How Do I Listen?
“How
Do I
Listen to others?
As if everyone were my Master
Speaking to me
His
Cherished
Last
Words.”—Hafiz, The Gift (renderings by Daniel James Ladinsky).
Listening skills are paramount with spiritual friends. I remember one person I met with for spiritual direction who talked for the entire hour. I never spoke a word. I kept waiting for her to breathe, but it didn’t seem to happen. At first, I couldn’t understand why she came; but gradually, I sensed that she simply needed someone to listen to her to acknowledge the God within her. This became more evident after she recommended several other people to come for direction, because she said I was so helpful! I later realized that she was a gift to me, teaching me how to listen.
We can practice many listening exercises, enabling us to become experienced listeners. For example, a grief recovery group, Walking the Mourner’s Path, uses a very effective one. At the first meeting of those grieving the death of a loved one, the participants divide into pairs, and each person tells the other about their loved one. Then they all return to the group, as each listener tells the group about the person grieved by their partner. Even though the pairs never work together again, a bond develops between them for the program’s eight weeks or longer.
Today’s picture is of one of the world’s most compassionate listeners, Bishop Michael Curry.
Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/