The public does not often get to hear the stories of men and women serving as ministers, exemplars of the Christian faith, who make their communities better.

I am not talking about spotless saints, but humble leaders faithfully living out their calling to serve their communities with God’s help.

At the root of these retorts is one massive problem: the refusal to listen. A deaf ear is a particularly poisonous evil. It robs our neighbor of the dignity as an image bearer of God to be a bearer of truth. A deaf ear voids our neighbor’s experience. Refusal to consider your neighbor’s perspective means you believe they are a liar.