When the World Stops Listening – Pastor Erton Köhler

We live in a time when noise has grown so loud that many voices are heard but few are listened to. Everywhere we turn we see division, intolerance, and ideological conflict. The world grows ever more polarized, and in that fragmentation, the followers of Christ face a profound challenge. Yet we are called to be bridges of reconciliation rather than walls of contention. Recent surveys reveal that 60% of people believe hostile actions may be necessary to bring about change. Trust in institutions has eroded, with polarization eating at the heart of shared identity. Fewer people are willing to listen to one another, fewer still who are willing to seek common ground. As followers of Christ, we must recognize what this means. We are called to a counterculture of listening, gentleness, and healing. We are salt of the earth, not pepper. We are light of the world, not gunpowder. Salt preserves. Light guides. We bring healing, not harshness. We bring unity, not uproar. "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19). When we cease listening, we become captive to our own echo chamber. Christ's way invites us to listen first, to understand motives, and to bear one another's burdens. Do you treat someone you disagree with as an enemy or as a fellow traveler? Do you see a conversation as a battlefield or as a bridge? We do not exist to win arguments but to win hearts. We do not exist to inflame division but to inspire reconciliation. Your quiet faith matters. Your gentle word matters. Your listening ear matters. When you stop shouting and start hearing, you join in the work of the Kingdom. About the series From the Heart is a weekly devotional series in which Pastor Köhler reflects on what it means to be grounded in the Bible and focused on the mission, collectively and individually. Each episode is grounded in the four pillars of the Seventh-day Adventist Church strategic plan: Communion with God, Identity in Christ, Unity through the Holy Spirit, and Mission for All.
The series connects biblical faith to everyday life, sharing short reflections and glimpses of how God is at work through the Adventist Church around the world. – The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been an established denomination since 1863. It is a global Christian family with over 23 million members who hold the Bible as the ultimate authority. We are believers committed to helping people understand the Bible to find freedom, healing, and hope in Jesus. Want to learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Visit our website at: https://www.adventist.org/ Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mQHri7Rlvc