Listening

Being present.

Those of us who volunteered to serve at the Christian retreat at Torres* were continually reminded during training and during the retreat to “listen, listen, love, love”. Priceless instruction.

Webster defines “listen” as “to pay attention to sound, to hear something with thoughtful attention, to be alert to catch an expected sound”.

I learned a lot exercising the discipline of listening.  I have learned what “listening” doesn’t mean. I can’t talk when I’m listening. For another, when I am listening, I’m not thinking about what I want to say next. I don’t change the subject by talking about a similar experience. I’m not assessing whether I agree with what is being said.

When I am listening, I am being present. Rumi says that true listening is like putting your head on the person’s chest and sinking into the answer.

*The Torres Unit is a Texas state prison located near Hondo, Texas.