October 14th 2006: Listening

I was looking through some notes and found these words by Esther de Waal, from a book called 'Living with Contradiction', on the Rule of St Benedict:

"Listening is the very first word of the Rule: listening in its fullest sense; listening with every fibre of my being; listening to all the ways in which God is trying to reach me. This will not only be in words (though a dialogue with God through the scriptures, through daily reading, and particularly through the psalms, is very central to Benedictine life). But also listening through the people whose lives touch mine; through the things I touch and handle; through moments of grace. Do I really take this as seriously as I should? Do I not in fact so often take for granted God's amazing generosity? By the evening do I look back on the day, see how God has been there in all my encounters, in all my daily activity, waiting with hands stretched out towards me? And then, I need to ask myself how truly did I hear and respond? For that is ultimately what obedience is about: that I listen, and I respond, and I act on what I hear."