listen

To hear something. To be still and notice. To pay attention with an open mind, a curious heart, and a willingness to be changed. Listening with compassion, and without judgement, brings us into communion with one another. It is a deeply spiritual practice.

In today’s world, it can be hard to hear much. Our world is noisy and fast-paced. But if we pause, even for a moment, something stirs in us that invites us to listen more closely. We can slow down and listen to our neighbors. We can hear their fears, along with our own. We can listen to the birds, the wind, the ocean, the silence, the tears we shed. 

Listening is a never-ending invitation from God to rediscover the sacred in ourselves and one another. It means recognizing that whomever (or whatever) you are listening to has a unique story full of love and loss just like all of us. Being present to that story allows us to understand, heal and be open to God’s transforming mercy so it can flow through us and out into the world. 

Listening brings us back together and reunites us in love.

Dear God, 

Thank you for giving me the sense of hearing. Allow me to not only hear, but to listen and be present for others and understand their needs and their suffering. Allow me to be present in the ways they need me. Give me the grace of your presence to listen without judgement. Amen.

How can you become a better listener today?