. Imagine if we could carry a little of that spirit into our daily lives, listening to each other, respecting differences, and finding common ground - because if we lose the ability to listen, the human race really is in trouble.
Charlotte Gompertz - Vicar, Oxon Parish Church, near Shrewsbury
Submitted via D Onions, Churches Together In Shrewsbury
