Jan Richardson, quoting one of her teachers in the book In Wisdom's Path, writes: " ... the miracle of Pentecost was not that people spoke in different languages, but that they understood one another. This means they must have really listened to one another, must have really heard the remarkable words springing from each other's mouths. It is that gift, that miracle of listening that I hunger for in the church, where passion for our own positions and beliefs often dims our ability to truly hear one another. .... I thought of how that Spirit-filled group from every nation under heaven had, for one shining moment, gotten it right." Isn't it interesting how much emphasis we place on talking? The gift of the Holy Spirit called "speaking in tongues". The importance of the President or Prime Minister speaking to the Nation. The Pope speaking to a gathering. Toastmasters is dedicated to helping people do well in public speaking. Simon and Garfunkel sang about speech and listening in "Sound of Silence" ... while the Monks at Weston Abby encourage us to "Listen".Without a listener, all our words just fall into a "black hole". Without a speaker, we have no one to listen to. On a final musical note, it's much like Frank Sinatra's " Love and Marriage"!Both are desirable. Both are needed. They go together like a horse and carriage. Luke tells us that Jesus ... " went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because she has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. I am sent to proclaim freedom for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”" The people listening were "amazed at the gracious words that Jesus spoke". Jesus speaks "graciously" to people. When he speaks to those who abuse power, he speaks the truth plainly, with strength, and with an openness to reconciliation. As the people said: "He speaks with authority" to heal and make whole. It would be fun to go through the Gospels looking at the way Jesus speaks. Part of speaking well, is listening well. So often our self interest and stubborn opinions cause our ears to go deaf. We all know the story Luke tells about Jesus' family on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Joseph thinks Jesus is with Mary; Mary thinks he is with Joseph. "After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions." There is an active cycle here. Speaking, listening, asking, learning.Jesus is earnestly seeking knowledge so he can, as Luke tells us: "... grow in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Often in the Gospels, the people who hear what Jesus teaches are described as those who "are/were listening. They seem to be the ones who understand Jesus' teaching. Then he sends them to others to speak words of "good news". Language, words, silence, so often separate us. Pentecost seems an excellent time to reflect that God's Spirit urges us to speak to others in ways that bring us together and heal us. That same Spirit encourages us to listen to each other, seeking to understand what is being said. When we listen with our hearts as well as with our ears, we become participants in building a world of grace and beauty. Jan Richardson ends her reflection with a poem entitled simply: Pentecost It is not the sparks caused by our difference that haunt me but the brimstone of those bent on assimilation, on annihilation. I have felt the template on my flesh, I have seen the wounded and the scalded. and I am not persuaded that if we look alike God will love us more. I believe God loves the languages of those struggling to speak the words embedded in our flesh of every shape and hue. And I believe God blesses every space where we are welcomed to speak with tongues of fire and hear with hearts aflame. Barbara Cooper OP Vancouver Island, BC Canada May 2013
|
