Tonight in my class, Pasor as Community Organizer, we reflected on how the act of listening can (and possibly should) be an act of surrender. We shared the times when we've felt most hurt by someone. Oftentimes it is by someone we love and trust. At these times, I've felt betrayed, lost, not trusted, misunderstood... I felt the biblical phrase "and his heart was hardened" applied directly to me.
Listening as Surrender meands giving of your time to people, being vulnerable to what they share, being open to whatever happens, and giving your full attention to what they are saying. I've heard that only 15% of communication is verbal: the rest is tone and body language. It takes 110% percent of our attention to fully understand someone. How much are you giving?
Think about the people who truly listen to you. Name them. How are they surrendering their time, their perrogative to do something else, in order to simply be with you? These are some of the most important relationships you can have.
Who do you truly listen to? In a play off of Ghandi's words to be the change you want to see in the world, be the listener today. See what God does in your heart.
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