There are a lot of people in politics who have a need for listening. I’ve had that really driven home for me over the last few days. People who are a so-called “big deal,” and people who are just people who want to get involved. From one end of the spectrum to another, many people in politics need someone to listen to them.

It’s a great challenge to me. I struggle with impatience a lot. Some days there’s a good reason: maybe there’s a lot of work to be done before a big media deadline. Other days there’s no good reason, I just don’t want to sit for 20 minutes listening to someone say stuff that doesn’t really seem to apply to my life.

I realize the same thing again, every time I go through this: There are few things that make a person feel loved better than active listening. It’s not enough to just sit quietly. If I want to make a real difference, I have to maintain eye contact, be able to repeat back what they said in different words, and the other things that go along with placing real value on the things that come from someone’s head or heart.

Most of us probably know someone who will literally talk for half an hour without interruption. If you work in politics, I’m certain you know more than one. I know that I consider them a terrible pest, and fear their calls or visits. Maybe you do too.

Jesus can change that about me. Which is good. Because if a person prattles for half an hour and then sees Jesus in the person listening to them, that’s more valuable than anything else I might have done.