Everyone laughs about something that happened years ago. You smile along, hoping someone will explain. Even among kind people, being new can mean spending an evening trying to follow the conversation.
I think those of us who know the history can forget how much we leave unexplained. In an experiment with ambiguous sentences, psychologists Boaz Keysar and Anne Henly found that speakers overestimated listeners’ understanding. That study examined communication, and it gives us reason to check what our words leave unclear.
Paul writes, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you” (Romans 15:7, NIV excerpt). He was addressing Christians divided over their differences. Christ’s welcome gives us a reason to help another person participate.
Before finishing that familiar story, explain who the people are and why the moment mattered. Give the newcomer enough context to respond. Leave room for something from their life too. Their experience can become part of what this group remembers together.
For more on helping people feel welcome, read Give a New Friendship Time.
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