Becoming Human

I just began reading Jean Vanier's "Becoming Human." This book is going to stir me up, I can tell already: To reveal someone's beauty is to reveal their value by giving them time, attention and tenderness. To love is not just to do something for them but to reveal to them their own uniqueness, to tell them that they are special and worthy of attention. We can express this revelation through our open and gentle presence, in the way we look at and listen to a person, the way we speak to and care for someone. Thinking about church, church planting and the rest, this challenge has no choice but to resonate. So often caught up in "the conversation," how much time do we spend acting on the things we're all too willing to talk about? How much time do we spend doing the things we criticise the church for failing to do? Are we revealing God's love? Are we actually understanding the needs of our culture? Are we communicating, celebrating, and empowering others through the forgiveness of a loving community? Maybe it's time to do more than just talk about it...