- This is a clip from the 2015 movie “Inside Out” featuring three characters and their reactions to one another. One character offers distracted listening to the character that is dealing with a loss. Another character offers attentive listening to the situation. One response is based on “We can fix this,”, the other response is more “I am sorry.” This is a good comparison of ineffective and effective listening and could be used as an introduction to a listening session or workshop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t685WM5R6aM
- Brene Brown is featured in this clip articulating the difference between empathy and sympathy. The four qualities of empathy are defined accompanied by animation that depicts these qualities. The goal of empathy, Brown explains, is to create sacred space and to encourage connection. Empathy is feeling with people, sympathy is trying to make things better. Brown provides clear definitions and uses examples that are helpful for ministry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZBTYViDPlQ
- This is a series of articles curated by the Alban Institute. Learning to Listen in a Time of Heartache is written by hospital chaplain Ylisse Bess, using the Billy Holiday song Good Morning Heartache as an entry into listening to ourselves. The second article, Identifying Community Needs by Listening is by Joy F. Skjegstad and is an excerpt from her book 7 Creative Models for Community Ministry published by Judson Press. The third article is a commentary on Acts 12, the story of the slave girl Rhoda who recognized Peter’s voice at the door but was not believed by the leaders of the early church. It asks the question: Who are the Rhodas in our midst today and how do we respond?