Some years ago, at my church, I helped lead a series of classes for people engaged in what we called “caring ministries.” The primary skill for helpful care of others is this: Listening.

And you know what? We’re not very good at it.

For the class, we did many practice sessions, if only to get across the realization that listening is difficult. You can click around the web to find lots of information about listening vs. hearing. In brief, the human mind is capable of processing words at a rate of upwards of 400 words per minute. Normal talk takes place at about 125 words per minute. That leaves a lot of brain cells waiting for the next word. And our brains make up the difference with plenty of clutter. Attention drifts. We quickly stop listening. Even worse, because we like to talk back, give answers, and provide solutions, we are usually thinking of the next thing we want to say. We are pretty hopeless at listening.

When I take myself to the vast silence of a natural place like the Island, I practice listening. Feel free to laugh here–because clearly the result of what I call listening is the outpouring of an avalanche of words! Nevertheless, listening has been a theme of mine from way back. I’m always trying to get better at it.
 

IT IS THE TIME TO LISTEN
 
It is the time to listen. Things
have begun to speak again
more wonderful than music, more
articulate than men:
the animals who question
and stones that mourn.
Oh, who will translate for us these
green tongues of corn?
 
 
Barbara Loots
The Lyric