Listen.
The
first word of the Rule of Saint Benedict is also the most important. For the monk, it represents the focus of the
spiritual life: listening to God.
Everything a monk does—from the way he eats and sleeps to the way he
works and prays—is designed to help him learn how to listen.
“Are you listening to me?” “Can’t you hear what I’m trying to say?” People use these expressions all the time
when they are arguing. Just think how
many problems would be solved if they really did just listen to one
another. A wise old monk once told me
that I should never answer a complaint without repeating it back to the person
who made it. Why? Because it assures them that I am listening. You
can’t force people to listen to you, but you’d be surprised how open they are
once they’re convinced that you are listening to them.
The
monk’s life, however, is not so much about listening to other people as it is
about listening to God. And that’s even
more difficult. Why? Because God is a gentleman. He speaks very, very quietly, and he rarely
forces anyone to listen to Him. So if
we’re not vigilant, we can easily mistake some other voice—or even our own
voice—for His. This is why it’s so
important to share your spiritual journey with someone older and wiser—a
parent, or a priest, or a spiritual mentor who can help you to distinguish the
true voice of God from the many imposters who want to take His place.
I’ll
leave you with something else that same monk told me: when you meet a wise man,
listen to him and you will learn wisdom; when you meet a foolish man, listen to
him and you will learn patience; when you are alone, listen to God, and you’ll
learn everything else.
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