Come With An Empty Cup
How do we as Christians come to the civic arena? I believe we come with an empty cup. What does this mean? The way we can understand each other is not by trying to convince others of how right we are. As we communicate with others whom we know share different views, let’s start the conversation by saying, “Tell me about you.” This is the great gift that we can bring to the conversation — the empty cup. We must recapture the art of listening so that we can come to others with an empty cup in order to hear and understand them better.
What does it really mean to say, “I’m in”? In this FatherSide Chat, Father Gene explores Ash Wednesday and Lent not as rituals of guilt, but as intentional renewal. A season to recommit, refocus, and choose something better for ourselves and those around us.
Some moments stay with us forever—the instant understanding clicks, or gratitude suddenly deepens. Father Gene reflects on recognizing “the good stuff”: learning, resilience, and the quiet sacrifices of those who came before us that made our own lives possible.