We often associate Lent with repentance, alms-giving and self-denial. But for me, it is more a period to remind myself of the importance of going deeper – deeper into myself, deeper into the Creation within and around me.
And for me, going deeper starts with listening - you know, active listening. The kind of listening that:
- allows you to hear the demanding catbird in the tree
- allows you to see the sunset over the bay (yes, you can listen with your eyes)
- allows you to hear your heart beat (yes, you can listen to your body’s pulsations)
- allows you to hear, really hear, what the other person is saying. Not the type where you begin to form your response before they have finished their first sentence. Rather, the kind of listening that lets you appreciate that person’s part in the Creation.
We can listen with any and all of our senses. We can listen in meditation or prayer or many other ways, with our morning coffee (listen to the percolator) or in the dead of night. Listening is many things. One thing it is not - projecting our thoughts or biases on the subject. Listening helps us appreciate Creation; our thoughts and biases only get in the way of doing that.
Jesus provides us with many examples of a meaningful life. One of those is removing yourself to a space where you can be at one with the Creator. That may be in a closet; but you may be able to move into such a space in much “busier” places. Wherever, Lent provides us a time to consciously focus on going deeper.
Try listening – and don’t be too hard on yourself for what you hear. The Creator loves us in ways that we can only begin to imagine.
I found a female cardinal dead below our feeder. She visited our feeder often along with her mate. I wonder what he will do now. I listened to God within me crying.
Gary Kimmel
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