For the first video, I highlight a Free Listening movement started by Urban Confessional that now has global impact. We visit the Silverlake Trader Joe’s just after it re-opens to the public to listen to anyone who just needs to talk. This truly is a revolutionary movement of normal people doing what we all can do to make a difference in our cities.
Check it out here.
So often we are paralyzed by the tragedy in our cities without feeling like we can make a change. Free listening is one of those effects that we can all do. It truly combats the constant noise of our cities and allows us to just be present with one another.
I am inspired by this ministry and by the man who began it – Benjamin Mathes. As he eloquently states it, “One of the first things that really matters in those times we feel overwhelmed is that we just listen. The heart of healing is listening. When someone feels heard, that is when the healing begins. I think that is what our city needs right now.”