by Kaley Ihfe
When my large family gathers at my parents’ house, we talk loudly, often interrupting one another. A few don’t insert themselves into the noise; instead, they wait until someone asks them about their lives. If we never ask, we never hear their perspectives or find out how they are doing.
Within a family, even though we have different personalities and thoughts, we have grown up with similar experiences. But once we venture outside that circle, our cultures and backgrounds vary wildly. Listening to people who are different from us enriches our lives, our churches, and our faith.
Just like in my family, the loudest voices often get heard the most. And, when we hold strong opinions, it is difficult for us to listen to others; we rarely want to dig beneath the surface to understand why someone else might see things differently.
We see this even among the disciples. In Luke 24, when a small group of women find the empty tomb and hear from an angel, they eagerly run back to tell the others that Jesus has risen. But, the remaining disciples dismiss their words as an “idle tale.” They heard the women, but they discounted their voices.
It is notable that Christ first revealed himself as risen to these female disciples. The same Jesus who intentionally brought together a tax collector, a zealot, fishermen, a formerly demon-possessed woman, and the wife of Herod’s steward, clearly values varied experiences, perspectives and voices.
This begs two vital questions for us today: Whose voices are we not hearing? Whose voices do we discount?
In 2020, I joined a diverse group of local Christian leaders for a series of listening sessions. I learned so much during this intentional time and made new friends. I also learned that there were a number of people doing incredible work in our community. I realized I didn’t need to anxiously solve every problem myself; I could listen, learn, and join what others were already doing. I could follow instead of lead.
Through this process, I met Rose Wilson, a great leader in our city’s Black community who was 92 at the time. Rose teaches me to love and forgive like Jesus. As a living example of the widow who gave her last two coins to God, she remains extravagantly generous despite limited resources. I understand God’s love better today because of Rose, but I never would have met Rose without those listening sessions.
Last summer we had a series on evangelism at our church, and our Bible class was taught by a couple who came to know Christ as adults. They are constantly sharing the good news with loved ones. Their lived experience was exactly what we needed to hear. They reminded us of the pure joy of knowing and sharing Jesus.
God created each of us in His image. When we tune others out due to stereotypes or we don’t include new people because we want to stay in our comfort zones, we miss out on knowing God better. We limit the church by not hearing from different perspectives. All of us together make up the body of Christ, and every single voice is valuable.
About the Author
Kaley Ihfe serves as the Director of Lavish HOPE ministries. She has a B.S. in Communications, an MEd in School Counseling, and an MA in Christian Ministry and is certified in the Enneagram Spectrum Training through Dr. Jerry Wagner. In the past, she worked at the Volunteer Center of Lubbock, Pflugerville ISD, and Abilene Christian University. She has served alongside her husband, Karl Ihfe, in ministry for 25 years first in Austin and currently in Lubbock. She loves traveling, hiking, reading, cooking, and gardening; and she is passionate about teaching scripture and being an active part of her community. She teaches adult Bible classes, writes Bible study curriculum, and speaks at retreats. She and Karl have a son in graduate school at Wichita State University and a daughter at Lipscomb.
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