2 minute read
How YOU Doin’?
from June 2021
Gò0dNews for Everyone
How YOU Doin’?
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by Amy Oyler
“Awake, my soul!” Psalm 57:8. Show of hands…how many are familiar with the phrase, “How YOU Doin’?” from the television show Friends? I’m sure many of you are! It served as a silly pick-up line that the character Joey used on women. He had a particular way of saying it as well. If you are a fan of Friends, you’ve heard it, and the line went on to transcend the show to become well-known in its own right.
Obviously, it was played for laughs, and
Joey didn’t actually care how the woman he was addressing was doing. It was a means to an end for him. Related to this, when we pass people in our day-to-day lives, we often nod and say, “How are you?” And what response do we usually get? “Fine, thanks, and how are you?” And another response of “fine.” If not those exact words, it’s along those lines. Are we really fine? Is the other person fine? Who’s to say…because, like Joey, we don’t always care. Not that we actively don’t care about the other person, but this exchange is small talk, pleasantries, in the course of our busy day and we don’t necessarily want a true response. We are just being polite.
Those are examples of superficial communication in our everyday lives. It’s unfortunate that we neither have nor take the time to delve into the feelings or events of those we see in passing. But often we don’t even take that time with those who are close to us. We become self-absorbed and have so much going in our own lives that we only want to hear…fine. To dive any deeper is an investment of time and energy that we often don’t have. On the far end of this spectrum is a line that sounds similar but is much deeper. John Wesley, noted as the father of Methodism, conducted small groups or “classes” around the mid-1700s. A question asked during these classes was: How is it (or goes it) with your soul? Many of you may be familiar with this question and might have even used it in small groups yourself, particularly if you are a Methodist. On the surface, it might simply sound like a fancier version of “how are you,” but including the word “soul” elevates it. And when this question was asked in the small group setting, which typically consisted of 10-12 people of varying ages and genders, the person asking really wanted to know!
It wasn’t mere politeness. Thoughts were divulged. Deep conversations were had. Time was taken. Granted, that time was set aside for just that. But how often do we set aside time for in-depth dialogue? We would rather say, “How are you?” and move on.
Therefore, I’m challenging you—and myself—to ask the question of others: How is it with your soul? But since that can sound quite formal, take a page from Joey from Friends and ask, but MEAN it… “How YOU Doin’?”
About The Author Amy Oyler is a native Roman and a member of Rush Chapel United Methodist Church. She is wife to Jason, a dentist in Rome, and mother to Tanner, Timothy, and Thomas. A former English teacher, she enjoys working with the youth at Rush Chapel and “floating” where God leads her!
