are you listening?

sh-h-h-h...don't say anything...just listen...what do you hear? people talking? household machines churning away? phones ringing? what?

a curious thing...listening...we have so perfected the art of selective listening that we can encounter a dozen sounds at one time but only hear one of them...somehow we have trained our brains to accept only a small portion of the many sounds that come in through our ears...that skill of selective listening can work for our good...but it can also be a problem...

for example...i remember living at my parent's house...mom saying..."someone needs to take the garbage out"...what happened? most times...no one moved...because every person within earshot used selective listening...so mom's statement just sailed through thin air...

on a hectic day...or in a large group situation...or in a room full of children...selective listening is an essential means to survival...but the trouble comes when we put selective listening on automatic pilot...let me give you another familiar example...you're having a one-on-one conversation...and you realize the voice inflection of the other person has just indicated a question mark...but you weren't listening to the words...so you have no clue whatsoever how to respond...you weren't really listening...have you been there? scary...isn't it?

it is time to reinvent real listening...to establish contact all over again...we need to listen to others...really hear the sounds and words that describe their hurts...their successes...their hopes...we need to hear the words...so we can laugh with others...cry with others...and encourage others...we need to listen with our hearts as well as ears...so that we not only hear their words...but we hear the part of the message they can't put into words...we need to really hear the fear...the longing...and the distress...only when we have the total message can we respond appropriately...to be christian is to learn to listen to people as Jesus did and to care about what we hear...

but perhaps the most significant listening skill we can cultivate is listening to God...when we are in communication with God...our prayers are usually so full of asking and giving directions that we talk right past the listening part...i sometimes picture God taking my face in his hands and saying..."listen to me!"

i was reading the story of mary and martha this morning...the biblical account of mary and martha serves us well here...martha complained that mary was not busy with the household responsibilities...but Jesus told martha..."you are worried and upset about many things...but only one thing is needed...mary has chosen what is better...and it will not be taken away from her..." (luke 10:41-42) mary was simply listening...being with Jesus...concentrating...sharing the presence of God...

to listen is to hear God's truth...to hear answers that summon us to greater commitment...we need spaces of silent attention toward God...divine conversation...are you listening?