My son had a show n’ share project at his school last week where His teacher wanted him to bring in something that means a lot to him. She would call him up to the front of the class. He would show his classmates the object. They would guess why the object means a lot to him. Then he would explain his perspective to the class only after they had shared their perspectives first.
It was a project geared to helping the students listen to one another even if the leader (the show n’ sharer) knew the right answer.
Did you catch the order in which my son’s teacher presented this project?
Show first.
Listen second.
Share third.
How indicative of our Christian walks, wouldn’t you agree?
Rather than blabbing our mouths with the right answer whenever we’re given the opportunity or are “called up front,” we are to faithfully live our lives walking our talk. We show first.
Then our jobs are to love, care, serve, offer grace, forgiveness, kindness and compassion as we live life in classroom community with the people around us. We listen second.
Then when the perspectives of those around us have been shared… when we’ve allowed their thoughts to be expressed… when they’ve felt seen by us, and heard, and had the opportunity for their questions to be asked, then we are invited to lend our voice to the conversation. We share third.
I find it rather genius that a kindergarten teacher knows that this is the order that encourages conversation and invites participation far more than flipping the two words around.
Perhaps us Christians could learn a thing or two about this approach as well – to show then share.
Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? James 2:16-17 (MSG)
