My priest's sermon yesterday offered some advice that any and all people can use. The " take-away" that I gleaned from yesterday's Gospel story and sermon was this Listening is the Language of Love.
Too often we humans-- and I definitely include myself-- do not listen actively. Most of us listen with our ears and forget about listening with our hearts.
I am fortunate that my spouse does listen with his heart. Even when we disagree-- I know Brian is actively listening to { try to} understand me. Most of the time, he merely listens-- and only if I ask offers some solution to the situation at hand. Brian is a Mr Fix-it by nature, so his natural instinct is to rush to find solutions.
Especially when we are discussing touchy subjects such as politics, we need to practice actively listening to our conversation partner. This is done by refraining from listening for " holes" in one's logic as they explain why they feel as they do .
Anyone can train themselves to be more active listeners. I honed this skill during my time in the four-year theology-by-distance program aimed for educating laypeople called Education For Ministry { or EfM} Each year, students are required to present a spiritual autobiography-- highlighting where God was felt or where one could not feel God with then in their life so far. Presenting these autobiographies required participants to become vulnerable-- and to be fully present when others presented their own stories. Listeners were told to open our hearts & listen -- not to REACT { or offer advice} but to UNDERSTAND.
In life, we need to practice listening with the intent to understand. None of us form our thoughts, preferences or opinions in a vacuum-- our biographies are a big part of what shapes us now. One does not need to agree with another in order to understand their viewpoint.
May we all LISTEN to UNDERSTAND.
Amen
Sarah McCarren
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