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Stefan featuring Dear Pariah

from The Happening by RENU

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Alliyah Enyo
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about

Real life story

This conflict between over religion and ‘space that permits light, shadow, inquiry and beauty’, came to a head for me one Sunday when I was confronted at the end of the service by a very attractive woman with a young daughter in tow, who asked if she could join our church – she and her partner! Clearly the way I replied must have betrayed my concern about her use of the term ‘partner’, because the next thing she said, practically pinning me against the wall, was, ‘So, you don’t accept people like me?’

My way of escape, out of what was potentially an embarrassing situation, was to suggest – somewhat cowardly I admit – that we met up later in the week, thus buying me time to think through my response. By Wednesday of that week I felt sufficiently ready for the second round of the contest. Minutes before the bell rang, however, I had this very strong sense that what I needed to do was simply to listen to this woman’s story. Pastors listen all the time, of course. Ours is a listening profession. But often our listening is with a view to finding a gap in the narrative: to try out next week’s sermon, or to project some of our own problems. It is not listening at all. So what I mean here is really listen. Listen not just to her story, which is something I am used to doing, but listen to the ache that wrapped itself around the narrative – and, above all, to suspend judgement.

This I did. At the end of the hour or so of listening to her story – an all too familiar and yet utterly unique story of betrayal – I was left with one unassailable piece of date: that is Jesus had not come into this woman’s life, at the point of her utter despair, she would have been dead long ago, either through something like an overdose of throwing herself under a train. Unlike some Christians for whom faith is no more than a lifestyle choice, knowing Christ for this woman was simply a matter of life or death. Moreover, whilst I may have something to say about her living arrangements, and whilst eventually we did get to talk about why she felt so nervous about commitment, at that point in time what she needed was not a whole load of ‘oughts’ and ‘should’s, but someone who would listen to her story and discern within it – however it might appear – the fingerprints of God.

(learning to really listen…)

credits

from The Happening, released August 20, 2020
Vocals - Dear Pariah

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RENU Berlin, Germany

RENU
(Renu Hossain)
Producer, Composer, Percussionist (Tabla, Cajon, Latin) & Curator.
Composing for theatre, film, dance, hosting her own nights, Percussionist for artists such as Grace Jones etc.
RENU is currently producing Filmy Electronica & Experimental impressions. 2022/2023 brings a plethora of new work, including a percussion/electronic focused EP. ... more

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