Please Listen

[Where I See Fear – V]

Every therapist: “Listen to your childhood and your inner life and your memories.”

Every partner: “Listen to my experience and feelings."

Every teacher: “Listen to your thoughts and dreams and imagination.”

Every minster: “Listen to your Creator, God, Spirit.”

Every friend: “Listen to this idea, this dream, and this thing I discovered.”

Listening is a requirement for participation in almost any community (of any shape or size or orientation). It’s the beginning of involvement, inclusion, relationship, and belonging.

Also, without listening, there is no learning, growing, and moving forward.

Yet we’re afraid to listen. Because one can’t listen and talk at the same time. And talking (with our mouths or just in our heads) is often a defense mechanism. It protects us from the biggest threat on our lives.

Not monsters.
Not the Devil.
Not sickness or poverty or even death.
It protects us from change.

But now, in this moment in history, we need to listen. There are people literally crying to be heard.

Please listen.