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February 27th.
2008
BE STILL
Not long ago a non-church colleague
shared with me an email he had received from one of his constituents. It
was a fierce critique of my friend's leadership. What I found to be
most disturbing about the whole email was the last line: “Now you know
my opinion. I am sure it differs from yours. Let’s just try to move on
from here.”
What I find so troubling about this closing line is the clear inference
that the author has stated what he wants to state, and has no interest
in listening to the other person's response or perspective.
Communication, to say nothing of conflict resolution, does not take
place when only one side has the opportunity to express their thoughts,
feelings and opinions.
Yet, while potentially not as blatantly conveyed as it was in the above
email, how often do we not listen to what the other person is saying?
Rather, what we are doing is patiently (or not so much) waiting for the
other person to finish so that we can then interject.
One of my favorite mentors once suggested the following about listening:
“If we are unwilling to be changed by what the other is offering we are
not really listening.” Real listening is about being open to what the
other is communicating.
The same can be said about our prayer life. If our prayer time is only
made up of stating our wants, needs, petitions, and no time listening,
are we truly “communicating” with our Lord?
No place is this better stated than in Psalm 46, “Be still and know that
I am God.” It is not easy for any of us, either in conversations or in
our prayer time, to “be still.” And yet, for us to truly hear what the
other or our Lord is trying to communicate we need to be still and truly
listen…we never know, our lives just might be changed.
Blessings,
The Rev. Brian N. Prior, Rector
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