On Sabbath, March 21, spring didn’t bring the warmth we were expecting; in fact, a bit of cold weather came down from the Alps. However, we were delighted to welcome Dr. Sara Furnari, a psychologist, from the Swiss mountains. Sara is well-known in our church in Sesto San Giovanni (near Milan) since her father served as pastor here.
Invited by the local Women’s Ministries department, our guest spoke during the morning sermon about the experience of the wise Abigail, as recounted in 1 Samuel 25. This woman was the wife of Nabal, a wicked man—or, as his very name implies, “worthless.” He had aroused the vengeful wrath of King David, who was fully intent on putting him and his people to the sword. Abigail, beautiful and wise, succeeded through her grace in appeasing the king’s anger, saving her people.
Emotional Listening
Emotions are an inevitable part of our lives. In fact, the theme of the day was “Emotional Listening.” What we can avoid is letting emotions take over and lead us to make the wrong choices.
Dealing with Emotions
In the afternoon, in a circle of women—with a few men “sneaking in”—we really tried to figure out how to deal with emotions, which arise and shouldn’t be judged. Jesus’s principle of not judging must start with ourselves, and we are often our own harshest judges. Emotions need to be put in their proper place, but to do that, we have to understand them.
Recognizing Emotions
Then we took part in a fun activity that felt like a game. Various images had been scattered across the table. We picked one and matched it with the emotion we felt was connected to that image. This simple exercise—which can also be done while flipping through a magazine or seeing ads on the street or on buses—can help us become more familiar with our emotional world, allowing us to recognize, experience, and place them in the right “compartment.”
Sara possesses great clarity of expression, a warm personality, but above all, a deep faith in God. In fact, in addition to sharing her expertise and professionalism, she enriched this gathering with spirituality. We hope that Sara will soon be able to visit us again, as far as her professional commitments and those of a pastor’s wife and mother of two wonderful children permit.