Sacred Conversations

What makes a conversation sacred?

Sacred Conversations

“Conversation” is our communicating with another person.

And as part of that conversation is the transmission of thoughts and ideas. That is the part where we find the sacred.

What makes the thoughts and ideas we communicate sacred is the value we place on what we discuss.  The conversation is authentic, sincere, and trusted.

It is a conversation between two people speaking from the heart, trusting the other person to hear with an open mind, and weighing the words to be genuine.

A confessional between a faith leader and a proselyte is a classic example of a sacred conversation.  One party asks for advice in a private setting and receives guidance from a trusted source, even if the advice is unpleasant and unanticipated.

Sacred Conversations in Business.

Business leaders are often engaged in sacred conversations, although we do not think of them as such.

A client confides in you of a new project that you will be a part of.  But because the patent is not secured, the land not purchased, or governmental approvals received, it is privileged information.

You are part of a sacred trust in this information.

Or an employee confides in you of a personal matter.  You are part of a sacred conversation to be kept only between you and the employee.

Or, you are negotiating the sale of your business.  You will bring others, such as your lawyer, accountant, key employees, and your sales representative, into the loop of knowledge.  This is a sacred conversation, and you are trusting all these people to keep this trusted information quiet.

Why Sacred

The key to keeping confidences is understanding the nature of being sacred.

Most nationalities and faiths have a concept of sacred.

Definitions of sacred include words such as consecrated, veneration, and reverence.  While we often think of being given such information as privileged, the meaning of privilege is not sufficient.

Having privileged information means you are one of a few people with the information.  That is true.  But some confidences we are given mean much more than simply having information.

We are given a trust, a piece of information that could be damaging if we violate that trust.  The person giving you this information has given you a part of themselves, a sacred bond that you have entered into.

Violation

Have you had someone share with you part of a sacred conversation they had with someone else?  “I’m not supposed to tell anybody, but . . . “  “I was just told confidentially that. . . “

You are hearing more than gossip.  You are hearing a person divulge a sacred conversation.  You are witnessing a broken promise.

Hopefully, you immediately understand that if they do this to someone else, what will they do with the information you share with them.

The Bible

Proverbs 11:12-13 says,

“a man of understanding holds his tongue. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret”

And Psalm 101:5 says

            “whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence”

The Bible is serious about keeping what we have been given in confidence private.

In the Bible, the only man you can trust is Jesus. When you put your trust in humans, you will always be let down because humans aren’t perfect. Even good friends can let you down sometimes, and in the same way, we can disappoint others as well.

Isaiah 2:22 says,

            “Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?”

Honor sacred conversations.  Encourage sacred conversations.  Seek sacred conversations.

For business leaders and entrepreneurs, sacred conversations are the heart of relationship building, which is the foundation of success.