We are surrounded by sound bites and strong opinions. We are bombarded with loud voices and not much listening. I was at a local restaurant here in Sarasota the other day and I could not help but listen in on a conversation in which the four had very different opinions that were shared. These viewpoints were strongly held and vigorously defended, but at the end there was the idea expressed about how thankful they were that they could do that with respect and dignity.

This is increasingly rare in our day. Paul exhorts us with these words:

⁵ Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

We may not be able to change the landscape of our modern world, but we can begin by practicing grace filled speech with those we come across today.